Centre not making serious attempt to resolve crisis: Hurriyat

A day after an all party delegation reached out to separatists here, moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference today accused the Centre of not making a serious effort to address the Kashmir issue saying talks were not possible in a coercive atmosphere.

"The Indian government is making no serious attempt to address the (Kashmir) issue. They are not in any serious manner even acknowledging our suffering, but continue to use more and more force and structured repression to suppress our movement," chairman of the faction Mirwaiz Umer Farooq said in a letter to embassies and high commissions of several countries in the national capital.

While the Hurriyat Conference was for a meaningful dialogue for the resolution of Kashmir issue, talks cannot be held in a coercive atmosphere, the Mirwaiz said in his letter written to foreign diplomats in Delhi on the occasion of World Day for Peace.

"We believe that dialogue can be an alternative way for the resolution of the issue. However, dialogue can be possible only if conditions are created for it. Dialogue cannot happen under coercion with a gun pointed at us," he said.

The Mirwaiz also alleged that the entire population of the Valley was being subjected to collective punishment for pursuing their just cause for the resolution of Kashmir issue.

"Due to extreme repressive measures being used by the state forces a humanitarian crisis is fast developing here and in many parts of Jammu, with unprecedented day and night curfew, acute shortage of medicine, milk, and even baby food, obstruction in the movement of ambulances, doctors, medical staff and shortage of blood and life saving drugs in hospitals," he said in the letter.

He claimed that the "repressive measures" of the government were fuelling anger among the people of Kashmir and increasing the danger of the situation getting out of hand.

Seeking intervention of the international community, Mirwaiz urged foreign diplomats to use their good offices to influence the Centre to put an end to the use of "brute force" and address the issue through a political initiative in line with the aspirations and sacrifices of generations of Kashmiri people.

"When the world community is observing this day, for the 15 million people of Jammu and Kashmir peace continues to remain a distant dream," he said.