Aiyar for dialogue with militants, stakeholders in Kashmir

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar today advocated dialogue with militants and other stakeholders in the Valley as well as with Pakistan to address the Kashmir issue, saying the time of war was over.
"There should be talks between New Delhi and Srinagar and India and Pakistan. I want the tensions with Pakistan to lessen and the tension in Kashmir also to lessen. The talks are the only way forward. The time of wars is over, he told reporters here.
The former Union minister was here for a discussion on "J and K - The Road Ahead", organised by the NGO Centre for Peace and Progress.

Many mainstream political parties' representatives, middle-rung separatist leaders, intellectuals, social activists and opinion makers participated in the discussion.
Aiyar said the government has to find a way to reach out to the young militants in the valley.
"You should talk to everybody. If you don't, then the guns will start talking and you don't want the guns to talk. You have to find some way of reaching out," he said.

While advocating dialogue with all stakeholders in Kashmir and with Pakistan, Aiyar said enduring solutions can be found only through it.
"I advocate dialogue with the naxals in Bastar, with the nagas in Nagaland, with all elements in Kashmir, with the dissatisfied elements in Nepal and with Pakistan because I am convinced that it is only through dialogue that enduring solutions can be found. I don't think Mahatma Gandhi would have suggested any gun, he would have suggested non-violent dialogue," he said.

The Congress veteran said if the BJP-led Central government is willing to talk to armed rebels in Nagaland, they should be ready to talk to stone-pelters in the valley as well.
"I am certain that if we have a proper attitude, something can be done. But let me remind you that in Nagaland the problem has been going on for decades before it started here and we still have not found a solution. If the BJP government is willing to talk to armed rebels in Nagaland, why aren't they ready to talk to stone-pelters in Srinagar?" he said.
Aiyar said today's discussion has shown that in two-three hours all people can be brought together and everyone can be heard.

"Same ways, our government should invite all and talk to them. Then they should call a similar session and talk to everyone so that tension, which is now seeping into children, be lessened," he said.
Asked about the honouring of army Major Leetul Gogoi, who tied a Kashmiri man Farooq Ahmad Dar to an army vehicle during polling in the Srinagar Lok Sabha by-election on April 9 allegedly as a shield against stone-pelting, Aiyar said the "timing was wrong".
"It is a wrong time for the certification. I know that other than this, he must have done some good work, but giving him a certification this time has increased the tension here," he said.