Calling for an end to all violence in Kashmir valley during the month of Ramzan which is a few days away, a Concerned Citizens Group has once again urged the Modi-led government to use the opportunity to begin the “dialogue with all stake-holders as promised in the agenda for alliance of the Jammu and Kashmir government”.
The signatories to the statement are prominent Indians from different professional backgrounds: Justice (retd) A.P. Shah, Yashwant Sinha, Salman Haidar, JF Ribeiro, Wajahat Habibullah, Vappala Balachandran, AS Dulat, Nirupama Rao, Aruna Roy, Syeda Hameed, Kapil Kak, Manish Tewari, Badri Raina, Zoya Hasan, Ramhchandra Guha, S Irfan Habib, Prem Shankar Jha, Shekhar Gupta, John Dayal, Bharat Bhushan, Sushobha Barve.
There is no respite from violence in parts of Kashmir and along the Line of Control and the international border, the situation is far from normal in Jammu and Kashmir and we cannot continue to live in denial, said the statement.
“The loss of precious human lives, including of the security forces, should be unacceptable to all peace loving people and should be ended at the soonest. This will not happen automatically or through the use of force,” the statement said.
The statement also drew the government’s attention to the fact that “several military commanders with years of experience in Kashmir have spoken in favour of a dialogue as a necessary step towards bringing peace to the troubled region. We must record our dismay at the hardening of attitudes all around”.
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