Jammu,February 13 (Scoop News)- Appreciating the proposal mooted by the Indian government and Jammu and Kashmir State governments with regard to return and rehabilitation of Kashmiri youth, State Secretary CPI (M) M.Y. Tarigami said today that this has attested the view point of CPI(M) which has projected it in the state legislature five years ago.
Addressing a press conference at Jammu on Saturday, Tarigami said that the resolution which reads “This House urges upon the Government of India to facilitate the return of the youth who have crossed to other side of LOC during the turmoil and want to live a peaceful life” was moved by CPI(M) member in the Legislative Assembly in its September-2005 Session and again taken for detailed discussion in the 2006-07 Budget Session was unfortunately not adopted. Had the resolution been adopted then, much progress would have been made for return and rehabilitation of these youth. He appealed all the shades of political opinion in and outside the state to support this humanitarian issue and not to use it for partisan interests.
CPI(M) further appeals the GOI to take up this issue with the Government of Pakistan in the coming talks so that a credible mechanism is evolved and modalities framed for the safe return of the youth who want to live normal life.
Welcoming the Indo-Pak leadership for resuming the stalled dialogue process and proposal of secretary-level talks soon at New Delhi, Tarigami has urged both the countries to take bold initiatives for making this process purposeful.
He said that there was need to create a wider space for goodwill and mutual trust so that the level of hostility is scaled down and serious efforts made for creating a conducive environment for peaceful resolution of all disputes including Kashmir.
Urging the Indo-Pak leadership to give up rigidities and maximalist approach while negotiating on issues, Tarigami said that every effort has to be made to ensure that the peace process is not made hostage by vested interest and hawkish elements. He said that though the peace constituency was widening in the region as a whole, the fact remains that the spoilers succeeded in derailing this process temporarily. He urged the political leadership, civil society and media to unitedly assert for making this process sustainable and irreversible.
“The Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) have become marginalized and symbolic,” Tarigami said and added that these should be rejuvenated and strengthened. He said that consolidating the CBMs could be helpful in creating cordial and favourable atmosphere for making the talks meaningful at all levels. He said that cross LOC trade started with much enthusiasm has been rendered to a mere barter system and suggested for expanding it and providing banking and telecommunication facilities across LOC to make it viable and vibrant. He urged upon both the countries to facilitate the opening of Sialkote,Askurdoo and Suchitgrah surface links for trading and people to people contact and demanded for simplifying the procedures for cross LOC trade and people to people contact, saying that this should not be confined to divided families only.
Time has come when the central government must act firmly to take concrete steps for implementing the recommendations made by the working groups, providing better facilities to all sections of migrants, Tarigami reiterated and said that reduction of the dis-proportionate size of security forces has become pre-requisite for creating an environment of trust in the state.