SRINAGAR: The interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma on the second leg of his maiden five-day visit to State held deliberations with the stakeholders in Jammu, the winter capital of the State, where Governor N N Vohra impressed on him to sustain the dialogue and hear the elements of the society, who apparently held contrary convictions.
After meeting the political and apolitical delegations and individuals in Srinagar for three days, Sharma left for Jammu for his second leg of the tour yesterday.
He met Governor N N Vohra, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and a nine-member delegation of ruling BJP in the winter capital yesterday.
An official spokesman said Governor suggested to Sharma that, notwithstanding any initial reservations in some groups, he must sustain the dialogue and hear one and all, particularly elements of the society who apparently held contrary convictions indirectly referring to the separatist leaders, .
The separatist leaders have refused to talk to Sharma saying appointment of interlocutor is nothing but “time buying tactics” of central government.
A BJP delegation also met Sharma last evening.
BJP spokesman Arun Gupta told New Indian Express that they told Sharma that there should be equitable development in all three regions of the state – Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
“We told him that development should be the focus and it will lead to solutions of the problems. Unless there is development, there is no point talking on irrelevant issues,” he said.
“When the development takes place, the negative forces will automatically become redundant and irrelevant,” Gupta said
A delegation of migrant Kashmiri Pandits also called on the interlocutor and briefed him about the problems faced by the community due to their migration from Valley in 1990.
The KP delegation demanded setting of inquiry commission to probe Pandit killings and creating of conducive atmosphere in Valley for their safe and honourable return, said a Pandit leader who attended the meeting.
However, Panun Kashmir, another group of Pandits, boycotted meeting with Sharma alleging that invitations were extended to leaders of the group in a disrespectful manner.
A delegation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry Jammu led by its president Rakesh Gupta also called on the interlocutor today.
The chamber delegation demanded deportation of Rohingyas Muslim refugees from Jammu and setting up of exclusive township for West Pakistan refugees, who are living in State since 1947 but are not granted state citizens.
“There should be a consistent policy for peace and development of J&K and the recommendations of the interlocutors or working groups should not be just pieces of paper but treated as aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and effective steps be taken to address them,” the delegation told Sharma.
The delegations of Jammu-based parties, Bar Association of Jammu (BAJ) and West Pakistan Refugees, NGOs and youth also met Sharma and apprised him of their issues and concerns.
After the engagements in Jammu, Sharma wound-up his five-day visit to the State and is scheduled to fly back to New Delhi tomorrow.
He had arrived on five-day visit to the State on Monday after being appointed as interlocutor by central government on October 23 for holding "sustained dialogue" process with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir.