Kashmir Sentinel: April 1st--May 31st, 2001

Dialogue with Pakistan should resume: Haider

NEW DELHI, Nov 17: Former Foreign Secretary Salman Haider has called for resumption of dialogue with Pakistan besides revival of the ceasefire in the Kashmir valley with the engagement of all parties to find a solution to the issue.

Delivering the keynote address at a seminar on "Towards understandingthe Kashmir crisis" at Jamia Milia Islamia here earlier this week, Mr Haider said, "the mismatch in the present stance of India and Pakistan with regard to dialogue had allowed the violence to continue."

The former Foreign Secretary said the distinctive Kashmiri culture was under cloud because of the migration of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley. Arguing that Kashmiris had developed a negative view of both India and Pakistan, he suggested alternative methods for overcoming the alienation of the people.

Insaaf party leader Syed Shahabuddin suggested that the Kashmri valley should be given maximum autonomy short of independence and Pakistan be challenged to share the sovereignty in Kashmir.

Besides autonomy to Kashmir on both sides of the Lime of Control (LoC), Prof Aijaz Ahmed said the LoC could be converted into a "soft" international border. He also talked of joint sovereignty as solution to the issue.

CPI (M) leader Prakash Karat warned that the Kashmri issue could not be taken lightly and observed that the ruling classes in the country never adopted democratic policies for the various nationalities.

Columnist Saeed Naqvi called upon the media on both sides of the border to play a more responsible role instead of serving as "repositories of national interest".

A host of academics and diplomats presented papers and discussed the issue during the three-day seminar. Vice Chancellor of Jamia Milia Islamia Syed Shahid Mahdi said the Kashmir issue should not be left to the politicians alone and called for the intervention of the academic community in order to find an acceptable solution to the parties involved. (UNI).

(Source: Daily Excelsior)