India willing to negotiate with Kashmiris: Singh

SRINAGAR: The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh announced on his visit to Srinigar, the summer capital of Indian Administered Kashmir, that the Indian government will negotiate a peaceful resolution to a long standing dispute over the region with those Kashmiris who are  willing to lay down their arms.

“We would be happy to engage in dialogue with any group and that applies, I mean, any group which is interested in talking to us, that, I think, option is open and we would welcome even those groups who are not in the political mainstream, if they have any views, we are quite willing to, I think, discuss with them,” Singh said.

Singh arrived in the Kashmiri capital on a two-day visit to take stock of the overall security situation and inspect development projects taking place in the disputed region. The Indian Prime Minister is also scheduled to hold meetings with Kashmiri politicians favouring India on this trip.

Locals in Kashmir seeking independence from Indian rule called a general strike to protest against Singh’s visit, which comes amid heightened tensions since the killing of three Muslims in April by the military. The strike caused the closure of shops, schools, offices and banks in Srinagar, as well as other towns in the Kashmir valley.

Kashmir’s main political alliance seeking independence, the All Parties Hurriyat (freedom) Conference binds about two-dozen other groups, most of whom are either seeking independence or greater autonomy.

Speaking to a conference at one of the local universities, India’s Prime Minister informed a packed audience that Indian troops operating In Jammu and Kashmir have been given strict instructions to respect the basic human rights of all civilians living in the region.

“We will act to remove any deficiency in the implementation of those instructions,” Singh declared.

The Indian Prime Minister also took his usual swing at neighbouring Pakistan during the conference. “Meaningful talks between the two countries, which can lead to a resolution of old issues, are possible only when Pakistan doesn’t let its territory be used for acts of terror against India,” Singh said.

Islamabad has repeatedly denied Indian allegations that Pakistani government funds are being used to fund those Kashmiris seeking independence.

Kashmir is in the grip of a 20-year struggle against Indian rule that has so far left more than 47,000 people dead, but violence has declined since the start of the peace process by India and Pakistan in 2004. Both nuclear-armed neighbours and rivals hold the region in part.

The last time the Indian Prime Minister visited the disputed region of Kashmir was to inaugurate a rail link.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 8th, 2010.