Valley unrest: Track II diplomacy to break the logjam on Kashmir

Crucial Track-II diplomatic efforts are quietly underway to break the logjam on the vexed Kashmir issue.

After slain Burhan Wani's father Muzaffar Ahmad Wani, prominent religious leader and chairman of Karwan-e-Islami (KeI), Moulana Ghulam Rasool Hami met the Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Bengaluru.

"Here at Bangalore ashram, had detailed discussion with Dr Ghulam Rasool Hami, Founder, Karwan-I-Islami, on Kashmir issue", tweeted Sri Sri along with a picture.

The meeting of chairman of KeI, which is one of the largest religious organisations of proponents of the Sufi order, comes just three days before an All Parties Delegation is arriving in Kashmir to reach out to the people and help in quelling the unrest in the Valley.

"We had written letters to influential personalities in India and abroad last week urging them to play their role in stopping killings and solving the issue. The letters were sent to several personalities including Emir of Dubai and Sri Sri. Later Sri Sri contacted us and sought a meeting. I met him for 10 minutes and informed him about the real Kashmir situation", Hami told dna.

More than 70 people have died and over 8,000 have been injured, 600 of them fully or partially blinded since the unrest began after the killing of Hizbul Mujhadeen commander Burhan Wani in Bamdoora village of south Kashmir's Anantnag.

"We informed Sri Sri about the current situation in Kashmir. We told him that the people are in deep pain. We told Sri Sri that since he has a following in BJP, he should use his influence so that the Kashmir issue is resolved", said Hami.

KeI founder said he was a religious preacher and not a political leader and therefore he did not discuss dialogue with the Hurriyat leaders.

"Neither did he nor did I (about dialogue with Hurriyat). I am not a political figure. As a Kashmiri and as a religious preacher it is my duty to write to the entire world. We are suffering. Pellets are being fired. People are being killed. I told Sri Sri that he should build pressure on BJP to resolve this issue", he said

Last week Burhan Wani's father Muzaffar Ahmad Wani met the Art of Living foundation founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Bengaluru. Wani said he had gone for treatment for diabetes at Sri Sri College of Ayurvedic Science and Research Hospital when he met the Art of Living Foundation founder and apprised him about the real situation in Kashmir.