Srinagar, April 27: Indian parliament member and former minister, Ram Vilas Paswan Wednesday met senior Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani in Kashmir and asked Indian government to accept 4 of his five points proposals to resolve the Kashmir issue.
Paswan called on Geelani this morning and held deliberations on the prevailing situation in Kashmir.
Later, talking to the media, the Indian parliament member described Geelani as “righteous and straight forward”.
He said the Indian government should accept four of the five points proposed by Geelani for the Kashmir solution. “His 5th condition asking India to accept Kashmir as an international dispute was debatable. However, the Indian government should accept his other four points,” he said.
“Nothing has been done so far on AFSPA, PSA and the detention of the youth. The 118 youth killed last year were not terrorists or Pakistanis, they were Kashmris. If one youth is killed outside, judicial commissions are set up to probe the death, why not do the same here?” Paswan asked.
Asking the Indian media to portray things in the correct perspective, the Indian parliament member criticized the interlocutors for not meeting Geelani. “They should have talked to Geelani because he is the representative of people of Kashmir,” he said.
Meanwhile, Geelani considered as hardliner said he was not against talks with India but for a meaningful dialogue process it is imperative for New Delhi to accept hard-realities in Kashmir and accept Kashmir as a disputed territory.
“Through Paswan, I want to convey a message to the Indian people that the promises made to Kashmiris by successive Indian governments should be fulfilled. The people of Kashmir should be given the right to self-determination, which has been promised to them by India at the United Nations. India has been delaying the resolution of the Kashmir issue since 1947 and we want to convey to the Indian parliament and the government that the core political issue in Kashmir cannot be sidelined through developmental works and elections. Until India accepts the disputed status of Kashmir and takes steps to resolve this issue, political uncertainty and human rights violations by Indian armed forces would continue to take place in Kashmir,” he said.