Political initiative on Kashmir soon: Chidambaram

NEW DELHI - Home Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday said the government was ready to hold talks with any political group in the troubled Jammu and Kashmir amid indications that a political process in the state may be initiated soon with some confidence-building measures.

“We hope to restart the dialogue process. We will talk to any group, any political party which is willing to talk to us,” Chidambaram told reporters here.

As the home minister made the central government’s willingness to open communication channels with all groups, including separatists, sources told IANS that the government is likely to announce some confidence-building measures in the state soon.

“The central government is convening a high-level meeting in the next few days. The government will come out with some specific measures for bringing relief to the people,” a source privy to the development said.

The sources said that the government may announce relocation of security forces from certain cities and towns and releasing some political prisoners and an employment package for militants who have served their sentences.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Wednesday met the home minister and the sources said they discussed the situation in the state.

The two agreed that the situation in the state was not a mere law and order problem and political initiatives were needed to arrest the unrest in the Kashmir Valley where 65 people have been killed, mostly in firing by security forces, in the last three months of turmoil.

The sources said the government was also considering amendments to the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act but the final decision regarding this would not be taken so soon.

Chidambaram said the government was keen to start the dialogue soon but refrained from giving any time frame.

“I can’t give a date. Few days means few days… The government hopes that it will be able to restart the process of dialogue in the near future,” he said.