Srinagar, Nov 02: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed today said that talks between the Centre and Hurriyat Conference would be "unconditional" and that "no one should have any misgivings about it." "Horse can be brought to the water but cannot be made to drink it," Sayeed said during a rally at Ganderbal, 30-km from here, to mark the completion of his government's one year in office. Sayeed's remarks assumed significance as they are apparently aimed at playing down the furore created in the Hurriyat about Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani's recent statement that the talks would be on "decentralization." He said his government had managed to facilitate a talk with Advani and now it was for the Hurriyat to talk. The Chief Minister said the proposed dialogue between the Centre and Hurriyat would be completely unconditional and no one should have any misgivings about it." Sayeed has been addressing a series of rallies to mark the completion of his one year in office and today's rally was the last in such a series in the Kashmir valley. The Chief Minister said that the dialogue was to begin soon and reminded Hurriyat that people expected positive response from them on dialogue offer and that they should not ignore their sentiments. "It is through dialogue that the problems will be solved," Sayeed said. He also referred to the gun-totting youths and said that the time had come when they should accept futility of gun." Gun has no role to play...Your father, mother and brothers are waiting. Bring cheers to them during this ramzan," an emotionally charged Sayeed said in his appeal.
The chief minister expressed optimism that indo-pak dialogue would move ahead and one day both the nations would become friends. "Confrontation is not in the interest of people of any country and this realisation is gradually dawning of the people and political leadership won't be able to move against the current," he said.
Bureau Report