By Athar Parvaiz Srinagar, Apr 16: With just a week left for the third round table conference (RTC) to take place in New Delhi, it appears likely that separatist leaders would stay away from the RTC.
If the separatists opt out this time around as well, it will be the third consecutive occasion when the RTC will be held without the participation of separatist leaders.
However a senior politician in the mainstream camp quoting top-ranked sources in New Delhi, said that back channels are currently "very active" to rope in separatists for the April 24 RTC.
He added that Pakistan's influence is also being utilized and went on to say that New Delhi is also weighing the option of holding talks with the separatists on the side-lines of RTC.
No separatist party has so far received a formal invitation for participation from New Delhi.
Ever since the concept of holding round table conferences "about Kashmir issue" started in February 2006, New Delhi and the state government top functionaries have been saying that round table conference is a "forum for all shades of opinion and kept maintaining that all the groups including the separatist parties should come to participate in RTCs." But the separatist parties have been holding quite a contrary view saying New Delhi needs to hold talks with only those groups who want a solution to the Kashmir dispute in a "justifiable manner".
The hard-line faction of Hurriyat Conference headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani stresses that New Delhi "should stop buying time by holding the flop shows like round table conferences".
Political observers and some politicians opine that the participation of separatists is not possible for the simple reason that New Delhi fails to do the ground work to ensure the participation of separatist groups.
Says Omar Abdullah, National Conference President: "That the announcement about organizing the third RTC came just 10 days before the April 24, reflects the lack of interest on the part of the government.
had they activated the communication channels earlier on, something might had come through." The last-minute efforts for roping in separatists in the first two RTCs couldn't' produce the desired results.
The first RTC was held in New Delhi in February 2006 while the second one was held in Srinagar in May last year.
Despite the fact that these RTCs were chaired by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, the separatist leaders turned down the invitation saying it was an effort to "trivialize the serious issues of Kashmir." Although Hashim Qureshi, who heads Democratic Liberation Party participated in the first RTC, but he also later refused to attend the second one.
The RTC is an endeavor of Central government to develop consensus among various political voices on Kashmir issue.
During the Srinagar RTC, five working groups (WGs) were constituted on the directions of Dr Singh to examine various dimensions of Kashmir issues, including political and economical.
The WGs comprise of representatives from major political parties of the state , while they are headed by experts of the related fields.
Opposition National Conference (NC) boycotted the WG meetings for three months on the issue of increase in human rights violations in J&K.
However the party participated in the recent working group meeting following assurances from the prime minister that the grievance would be addressed to.
NC president Omar Abdullah said that RTCs "can surly help in seeking resolution of Kashmir issue, but emphasized the inclusion of separatists into the process.
Chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has asked separatists to attend the third RTC on April 24 in New Delhi.
But till now no separatists leader has been formally invited.
Sources in the separatist parties like Mirwaiz Hurriyat, JKLF and Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) say that the participation of their heads is "highly unlikely." Sources added that they are more keen to attend the Pugwash Conference in Cochin on April 21 and another conference in Delhi on April 27 and 28 wherein some leaders from Pakistan and Pakistan Administered Kashmir are also participating.
Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shaah Geelani has Straightaway rejected the third RTC saying they are for tripartite talks which is the only way only to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir issue.
A Hurriyat spokesman said that Hurriyat (G) has already rejected earlier RTCs and added that their faction of Hurriyat would never attend this conference because "RTCs are held just to discuss the internal administrative matters of Kashmir." However a senior politician in the mainstream camp said that some separatist parties might participate this time around in the RTC "because Pakistan is likely to use its influence in this direction." He said that during his recent visit to Delhi he had learnt through highly reliable sources that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh "is in touch with Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf to use his good offices for roping in separatist leaders." He further said another option with New Delhi is that it might talk separately to some separatist leaders on the side-lines of the RTC.
Balraj Puri invited in Round Table Conference JAMMU, Apr 16 (UNI): Apart from political and community leaders, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also invited experts and academicians of the state of Jammu and Kashmir to attend the 3rd Round Table Conference to be held on April 24.
Sources told UNI that besides political leaders and community leaders, the Prime Minister has invited Kashmir expert Balraj Puri to attend the Conference in view of his expertise on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
"Some time back, the Prime Minister had also asked Puri to prepare a note on Centre-State relations.
Among those invited are vice chancellors of the Jammu University, Kashmir University and Islamic University," sources added.
