Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, state secretary and MLA of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Communist Party of India-Marxist, who met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday, told a select group of journalists that the PM had promised to ensure the government had an open mind on Kashmir.
"I urged Dr Singh on behalf of people of the state that it was the right time to take bold steps. The people of Jammu and Kashmir are tired of the vicious cycle of terror and counter terror and this should be put to an end," Tarigami said.
Replying to question as to what kind of initiatives he was looking for, the veteran politician from the troubled state said the a reduction in the size of security forces posted in the state, without any further day would help. The civilian properties occuppied by the security forces and army should also be vacated as the level of violence had come down considerably," Tarigami pointed out.
The PM had set up an eight-member committee but no one has heard anything about what the committee achieved. Tarigami wondered why the number arrests of political people."We believe that the democratic rights and civil liberties should be protected at every level. The atmosphere is condusive for peace but before that, action should be taken against those who indulge in human rights violations," Tarigami said
While it was CPM unit of J&K which wanted the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act to be repealed to infuse confidence among the people of Kashmir, Dr Singh said his government had an open mind on Kashmir and was willing to to talk to even those who are wielding the gun. The PM made similar statement while returning from Russia.
