Centre’s interlocutors on Kashmir achieved a breakthrough when they managed to pacify BJP’s Jammu wing and Panthers Party, both parties which had earlier called for a boycott.
The three interlocutors — Dilip Padgoankar, Radha Kumar and MM Ansari — visited Jammu offices of the two parties for a one-on-one meeting with the leaders in a bid to bring them on board.
A parliamentary delegation had made a similar move last year when the team drove down to meet Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani, JKLF leader Yasin Malik and moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq at the height of the September unrest.
The interlocutors’ new strategy seems to have worked as both BJP and Panthers Party have mellowed their stand.
“In fact last time they had sought time for appointment but they did not turn up. We had other engagements therefore we had left. They apologised to us and blamed the administration for the goof-up,” said Jitender Singh, Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesman.
Top BJP leaders were present during the meeting. “We raised the issue of funds allocations to different districts and delimitation of assembly seats. There is huge discrepancy in the state. Gurez constituency in Kashmir has only 13,000 voters while Gandhi Nagar in Jammu has 1.5 lakh voters. The interlocutors assured us they will seek details from the election commission to find out the criteria for seats,” Singh said.
A copy of a resolution passed by BJP’s national office bearers at a meeting held in Jammu on December 23 was given to the interlocutors, the party leader said. The resolution calls for termination of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under article 370.
Panthers Party during their 90-minute meeting submitted a memorandum to the interlocutors demanding separate regional assemblies for all the three regions of the state in order to address development problems.
“We sought a five-year term for assembly in the state. J&K is the only state in the country which has a six-year term for the assembly. Plus we sought review of Indus water treaty and compensation for losses suffered by the state,” Harsh Dev Singh, a senior leader in Panthers Party, said.
