From PL Uniyal NEW DELHI, Jan 9: With Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama offering his services to resolve Ayodhya tangle, the BJP and the NDA while welcoming his statement said here on Friday that the government would facilitate any amicable solution if arrived at by Hindu and Muslim communities.
Endorsing the sentiments express by Dalai Lama, the Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani on Friday urged both the communities to settle the issue through dialogue and offered all government support to them.
"I am sure that we well use whatever persuasive power we in the government and in he BJP have over those who had launched the movement for Ram Temple at Ayodhya to participate in any amicable settlement on the issue," Deputy Prime Minister Advani said in an informal chat with journalists at his residence this morning.
He said the government is ready to facilitate any mutual agreement on Ayodhya imbroglio.
Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama on Thursday had asked the two communities to adopt "a mature, farsighted and open-minded" approach to sort out the temple-mosque dispute.
Reacting on Dalai Lama's appeal Advani said the government would "not only encourage but also actively participate in any serious and reasonable effort to settle the issue in an amicable manner".
Advani said the BJP had always endeavoured to settle this dispute by mutual dialogue and fully cooperated with the efforts taken by the Chandrshekhar government in this regard.
"Even today the BJP stands for mutually acceptable solution for the Ayodhya tangle.
I also believe that Ayodhya issue concern the larger relations between the Hindus and Muslims and should not be viewed as just temple Vs mosque issue," he pointed out.
The NDA Convenor George Fernandes who has been championing the cause of Tibetans and has also launched a crusade against Chinese aggression of Tibet also hailed Dalai Lama's appeal saying any spiritual leader who wants to contribute his effort in resolving this long pending social problem of the country is welcomed.
Fernandes was also talking to reporters after a meeting of the Janata Dal (United) here.
Mufti for common agenda to end bloodshed 'No looking back on road to peace KT NEWS SERVICE JAMMU, Jan 9: Asserting that there can be no looking back on peace process between India and Pakistan, Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today called for evolving a consensus to address internal dimension of Kashmir imbroglio as well.
In an interview with Doordarshan Kendra, Jammu today, Mufti Sayeed said that for the first time, a roadmap has been prepared for lasting peace between India and Pakistan and that is the turning point in the Indo-Pak relations.
'While I do not rule out ups and downs in the process, but I am confident that friendship between two neighbours will be a reality in not very distant future', he added.
In response to a question on Pak premier's statement that some foreign countries too have played a role in bringing India and Pakistan closer, the Chief Minister said that while the western countries especially USA might have a genuine concern for bringing peace in South Asia especially after 9/11 and played a role of facilitator but 'the movement forward on the roadmap to peace is primarily due to the pressure of the people on both sides'.
'People of India and Pakistan have developed a stake in peace as they have seen disastrous affects of perpetual confrontation with no gain', he observed.
Whatever may happen in days to come, one thing is very sure that 'there would be no movement backward'.
The time has shown that confrontation is not in the interest of either of the peoples.
Mufti Sayeed attributed the most positive aspect of the recent peace process to successful track-II effort and growing people to people contact and said that the people of both the countries are yearning for lasting peace in the region by demolishing the walls of hatred.
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be the biggest beneficiaries of friendly relations between the two neighbouring countries as they have suffered immensely during the past over five decades due to confrontation between them.
He said peace on the borders has already had a good impact with people heaving a sigh of relief, observing that the new year has started on a happy note and hoped that this process would get further strengthened.
Referring to the opening of borders to facilitate meeting of divided families, the Chief Minister asserted that plying of bus service between Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Suchetgarh-Sialkote would also help in sending a right message across and dispelling the misconception that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are the captives of the security forces, maintaining that 'we are a free people'.
Mufti Sayeed said that for the first time there is a complete national consensus on Kashmir and the policies of the coalition government to win the hearts and minds of the people have been widely acclaimed.
He said that major effort in the new year would be to evolve a common agenda within the state.
All parties must come around and prepare a common ground.
Describing Jammu and Kashmir as a miniature India, he said the state has become an epicentre of peace.
Mufti Sayeed asked the gun-totting youth to drop gun as they have no cause to fight since the dialogue process has commenced to address both internal and external dimensions of the Kashmir problem.
He said there has to be an end to violence in the state as people are strongly yearning for restoration of peace with dignity.
On return of migrants back to their homes and hearths in the valley, the Chief Minister said that he feels that time has come when they should think on these lines.
'Kashmiriyat is incomplete without Kashmiri Pandits', he said adding that majority community in the valley is eagerly waiting for their KP brethren to return home.
He said he is particularly elated to see that younger generation among the migrants is nostalgic to remain embedded with their roots in the valley and want to return to their homes at the earliest.
He said the government is taking appropriate steps for their rehabilitation.
Saying that it is not he but the people of Jammu and Kashmir are under national and international focus today, the Chief Minister maintained that it adds to the responsibility of his government.
'I and my colleagues in the government are on the toes to ensure that we may not err at this crucial juncture as the challenge of the situation is extraordinary and it has to be met resolutely to restore a lasting peace in the state', he said.
When asked about his priorities and agenda for 2004, Mufti Sayeed said that the administration would be made more dynamic, people-oriented and governance improved to deliver better as we would be judged by our performance.
He said generating economic activity and creating productive employment would be also on top of his agenda this year as people are the fountainhead of power in a democratic dispensation.
On the role of opposition, Mufti Sayeed welcomed opposition's constructive criticism, saying that it helps in checking mistakes and keeping us on toes to deliver better.
'It is their fundamental duty to oppose, expose and depose the government.' He, however, added that the opposition is not playing a constructive role.
