New Delhi, Aug 6 (IANS) Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Friday the government was committed to reactivating the political process in Jammu and Kashmir and would be ‘very happy’ if hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani joins in the dialogue.
The minister told the Rajya Sabha that an all-party delegation from the state is expected to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh next week and the government will soon convene a meeting of leaders of political parties in parliament to discuss the situation in the troubled state.
Chidambaram said the government was willing to restart ‘quiet talks’ which, he said were ‘rudely interrupted’ in December following an attack on a Hurriyat Conference leader.
He hoped that the moderate leaders among separatists will resume the dialogue. ‘I will be very happy if (Syed Ali Shah) Geelani also joins to have a dialogue in one form or other,’ he said.
‘The prime minister will be happy to receive the all-party delegation (from Jammu and Kashmir) as early as Monday,’ he said.
He said the government was also willing to consider the suggestion of sending an all-party delegation to the state.
‘The immediate task is to restore law and order… We must bring to an end violence on the streets of Jammu and Kashmir,’ Chidambaram said, adding that security forces were acting with a great degree of restraint.
During the last seven days, 31 protesters have been killed across Kashmir in firing by security forces, taking the toll in the cycle of violence since June 11 to 48.
