Kashmir separatists are respectable people,should be heard: Soz

The show of strength,however,had clear undertones of the growing wedge within the state unit of the party that is divided between Soz and Union Health Minister and former J&K chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

In fact,the Congress workers were waiting for the leaders for hours in rain,holding party banners and posters of the Congress leaders from across South Kashmir.

Senior Congress leader and J-K Education Minister Peerzada Mohamamd Sayeed — who represents Kokernag constituency in Anantnag district — was conspicuous with his absence. But two top Congress leaders of the state and ministers in the Omar Abdullah government — Irrigation Minister Taj Mohideen,Medical Education and Medical Education Minister R S Chib and former minister and Congress legislator from Anantnag’s Dooru constituency — were present.

Finally,Soz came along with Congress Working Committee member and incharge of party’s J&K affairs Mohan Prakash,AICC secretary Abdul Manan and Congress leader Zakir Hussain Geshwat.

“Separatist leaders are respectable people and have an important role in dialogue proceed,’’ Soz told the party workers who had come from across South Kashmir especially Dooru and Kokernag constituencies – both represented by veteran Congress leaders.

“We cannot call people like Geelani sahib,Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,Yasin Malik,Prof Bhat and Shabir Shah as separatists — they are all respectable people. It doesn’t matter whether they contest elections or not. We cannot judge their power in assembly alone. So their voices should be heard’’.

Soz told The Indian Express after the rally that he had offered his services to help in the dialogue process with the separatists. “I am in touch with few of these (separatist) leaders and I can play a small role in helping in the proceeds,’’ he said. “Violence has no scope and dialogue is the only way forward’’

“The voice of Jammu and Ladakh has already been heard by the Centre but unless and until mainstream and separatists get together here and speak in one voice,the voice of Kashmir won’t be recognized and heard,’’ he said. “I am sure I can help in that in my own small way’’.

Soz said that “we need to talk to all shades of opinion,all the diverse opinion within the state and all the three regions of the state need to be taken on board’’. Soz appealed the people to “participate whole heartedly in the upcoming Panchayat polls and chose honest and educated people’’.

Referring to the Indo-Pak dialogue,Soz said that time is the best healer. “It was because of the efforts of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh that the (Indo-Pak) dialogue that was stalled after Mumbai attacks was re-initiated. Time is a great healer and that is why India and Pak have started talking again,’’ he said.