‘India, Pakistan should take bold initiatives’

The Jammu and Kashmir Communist Party of India (Marxist) secretary M.Y. Tarigami on Saturday welcomed the resumption of dialogue between India and Pakistan and called for bold initiatives to make the process purposeful.

“There is need to create a wider space for goodwill and make serious efforts to create a conducive environment for peaceful resolution of all disputes including Kashmir,” Mr. Tarigami told journalists in Jammu.

Urging both nations to give up rigidity and the maximalist approach, Mr. Tarigami said that every effort must be made to ensure that the peace process was not scuttled by vested interests and hawkish elements.

He urged the political leadership, civil society and media to unitedly assert themselves for making the process irreversible.

“The confidence building measures have become symbolic,” Mr. Tarigami said. Consolidating them would help make the talks meaningful. Cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade started with much enthusiasm but had become mere barter. He wanted the trade expanded and banking and telecommunication facilities provided across the LoC to make it viable. He said Sialkot, Askurdoo and Suchitgarh surface links must be opened for trading and people-to-people contact.

The Centre must take concrete steps for implementing the recommendations made by the working groups and provide better facilities to all migrants. Reduction of the size of security forces would create an environment of trust in the State, Mr. Tarigami said.

Appreciating the proposal for the return of Kashmiri youths from PoK, he said this vindicated the CPI(M) stand. The party had advocated this in the Assembly five years ago.