By MM Special Correspondent
New Delhi : Despite there being a general impression that Indian Muslims are indifferent towards Kashmir issue, organizations and leaders have consistently involved themselves in efforts towards the resolution of Kashmir issue and its citizen’s suffering, said AIMMM President Mr. Navaid Hamid while opening a panel discussion on “New Avenues of Dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir” which was organized at Mushawarat office in New Delhi on Sunday.
When Kashmiris are not ours how can Kashmir be ours, said AS Daulat, former RAW chief while responding to the concern of Navaid Hamid.
Mr Dulat also stressed on an intricate relationship between the will of Kashmiris and the Kashmir issue. He said that after the demise of Mufti Sayeed the conditions are not good. The condition has deteriorated. The dream of freedom among Kashmiri youth is not yet over, though they are not in very high.
Dulat had been very close to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and under whom he worked for more than three years has also written a book titled Kashmir: The Vajpayee Years.
Speaking at the event Dulat further stated that those in Delhi who think that all is well in Kashmir are probably not aware of the reality.The dialogue should never cease, even now there is a dialogue at some level though not very serious.
Regarding bilateral talks on Kashmir issue he said that whenever the dialogue on Kashmir issue lapsed the reason was Delhi govt.
The former RAW chief hailed the efforts made by Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh towards resolving the Kashmir issue while keeping his fingers crossed on how much interest Modi takes in it.
Speaking at the event Delhi based Kashmiri journalist Syed Iftikaar Gilani said that there is a great rift between Kashmiri and Indian Muslims which no one ever tried to bridge.
He further spoke of the massacre in Jammu in which 2, 37,000 Kashmiris were systematically killed but which is now well forgotten. In contrast he said that killing of 250 Kashmiri Pandits is a well known fact.
He spoke of various atrocities meted out to the people of Kashmir and related how an entire family was burned alive after some cow meat was discovered from their home.
Gilani further said that the seeds of ‘Azaad Kashmir’ were sown first by Hindu Mahasabha in 1946.
Also present at the event was eminent journalist Saba Naqvi who said that the mood of Kashmiri youths is not pro-India. She asked as to why Kashmiri youths will favour India when they are being deprived of their food in hostels.
Speaking about BJP-PDP government she said that both have different agenda and for PDP it’s a matter of survival. She said that Narendra Modi is a strong Prime Minister with a majority government and if interested it is well within his power to take a concrete step about the Kashmir issue unlike Vajpayee who was disabled due to opposition from Sangh.