Hurriyat threat to stop talks on rights abuse

In a jolt to the peace process in Jammu and Kashmir, the Hurriyat Conference announced suspension of talks with the Centre and gave it a deadline till the month-end to stop the human rights violations allegedly by security forces to carry forward the dialogue.

"The dialogue process with the government is in suspension because there is no evidence of sincerity and seriousness on their part," Hurriyat chairman Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari said in Srinagar.

The Centre, however, has taken the objections raised by the Hurriyat on the human rights' violation in its stride by maintaining that the peace initiative launched by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would be carried to its logical end.

Though Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani kept silent on the issue, Minister of State for Home ID Swami said the Hurriyat had a legitimate right to raise objections of this nature.

The government's eagerness to take a politically correct stand was reflected in Swami's assertion that the Hurriyat would not back out from the talks.

Apparently, the home ministry is not willing to be seen as a spoil-sport as the J&K peace initiative is being projected as a major component of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) "feel-good" campaign.

Official sources, however, said it would be impossible for the government to declare unilateral ceasefire, a demand put forth by the Hurriyat, and allow militants to gather strength.

"Even if we agree with the proposition that the human rights' violation must not take place anywhere," he said while referring to Advani's meeting with the Army chief and chiefs of the paramilitary forces recently, where the rights' violation were discussed at length. Advani had asked the forces to maintain utmost discipline while dealing firmly with militants, Swami said.

Obviously, the home ministry does not see the Hurriyat's threat of reviewing the peace talks as a precursor to put an end to the dialogue process with the Kashmiri separatist conglomerate.

Sources in the government said the Hurriyat chief's statement had more to do with the internal political dynamics of the conglomerate than the peace talks with the Centre.

Claiming that there was no reduction in human rights violations, Ansari said, "If the chain of events unfolding since the beginning of this month does not break, the Hurriyat will take a decision on the talks. We will take to streets. We will not take to arms but to protest is our duty."