Left without a choice, J&K opposition broke pattern and came to Delhi for talks

NEW DELHI: The 3-day interaction a delegation of opposition parties from J&K had with PM Modi and some leaders of the national opposition in New Delhi this week is seen in political circles as a role-reversal from a hitherto set pattern of an all-party delegation visiting Srinagar to offer healing touch and urging reconciliation during earlier bouts of unrest.

Sources said the 'reverse visit' happened after opposition camps in Delhi and Srinagar sensed that the Modi and Mehbooba Mufti regimes had hardened their stance. After the Centre had turned down the Opposition request for all-party delegation to the Valley during Parliament session and in Srinagar, Mufti rejected the state opposition's demand to lead an-all party delegation to Delhi and hold a special assembly session to discuss the unrest. The apprehension that rabid elements in the Valley were using the unrest to capture mainstream space too prompted the state opposition to act.

During their meetings with Modi and opposition leaders Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sharad Yadav, Sitaram Yechury, etc delegation members, pressing for resumption of political dialogue, circulated a four-paragraph gist of the political initiative the PDP-BJP coalition's Agenda for Alliance had promised.

Some even read out to the PM from his Agenda for Alliance which pledged: "The earlier NDA government led by AB Vajpayee had initiated a dialogue process with all political groups, including the Hurriyat Conference, in the spirit of Insaaniyat, Kashmiriyat aur Jamhuriyat. Following the same principle, the coalition government will facilitate and help initiate a sustained and meaningful dialogue with all stake holders, which will include all political groups irrespective of their ideological vies and predilections."

"The Centre taking concrete steps to positively address the situation in J&K will alone matter," said PCC president Ghulam Ahmed Mir.