The Centre’s special representative on Jammu & Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma travelled to south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Tuesday to interact with people for feedback on Kashmir situation. Sharma is in Kashmir on second visit since his appointment as interlocutor last month. Though he appeared to be optimistic on meeting separatist leaders, there has not been any headway on his interaction with anyone from the secessionist camp.
Sources said that delegations of the mainstream political parties—BJP, Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held in-camera meetings with the interlocutor at a highly fortified Government building. There were also delegations comprising cross section of people queued up to meet the former Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief who has been assigned the task of finding real issues in Jammu & Kashmir.
During Sharma’s maiden five day visit to Srinagar from November 8, he met scores of delegations at a guest house and interacted with several heads of political parties at their residences. This time around he began his visit from Jammu.
This is the first time when Sharma traveled to south Kashmir’s Anantnag town, which was the epicenter of public uprising following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani on July 9, 2016. A day earlier, Sharma went to Pulwama district to interact with youngsters. The student uprising of 2017 had begun from Pulwama Degree College in April and engulfed most parts for the Valley. The authorities systematically closed educational institutions to prevent student protests.
Dineshwar Sharma described interaction and meetings with various groups and delegations during last two days as unique, positive, fruitful and result-oriented. Talking to reporters he lauded the state government’s decision to grant amnesty to over 4,000 first-time stone pelters as a big ‘Confidence Building Measure (CBM)’. Sharma said the youths in Kashmir were very positive and forthcoming. He said that he was trying to meet the separatist leaders during his visits. “I am trying my best to meet separatist leadership in Kashmir,” he said.
The Joint Resistance leadership (JRl) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik has announced to stay away from any engagement and dialogue with Sharma. The separatist leadership has asked for concrete CBMs on ground to pave way for any dialogue process along with talks with Pakistan. The main trade, business and civil society groups in Kashmir have also stayed away from talks with the Interlocutor.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti expressed concern over the reports of alleged harassment and manhandling of some inmates from Jammu & Kashmir at Tihar Jail in New Delhi.
An official spokesman said that the CM took “serious view” of the reports and spoke to Union Home Secretary, Rajiv Gauba asking him to intervene in the matter.
The spokesman said that Gauba assured the Chief Minister of a thorough probe into the incident and punishing the culprits for having violated the jail manual.
The separatist leaders described the treatment meted out to Kashmiri jail inmates as “ghastly act” saying the lives of all Kashmiri political prisoners has been put at risk.
“Thrashing incident at Tihar jail is extremely inhuman and immoral act,” the JRl said in a statement. “It is extreme state sponsored oppression and the tall claims (of authorities) and (their) rhetoric about humanity and democracy are mere hoax.”
The local newspapers reported on Tuesday that a group of Kashmiri inmates including Shahid Yousuf, who is son of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, have been beaten up to a pulp inside high security ward of Tihar jail causing severe public outcry.
“The attack on Syed Shahid Yusuf and other prisoners was carried (out) by the jail administration. Those claiming to be the champions of democracy are violating the basic norms of humanity,” the separatist leaders said.