A fresh ray of hope has emanated in Jammu and Kashmir, which might put some brakes on the present bloodshed, after a conglomerate of various separatist factions -- Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) -- hinted at a possible dialogue with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government at the Centre.
The JRL maintained that there is ambiguity in the statements coming from the government, but if there is a firm resolve to involve all the parties in the dialogue, it will not shy away from participating.
The mainstream political parties in Kashmir, including the ruling Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (JKPDP) and the opposition -- Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) -- have been stressing on the initiation of dialogue between India and Pakistan for maintenance of peace in the state.
Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, the youth president and spokesperson of JKPDP, told International Business Times India that the fresh initiative of a peace dialogue among various stakeholders would have a major impact in normalizing the situation in the valley. He added that the central government has already expressed its will to talk to all concerned parties.
The decision of the Ramzan ceasefire, the DGMOs announcement of LoC ceasefire and the Home Minister's latest statement of holding talks already speaks about the intentions of the government. The separatists should not find faults with this offer and should reciprocate," Para said.
Nasir Aslam Wani, the Provincial President of JKNC, told IBTimes India that the steps taken to initiate the dialogue among all parties would be hugely welcome in the valley. He added that peace talks would definitely have a bearing on the situation in Kashmir.
This will definitely cool down the tempers of the angry youth who are resorting to violence. I hope the efforts this time around by all the parties involved are serious and lead to a sustainable solution," Wani added.
The Indian and Pakistani Armies have also announced to implement the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) on the lines of ceasefire understanding of 2003. A statement issued by the Indian Army said that the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both the countries have agreed to stop hostilities along the LoC for ensuring long-lasting peace and prevention of civilian casualties.
Earlier, three major separatist leaders in the valley, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yaseen Malik, had issued a statement after a series of meetings. It had said that the talks should involve all the stakeholders of the Kashmir issue especially Kashmiris.
This is seen as a direct outcome of the statements from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah.
After the announcement of Ramzan ceasefire, Rajnath Singh had said that the BJP government at the Centre is willing to talk to Hurriyat and Pakistan. However, the External Affairs Minister ruled out the possibility of any talks unless terrorism from across the border is stopped.
Amit Shah has clarified that the Ramzan ceasefire is for civilians and not militants.
