Yashwant Sinha, senior BJP leader and former Union Minister, has called for holding talks with Kashmiris in order to bring peace in Jammu and Kashmir. Generic invites for talks are not enough, he said, adding that the Centre should identify various stakeholders and invite them for talks with a specific time frame.

Addressing the annual Manthan Samvaad event here on Sunday, Sinha said Kashmiris have suffered for four generations and feel alienated. “I feel that there is a strong constituency of peace and a possibility of engaging in dialogue to resolve this issue,” he said.

“At least four generations have lived under the shadows of security forces. It is entirely our fault that the people of Kashmir are alienated from us. It is our duty (to ensure) that the alienation subsides,” he said.

Recalling his visits to the Valley as part of the Concerned Citizens team, he said there could be a multi-stage process — first to begin the the dialogue process “with our own people in J&K and then commencing a dialogue process with Pakistan at a later stage.”

Longest issue

Talking on ‘Kashmir — Now and Way Forward’, he felt that J&K has been the longest issue with the country since Independence. Stating that the atmosphere in Kashmir is stifling, he said non-violence is completely at a discount in the Valley.

The dialogue with Kashmiris must also include stakeholders such as Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs apart from the political parties, the youth, civil society groups and intellectuals, he added.

Sucheta Mahajan of Jawaharlal Nehru University spoke on the alleged efforts to rewrite history after the BJP government took over at the Centre. She expressed concern over the efforts to promote “unscientific” narratives. The country has a great tradition of “scepticism” that helped intellectual pursuit, she added.

Justice Jasti Chelameshwar, who spoke on the ‘Rule of Law’, dwelt on the evolution of law, its implementation and the judiciary and on the importance of each of these institutions. He felt that the prescription of law in the country is on par with the developed countries.

“The question is how well the law is being implemented in this country. It leaves a lot left to be desired,” he said.

Answering a query on whether it is okay if judges share daises with politicians, he said it is not about sharing a dais but the quality of the mind of the judge. “One could still be independent (even after sharing a dais). Not sharing a dais doesn’t mean one is honest,” he said.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW