Srinagar:
National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah has welcomed an RSS leader’s call for talks with Pakistan, albeit with a jibe at the BJP for “branding him a terrorist and anti-national” when he had sought a dialogue with the neighbouring country.
Asking the central government to pay heed to the advice of RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale and former army chief General MM Naravanve (retired), Abdullah said that it’s the right time to initiate talks with Pakistan, as wars cannot solve problems.
“When Farooq Abdullah asked for a dialogue, I was branded a terrorist and an enemy of India. Thank God, I didn’t hear any BJP leader speaking against it today,” said Abdullah.
The former J&K chief minister and president of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference said the statement of the RSS leader provides an opportunity for the Government of India to start a dialogue. “It’s a moment of happiness that an RSS leader and former army chief has called for talks with Pakistan. It’s the right time for Government of India to consider this advice. This is the best opportunity, and I think only talks can solve issues, not wars,” he said.
Referring to the Iran and Ukraine wars, Abdullah said conflicts don’t solve any problem and only cause death and destruction.
There is a sense of vindication among Kashmiri leaders after top RSS leaders called for a dialogue with Pakistan and people-to-people contact between the two countries.
In the past, Kashmiri leaders, including Abdullah, had faced criticism for advocating talks with Pakistan due to deepening hostilities between the two countries.
It’s the first time after several years of extreme hostility between India and Pakistan, particularly after the abrogation of Article 370 and Operation Sindoor, that there is no opposition to a call for talks with Pakistan from the BJP.
The RSS, which has now advocated dialogues with Pakistan, is the ideological mentor of the BJP.
While the Congress has targeted the government and RSS for the pro-talks stance, political leaders in Kashmir see it as a shift in approach to deal with Pakistan.
“It is a very big move that the RSS leader called for talks with Pakistan and a former Army chief has backed his statement. I am glad that somebody is now thinking that war is not an option. It is the question of dialogue, which we must always have to solve our problems,” said Abdullah.
Earlier, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said that the RSS leader’s statement is a vindication of her party’s stand.
“It vindicates the stand of the PDP that if we have to bring peace in Jammu and Kashmir, the window of dialogue must remain open,” said Mufti.
Former Army chief Gen MM Naravane (retired) has backed the pro-talks remark by the RSS leader. He said the friendship between the two sides can lead to better bilateral relations between India and Pakistan.
“As residents of the border region of Kargil, we greatly value initiatives that help foster better relations with our neighbours,” said Sajad Kargili, leader of Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA),
He said there are thousands of divided families in Ladakh and Baltistan who have been waiting for more than seven decades to reunite with their loved ones.
“We respectfully urge the relevant authorities to consider allowing these families to meet on humanitarian grounds, as such gestures would go a long way in building trust, reducing hardship, and promoting peace in the region,” said Kargili.
