Ready to talk to anyone for lasting peace in J-K: PM

PM Manmohan Singh expressed the Centre's willingness to 'talk to anyone' having 'meaningful ideas' to promote peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a fresh initiative,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed the Centre’s willingness to “talk to anyone” having “meaningful ideas” to promote peace in Jammu and Kashmir and offered to resume dialogue with Pakistan provided it curbed activities of those engaged in terrorism in India.

Flanked by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and state leaders — Chief Minister Omar Abdullah,Union Ministers Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed — Singh announced Centre’s assistance to a series of development measures in the state at a public meeting in Anantnag.

Affirming that “the era of violence and terrorism is coming to an end”,the Prime Minister recalled that five years ago his government had committed itself to having unconditional dialogue with “whoever abjures violence” after which the government had held discussions with different groups and implemented a number of initiatives.

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“I wish to say again today that we are willing to talk to anyone who has any meaningful ideas for promoting peace and development in Kashmir.

“We want to carry all sections of the people with us in resolving the political and economic problems of Jammu and Kashmir,” Singh said.

After the meeting,the Prime Minister and other leaders flagged off the 18-km long Anantnag-Qazigund section of the Kashmir rail project. “The day is not far when trains will run from Jammu to Srinagar through the Banihal pass,” he said.

Recalling his peace offer in 2004,the Prime Minister said the “most fruitful and productive discussions” with Pakistan were held between 2004-07 when militancy and violence had begun to decline.

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“Intensive discussions were held on all issues including on a permanent resolution of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said adding that for the first time in 60 years,people were able to travel by road across the Line of Control (LoC).

He noted that divided families were re-united and trade between the two sides of Kashmir had begun and overall trade with Pakistan had increased three-fold during 2004-07.

“We were moving in the right direction. For the first time there was a feeling among the people that a durable and final peace was around the corner. However,all the progress that we achieved has been repeatedly thwarted by acts of terrorism,” Singh said adding that the terrorists want permanent enmity between the two countries.

The Prime Minister said he strongly believed that the majority of the people in Pakistan sought good neighbourly and cooperative relations with India.

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“They seek a permanent peace. This is our view as well,” Singh said.

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