'I cannot expect everyone to praise me but the fact that they got a balanced view (about the situation) is important,' Omar Abdullah said.
Expressing satisfaction over the all-party delegation's visit to Kashmir Valley, chief minister Omar Abdullah today said it was the endeavour of his government that the visiting team got a balanced view about the situation in the state.
"I cannot expect everyone to praise me but the fact that they got a balanced view (about the situation) is important," Omar, who was accompanying a team of 11-members led by Union home minister P Chidambaram to this small town, told reporters.
The delegation had decided to visit this town, 44 kms from Srinagar, as it had witnessed largescale violence on September 13 when an angry mob ransacked a missionary school and several government buildings while protesting alleged desecration of a holy book in the US.
On the delegation members meeting separatists leaders including hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Hurriyat chairman
Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and JKLF chief Yaseen Malik, Omar said
this was scheduled and "we had only worked towards it to make
it possible.I am happy that it worked and the delegation got
views of every shade of opinion in the Valley."
"The delegation has come obviously to get a report about the ground situation here and we were accused of stage managing ...but we tried to ensure that the delegation meets as many people as possible," he said.
The chief minister said the delegation's visit was not a "mere show" and they needed to know the ground situation in the Valley. "Kashmir is not only about mainstream political parties only but also about separatist groups. Our effort was to show the visiting delegation the real picture of what is happening here."
Asked whether the visit of the delegation was a delayed response, the chief minister said, "Obviously lot of things could have been done but better late than never."
The delegation, which also had BJP's Arun Jaitley also, met a cross section of people in this area who sought early resolution of Kashmir issue.
Around 300 people who came forward to meet them also demanded revocation of Armed forces Special Powers Act, eradication of poverty, unemployment and complained about poor
infrastructure.
While talking to Chidambaram, people favoured starting a sustained and meaningful dialogue with open mind and heart
with all stake holders to resolve the Kashmir imbroglio forever, a spokesman of the state government said.
"While expressing their feelings, people demanded an immediate check on excesses committed by security forces and assured him that the youth of the Valley would respond positively and not resort to violence," the spokesman said.
On the Centre usurping usurping the state's huge power potential, people demanded that this exploitation should be stopped as Jammu and Kashmir has limited resources, he added.
They demanded compensation for the power generated by the Centre from the state as there was shortage of electricity within the state.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}