NEW DELHI: Exactly a year after their appointment, the interlocutors on Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday submitted their report to Home Minister P Chidambaram on a variety of issues including the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act confronting the State.
Talking to reporters after submitting their report, noted journalist Dilip Padgaonkar, flanked by his team members Radha Kumar and M M Ansari, said if the separatists had engaged in a dialogue, the document would have been “far more worthwhile” and rued the fact that they “missed the bus”.
“Indeed our prime focus in the report is the welfare of people of Jammu and Kashmir and it is along this key concept that we have made out recommendations,” Padgaonkar said.
Refusing to divulge anything about the recommendations in the report, he said “let me tell you that questions related to Armed Forces Special Powers Act to the Disturbed Areas Act to various other legislations that are in force, people have talked to have been mentioned.
“We have also had regular consultations with the heads of the police, para military forces, the Army and we have got their side of story. All this has been reflected in our report.” When asked about the absence of separatists voice in the report, he clarified saying “we have taken into account the stated public position of various separatist groups.
These have been reflected in our report. Obviously if they had engaged in talks with us, the report would certainly have been far more worthwhile. “The fact of the matter is that we have tried again and again to engage them and again and again they refused. I believe they have missed the bus.”
Asked that JKLF chief Yaseen Malik has rubbished the report saying it contained nothing, Padgaonkar took a dig at him saying “Mr Malik probably has access to the documents which no once else has.” He said it was entirely for the people to say on the basis of speculative stories that have appeared in the media. (PTI)