Sharma’s third innings begins from North Kashmir
Srinagar: Amid tight security arrangements, the central representative on Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma Monday visited the frontier district of Kupwara to interact with the people.
According to the reports, Sharma arrived at Dak Bungalow in Kupwara at around noon where a host of delegations from across the district were already lined up to interact with him.
Sharma who is on his third visit to the state since he was appointed as the interlocutor by the union government met different delegations from across the district including People’s Conference MLA from Kupwara Advocate Bashir Ahmad Dar.
“I asked him to come clear on Kashmir issue. If you come to this conclusion that Kashmir is an issue which should be resolved as per the aspiration of the people, then come clear on it. Otherwise, say that we don’t have any solution to the Kashmir issue, people will find other ways to solve it,” Dar said.
Sharma’s visit to the frontier district came at a time when two civilians, both lactating mothers were allegedly killed by government forces during the past two weeks. The recent killings have triggered anti-government and anti-India sentiments among the people in the Valley.
Meanwhile, another youth delegation from Langate Kupwara said that development is not an issue in Kashmir. “We told him that for peace, India should repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Besides this we asked him to tell New Delhi to shed its arrogance to bring peace to the state,” a delegation led by Firdous Ahmad told reporters after the meeting with the interlocutor.
Ahmad said that BJP led government in the centre should not interfere in the internal matters (Article 370, Article 35-A) of the state.
Meanwhile, the media persons were barred from performing their professional duties by the authorities in Kupwara where they were denied permission to cover the event.
“We are not allowed to go inside the Dak bungalow. His first visit to this border district is so significant but we are not being allowed to cover the proceedings,” Shameem Ahmad, a TV reporter told a local news gathering agency.
Notably, the Joint Resistance Leadership in Kashmir on Sunday accused New Delhi of trying to “intimidate them into holding talks with its envoy”.
“The arrest of dozens (of separatists) under frivolous charges and putting them in Tihar jail is actually a ploy of the Indian rulers to force us into submission and bully us to sit for talks with its envoy (Dineshwar Sharma),” they said.
KV Correspondent
