The visit of the all-party delegation to Jammu and Kashmir on Monday is to convey to the people in the embattled State that “the entire country is with you” as well as to ensure that the MPs are placed “face to face” with the ground situation. The members of the team led by Home Minister P. Chidambaram will also be free to call anyone for one-to-one meetings, government sources indicated.
Government sources said the Centre would send invitation to groups and individuals, including separatists in the State, for a meeting with the 39-member delegation.
“The feedback received from the all-party delegation would form an important input in the government's evolving response on various issues relating to Jammu and Kashmir,” said a statement issued after the all-party meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday.
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Written invitation
Though there is an open invitation for anyone to come forward and talk to the delegation, a written invitation will be sent out to a select few, including the separatist leaders, the sources said.
The key question, however, remains whether there will be meetings with Mirwaiz Umer Farooq of the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference and hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani and other separatist leaders like Yasin Malik. There is also a possibility of delegation members meeting families of those who have lost their relatives, sons or daughters in the violence over the past three months.
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Among those who have confirmed their participation include Mulayam Singh (SP), T.R. Baalu (DMK), Ramvilas Paswan (LJP), Sharad Yadav (JD-U), Rajniti Prasad (RJD), Dinesh Trivedi (Trinamool), E. Ahamed (Indian Union Muslim League), Govind Rao Adik (NCP), Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM), Rattan Singh Ajnala (SAD), Narhari Mahato (Forward Bloc), Prasanto Majumdar (RSP) and M. Thambidurai (AIADMK).