The eight-point proposal announced by the Centre for Jammu and Kashmir is a step in the right direction. However, it is insufficient. More needs to be done to instil confidence in the people and help to restore peace and normality, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said on Sunday.
The announcement of release of young men put in jail for stone throwing, review of detentions under the Public Safety Act and compensation for the families of those killed was welcome. But it was also necessary to provide compensation to those injured in police firing and for rehabilitation of those permanently incapacitated, a Polit Bureau statement said here.
There had to be a change in the police methods of tackling protesters indulging in stone throwing. The promise to review location of bunkers in Srinagar city and the proclamation of the Disturbed Areas Act should be acted on expeditiously. It should not remain only a promise.
Finally, the group of interlocutors for holding dialogue should primarily be political in nature. Only a political exercise could help to initiate and sustain dialogue.
