Farzana Mumtaz
It was on September 20, 2010 that a 39-member all-party delegation visited Kashmir to assess the situation in the wake of violence that claimed more than 120 lives .Pertinently, valley wide protests had broken out in 2010 after killing of teenager Tufail Ahmad Mattoo by security forces .
As a matter of fact, currently after killing of popular militant commander Burhan Wani in an encounter at Kokernag, unrest and agitation has erupted again in 2016 killing so far 70 people, injuring more than eight thousand and blinding scores due to infamous pellet gun.
Now again, an all-party delegation led by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to visit Kashmir on September 4 and September 5.But many a voices are calling to follow up the recommendations of 2010 all party delegation visit to achieve the desired results.
From National to Local political voices it is urged that Central Government should walk the talk on Kashmir issue .Pertinently, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi recently stated that the Narendra Modi government should adopt a consistent approach on Jammu and Kashmir and take follow-up action after the proposed visit of all-party delegation to the border state.
The Hyderabad MP said now that peace is returning to Kashmir, the central government should not give up the efforts to find a solution so that the cycle of violence does not return to kashmir.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also observed that MPs who want an all-party delegation to visit the Valley, should have ensured implementation of the recommendations of an earlier such deputation. “I wish MPs pushing for another All Party Delegation had been this keen about pushing the implementation of the earlier one’s recommendations,” Omar wrote on Twitter.The NC leader said the MPs should have at least ensured tabling, in Parliament, the report of the three interlocutors appointed by the UPA government in 2010 in the wake of similar street protests in the Valley.At the very least they could have ensured the tabling of the report of the J&K interlocutors in Parliament, Omar said.
Pertinently, The report submitted to the Government by the group of interlocutors, comprising eminent journalist Dileep Padgaonkar, academician Radha Kumar and former Central Information Commissioner M M Ansari, was based on their visit to the state in the aftermath of 2010 civil agitation and deaths .
Ajaz War, a journalist stated -” All party delegations have visited Kashmir from time to time and mostly on those occasions when Kashmir has been on fire .We witnessed All Party Delegation visiting Kashmir during 2010 unrest which cooled the tempers to large extent .But, these delegations have never implemented their own recommendations and forgot Kashmir when so called normalcy has been achieved .New Delhi remembers Kashmir only when it burns is a well -known reality, to achieve success it is hoped that this time around All Party Delegation Visit will prove fruitful and they will make constructive recommendations and follow up actions to solve Kashmir once for all.”
Nutshell Analysis is that All Party Delegation visit to Kashmir has raised what can be safely dubbed as cautious optimism in Kashmir .
