‘Unconditional dialogue is the way forward, in Kashmir’

A Yashwant Sinha-led delegation indicated on the completion of their second visit to Kashmir that they will prepare the ground for unconditional dialogue with all stakeholders in the valley. The delegation, however, admitted there was a lot of anti-India sentiments here.  Sinha told journalists that their group was making efforts at all important levels in New Delhi to convince them to invite the Hurriyat for unconditional dialogue. The delegation in October was able to break the ice with Hurriyat leaders and assured them that they would try to convince the government to start the process of unconditional dialogue.  The delegation said they were hopeful that New Delhi would invite the separatists and there would be a positive outcome of their visits to Kashmir. Sinha said they have reached out to different sections of society and politicians to get an honest feedback.  He hinted at a Srinagar-New Delhi dialogue, but said it would take some more time to initiate a dialogue with Islamabad. Meanwhile, National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah, while meeting the delegation led by Yashwant Sinha, told them that there was no alternative to unconditional dialogue with all stakeholders in Kashmir as well as a comprehensive dialogue with Pakistan to hammer out a mutually acceptable solution to the Kashmir issue. The Congress has described such visits as propaganda and claimed that the Centre as well as the state government were not interested in normalising the situation in Kashmir. Former Minority Affairs Minister, Rahman Khan of Congress said in a press conference that the delegation had come to fool the people as it has no mandate from the Central government.