Centre has sent no invitation to Kashmir leaders for dialogue yet

It has been reported that the Centre was in the process of initiating a dialogue with the leaders of PAGD for the way forward

Amid speculations about a proposed dialogue between political leadership in Kashmir and the BJP-led central government to break the logjam, no formal or informal invitation has been received by regional parties so far.

In recent days, it has been reported that the Centre was in the process of initiating a dialogue with the leaders of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) to draw a roadmap for the two sides to erase mistrust and fill the ever-widening political vacuum in the UT following the abrogation of its special status.

However, a senior leader of the PAGD said that no formal or informal invitation has come to any of the leaders so far. “I can say with authority that as of now neither any contact has been established with the PAGD by the Centre nor any invitation has been sent,” he told DH.

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When asked whether they were in touch with the BJP government to initiate the dialogue, he said, “If some leader at individual level is in contact with Delhi, I am not aware of it. But as an alliance, there has been no contact so far.”

PAGD, an alliance of NC, PDP, CPI, CPM, People's Movement and Awami National Conference, was formed in October 2020 by Kashmir-based leaders with the pledge of perseverance and steadfastness towards the restoration of the special status of J&K revoked by the Centre in August 2019.

However, for nearly six months from December, the alliance remained dormant before holding a meeting last week, giving rise to speculations that the process of dialogue with the Centre may have advanced.

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CPI (M) leader, Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, who is also the spokesperson of the PAGD said that the onus of initiating a dialogue is on New Delhi. “It was the unconstitutional and unilateral decision of August 5, 2019 by the Centre which froze the political process in the region. We always believe that dialogue is the only way to move forward,” he told DH.

In recent days, both NC President Farooq Abdullah and PDP President Mehbooba Mufti have given enough hints that they were ready for a dialogue. While the ice seems to be melting, to hammer out a mutually acceptable solution to the present political impasse, leadership in Kashmir is waiting for the Centre to take the first step.