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| Sunday, 28 March 2004 |
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Kashmiri separatists, India's deputy PM agree further talks in June AFP - Kashmiri separatists and India's Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani agreed Saturday to continue high-level talks aimed at ending 15 years of Islamic militancy in the disputed Himalayan territory. Both sides emerged smiling from their second round of negotiations since January as part of a precedent-setting dialogue to halt the deadly conflict in Kashmir that has claimed thousands of lives since 1989. "We're going forward and not backwards and there is a change in thought and attitude at the ground level," said Abdul Gani Bhatt, spokesman for the moderate wing of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a rainbow coalition of Kashmiri separatist groups, after the closed-door talks. "We agreed to meet in June and we hope we will be discussing ideas and hope to move forward for a lasting peace. We are engaged in a serious business of the peace process which is so huge," he told reporters. Advani said "substantive issues" would be discussed in the next talks which would depend on the ruling National Democratic Alliance being returned to power in general elections next month but added with a grin he was "hopeful our government will be back." Opinion polls have put the alliance, led by Advani's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, solidly ahead of the opposition Congress party in the staggered polls set to wind up May 10. The government has made its peace moves with Pakistan and its efforts to end the Kashmir revolt key planks in its campaign. The talks were "cordial free and frank," a Hurriyat statement said. "Events in Kashmir are linked to whatever is happening to India and Pakistan," said Bhatt, referring to peace moves by the nuclear-armed neighbours who have gone to war three times, twice over the divided region. The separatists said the meeting reviewed progress on alleged human rights abuses by troops, which they had said beforehand would be a key issue in the discussions. "Human rights issues have improved in Kashmir," said Bhatt. Adani said he had given orders that security forces "must have a human face" while discharging their duties in the heavily militarised region and "try to see that ordinary citizens are not subjected to any harassment." Advani said the government had released 69 prisoners since the January meeting. However, the separatists say there are at least 1,500 prisoners they want freed. The separatists want the Muslim-majority region, held in part by India and Pakistan but claimed in full by both, folded into Pakistan or to become independent. The latest talks followed Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's call Friday for the Kashmir issue to finally be resolved. Hailing India's warming ties with Pakistan, Vajpayee told a political rally: "Let's talk about Kashmir and settle that. That's the only way the problem can be resolved. There's no other way out. It's now time the two countries use their resources for development." The talks came as Hurriyat has split between moderates who favour dialogue with New Delhi and hardliners who oppose it. India says the conflict has claimed some 40,000 lives. The separatists put the toll at around 80,000. |
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