The former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) president, H.D. Deve Gowda, on Friday said the Jammu and Kashmir problem should be viewed in a non-partisan manner.
“Any possible solution can only emerge from a conscious acknowledgment of the fact that there has been a certain drift in the hearts and minds of the Kashmiris, especially youth, and this needs to be addressed first and foremost.”
Talking to The Hindu from Bangalore on Friday, Mr. Gowda said he mentioned these points at the recent all-party meeting in Delhi. Issues such as change of leadership at this stage or withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act were secondary, he felt.
Consultations
Any decision to find a solution to the issue should be taken after consultations with all political parties in the State, including all factions of the Hurriyat Conference and other stakeholders.
The JD(S) would support any consensual decision of the government taken after due consultations that would protect the State's status as an integral part of India.
Mr. Gowda had visited Kashmir five times, including as Prime Minister, and did not wish to claim credit for the major development projects sanctioned during his tenure. “I had not faced protests during my visits, but now for the first time in over a decade curfew has been clamped on the entire Kashmir Valley,” he pointed out.
