The Hindu : New Hurriyat chief calls for truce

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 14, 2003

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New Hurriyat chief calls for truce

By Luv Puri

Jammu July 13. The newly elected All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) chairman, Molvi Abbas Ansari, today called for a ceasefire by the militants and the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir to give peace a chance and to bring immediate relief to the people who had undergone untold miseries for over a decade.

In an interview to The Hindu, Mr. Ansari said, "The people of the State have suffered enough in the last decade. They need to get out of this present phase of fear. I appeal to the leadership in New Delhi to call for a ceasefire in the State and similarly militants should respond to this gesture."

Asked whether the militants would listen to his call, the APHC chief said, "Let New Delhi call for a ceasefire and it will be our job to convince them.

Only in an environment of peace and tranquillity a purposeful dialogue can start where people can speak freely and discuss solutions to this vexed five-decade-old problem."

Appealing to India and Pakistan to shun rigidity, he said, "Both sides should think in terms of the interests of the people of Kashmir. A chance to live in peace and move about without curbs is what Kashmiris need at the moment."

Sharing his road map for the future, he said, "I would leave no opportunity to become a bridge between India and Pakistan and lay the foundation for a purposeful dialogue between the two countries on the Kashmir problem. I would want two countries to live in peace and prosper and this is my ultimate goal"

He said the two countries could not ignore the aspirations and wishes of the people of Kashmir as they should have the last word on their fate.

Asking the two countries to pay heed to the desire of the people of both countries for peace, he said, " Now, as the two countries have resumed their road links and it has brought immense relief to the people, the peace process needs to be given a push. The border on both sides of Kashmir can also be softened. Let the people on both sides of the State meet each other and start an intra-Kashmir dialogue for the resolution of the problem," he added.

The new chairman urged the Central leadership to give up the hard line stand on Kashmir, specifically referring to the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani's statement of "curbing militancy with iron hands". He said, "The pages of history show us that no political dispute on earth has been resolved with iron hands. It only breeds ill will and animosity. Come on, let us start a new chapter in which we try to understand each other's view point. Advaniji should desist from the use of words like "iron hand".

On the current differences within the All Party Hurriyat Conference, he said, "I am hopeful that we would be able to resolve all our differences. Both the People's Conference and the Jamaat-e-Islami are our assets and we would not allow any of them to go away from us. If this is not done the people would never forgive us."Mr. Ansari said getting all the separatists' groups under the Hurriyat's banner would be his aim. "Geelani sahib is my esteemed elder and I have great regards for him. But he should also realise that anybody's rigidity is a setback to the cause of the people of Kashmir."

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