The Hindu : We are ready, says Ansari

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 14, 2004

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We are ready, says Ansari

By Shujaat Bukhari

The Hurriyat chairman, Moulana Abbas Ansari, at his residence in Srinagar on Tuesday. — Photo: Nissar Ahmad

JAMMU, JAN. 13. The All-Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), led by Moulana Abbas Ansari, today welcomed the Centre's invitation to it for holding talks with the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, in New Delhi on January 22, and said it was ready to hold the dialogue. Mr. Ansari told that he had received a formal invitation by fax.

B.B. Mishra, Special Secretary to Mr. Advani, in a letter dated January 13, 2004 said that Mr. Advani was ready to meet the Hurriyat leaders on January 22 at his office.

"The Deputy Prime Minister will be pleased to meet you and your colleagues from the APHC in New Delhi. Kindly confirm your participation in the said meeting and advise us the names of your colleagues who shall accompany you," it said.

The Hurriyat chairman said: "We whole-heartedly welcome the invitation. We had asked for talks at the highest level and we have got the same." The executive council and the general council of the Hurriyat would meet on Thursday to decide who would attend the meeting. "There is no going back on the talks. We are for peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute," he said.

"There should be no conditions on either side so that the talks can be held with an open mind and heart with a view to making progress and return of peace to India, Pakistan and Kashmir."

Mr Ansari said: "We will try to reach a solution that would be a win-win one for India, Pakistan and the Kashmiris."

Before its leaders go to New Delhi, the Hurriyat is likely to make another effort to reach an agreement with the Geelani faction.

The invitation comes at a time when there is a complete division between the hardline and moderate separatists.

The hardliners, led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, in September expressed no confidence in the moderate leadership of Mr. Ansari and named the former as their leader.

With the backing from Pakistan and militants, Mr. Geelani had been demanding the suspension of the Sajjad Lone-led People's Conference from the Hurriyat for allegedly fielding proxy candidates in the 2002 elections against the decision of the Hurriyat, which boycotted the polls. The People's Conference said that the members who contested the polls were expelled from the party.

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