PM seeks peace partners

In spite of the Kashmiri separatists rejecting his invitation, to the roundtable on Kashmir Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left the door open...

In spite of the Kashmiri separatists rejecting his invitation, to the roundtable on Kashmir Prime Minister Manmohan Singh left the door open for future dialogue with Mirwaiz Umer Farooq8217;s Hurriyat faction on empowering the people of Jammu and Kashmir using 8216;8216;vast flexibilities8217;8217; of the Constitution.

In an indication that he means business, the PM directed the Home Ministry to release all detainees, except those involved in heinous offences, by the end of March.

National Security Advisor M K Narayanan told the media after the meeting that the Home Minister will set up the committee on Monday.

Those present at the roundtable included Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, his predecessor Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, National Conference chief Omar Abdullah, CPIM leader Mohammad Yusuf Tarigami, state BJP president Nirmal Singh, Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh and representatives of the Buddhist, Pandit and Gujjar communities, NGOs and intellectuals.

Terming the conference the 8216;8216;beginning of a larger process aimed at evolving a consensus among different groups and sections of society8217;8217;, the Prime Minister said, 8216;8216;I realise there are certain groups outside the mainstream electoral process who have not attended this roundtable.8217;8217; Emphasising that it was a long process, he said, 8216;8216;They will have further opportunities to participate and contribute to the process in future.8217;8217;

He said, 8216;8216;We can arrive at arrangements within the vast flexibilities provided by the Constitution, arrangements that provide real empowerment and comprehensive security to all people of Jammu and Kashmir.8217;8217;

When asked if the exercise was relevant in the absence of the separatists, Naraynan said he would repeat the word used by the Mufti that they represented only a 8216;8216;minuscule8217;8217; section.

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The next roundtable will take place in Srinagar in the second-half of May. Narayanan said those who did not come would be invited to the next meeting. In the meanwhile, they were 8216;8216;welcome to meet the Prime Minister individually.8217;8217;