Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday welcomed Home Minister Rajnath Singh's announcement that Centre will hold a sustained dialogue with all stakeholders of the state. The opposition, however, didn't share her optimism.
Mehbooba was reacting to the surprise announcement Singh that former IB Director Dineshwar Sharma will be Centre's interlocutor for talks on Kashmir with all stakeholders. He, however, parried questions whether separatist Hurriyat Conference and militants will also be invited for talks.
In a tweet, Mufti said: "Dialogue is a necessity of the hour and the only way to go forward.” She said: ''Welcome the initiative of the Union government, appointing an interlocutor for leading a sustained dialogue with stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir."
Later, at a hurriedly convened press conference, she hoped all stakeholders including the separatists would come forward with a positive response to the development.
On whether the appointment of the interlocutor would have a bearing on the NIA investigations against the separatists, she said: "Security is a separate issue and the political process is a separate issue."
Mehbooba said all the stakeholders should come forward and make use of this opportunity to end the bloodshed in Kashmir.
''Every day people are getting killed,'' she said. “Talks are the only way resolve the issue peacefully.''
She said the point man for talks chosen by the Centre was a man of credibility and experience.
Opposition leader and NC working president Omar Abdullah said they would wait to see what Sharma has to offer.
''I will not speculate on his mandate,'' he told THE WEEK. “Let's see what he has to say and then we would put forth our proposals.''
Omar said: “The 'legitimate aspirations' of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is an interesting formulation. Who gets to decide what is legitimate?"
Omar said the acceptance of the political nature of the Kashmir issue is a resounding defeat of those who could only see the use of force as a solution.
His father and NC patron Farooq Abdullah said the Centre had appointed interlocutors before but nothing happened.
''The reports of the previous interlocutors including present JK governor N.N. Vohra are piling dust in the home ministry. What is the point of appointing a new interlocutor? Ajit Doval's doctrine of use of force has failed. They have realised that the only way forward is political,'' Farooq said. “The Centre should present the previous reports of the interlocutors in Parliament and take a decision.''
Senior JK Congress leader G.A. Mir said the Centre first needs to codify who the stakeholders are. ''Who are the real stakeholders of the Jammu and Kashmir needs to be codified,'' Mir said. Mir also questioned the appointment of a retired bureaucrat as interlocutor.
''Last time when Manmohan Singh was the prime minister, he announced the talks initiative himself and then three interlocutors were appointed for talks,'' Mir said.
The separatists have said they would react to the talks offer after consultations on Tuesday.
Sources, however, said the separatists are seeing an opportunity in the talks as the Centre is softening its stand against them and their supporters.
For the common man like Minhas Ahmed of Srinagar, the talks offer by Centre is nothing but to deceive the international community. ''We have seen such initiatives in the past, but nothing materialised,'' he said.
