PM meets Lone, talks end on low key

The government8217;s message was clear8212;that the Hurriyat Conference is not, as the amalgam claims, the only group representing the interests of the Kashmiri people. The Centre8217;s purpose, it emphasised, was to involve all sections of public opinion, so as to 8216;8216;reach the hearts and minds of the people of the state by including groups outside the electoral process8217;8217;. In fact, the PM8217;s Media Advisor Sanjaya Baru said, after the talks, that Singh would be meeting more such people in future.

Emerging from the hour-long meeting, Lone, leading a five member delegation, said that the interaction was very positive and that the Prime Minister had assured them that the process would continue.

Clarifying his own stand, Lone, who commands mass support in North Kashmir, said, 8216;8216;Given the scale of sacrifices rendered by the people of Kashmir, they will have a major say in our political policy.8217;8217;

8216;8216;The aim is to have a civilised, result-oriented process. We should not expect short term results. The time taken should not be taken as an indication of the failure of the process,8217;8217; he added.

Lending an emotional touch to the meeting were the tributes paid to Lone8217;s father, Abdul Gani Lone, who was assassinated while addressing a peace rally in Kashmir in 2002. The late Lone8217;s aide Hafiz Maqdoomi was also part of the People8217;s Conference delegation today.