Situation in J&K better, Hurriyat ready for talks: Governor Satya Pal Malik

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Saturday said that the separatist Hurriyat leaders were ready for talks with the government, as he asserted that the situation in the Valley has vastly improved. 

J&K Governor made this statement at a Doordarshan event in Srinagar in the presence of Union Ministers Prakash Javdekar and Jitendra Singh.

He indicated that the situation in Jammu Kashmir has improved by saying that "temperature is low in the valley." 

He said," When Ram Vilas Paswan was standing at their door(2016), they refused to talk with them".

Mr Malik suggested that now Hurriyat is ready for talks and that incidents of violence in the valley has steadily climbed down.

Malik said that the situation in Kashmir has improved and recruitment of militants and incidents of stone pelting has significantly reduced since he took charge as the Governor last August.

His comments come at a time when the Hurriyat Chief  Mizwaiz Umar Farooq stated that India and Pakistan should resume dialogues after the infamous terror attack in Uri.

He also thanked the Hurriyat chief for acknowledging the drug menace that affected the youth of Kasmir.

By expressing concern for Kasmir's youth he said, "We do not feel good when a youth is killed, we want to bring him back. There is a lot of thought being given as to what kind of scheme is needed to bring them back", the PTI quoted him as saying.

The Governor hinted that it was not easy to assess the situation of Kashmir while sitting elsewhere in the country even if one had served or lived in the valley for some time.

"When I visit Delhi, there are so many people who claim to be Kashmir hand. I ask them when were you in Kashmir. They say 15 years ago," he said. "Kashmir changes in 15 days, you do not know anything. If you want to know Kashmir, live there and see it."

"I am in touch with around 200 people and from them, I have come to know about the problems. The diseases have been diagnosed, the diseases are plenty but these can be cured. The narrative can be changed, the prerequisite is that the intentions are good and sincere on both sides," he added.          

The distribution of free-to-air Doordarshan set-top boxes to residents of the border areas in Jammu and Kashmir was also carried out at the function. 

(With inputs from PTI)