Centre’s interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma calls for mechanism to address issues faced by Kashmiri youth

Srinagar, January 30: The central government’s interlocutor to Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma on Monday going beyond Jammu and Kashmir held dialogues with Kashmiri youth in Pune. On this occasion, Dineshwar Sharma called for a mechanism to address the issues faced by Kashmiri youth residing in others parts of the country.

 

Notably, the move of the central government’s interlocutor to Kashmir Dineshwar Sharma came after he visited Jammu and Kashmir for four consecutive times to maintain peace and security. Dineshwar Sharma while interacting with over 100 Kashmiri students and youth who are in the Pune city to pursue education admitted that long duration of conflict in the valley has created distrust between Kashmiris and people from rest of the country.

He said, "Kashmiri youth going in other parts of the country are facing problems due to this distrust and we all will have to come together to make sure that the distrust vanishes completely." In a discussion organized by NGO Sarhad, Dineshwar Sharma emphasized that he is speaking to police officials of various states to make sure that the Kashmiri youth staying in those states are not harassed.

He said, "Today I met the Pune Police Commissioner and discussed this issue. I told her that all these youth have come out of their state and they should not feel unsafe. I have suggested to her that police should have interactive sessions with the youth from Jammu and Kashmir so that trust and confidence can be built."

Sharma added that he had suggested the creation of a mechanism by which a youth from Kashmir if faced with any issue, could call the authorities. The central government’s interlocutor noted, “We are trying to set up such a mechanism all over the country where Kashmiri students are present so that they don't feel alienated and the trust has to come.”

On this occasion, Sharma also appealed the youth of Kashmir staying in other parts of the country to take their non-Kashmiri friends to Kashmir to reduce the distrust. He said, "Leave aside the negative projection about Kashmir in media or social media and take your friends from other states to Kashmir to show them real Kashmir."

Sharma also said, "There are no concerns about security threat as far as tourists in Kashmir are concerned. Barring isolated incidents, the tourists have never been targeted in Kashmir. If the Kashmiri youths take their friends to Kashmir, it will help in changing their perception of the state.”

Sharma, in the end, also noted that as a role of an interlocutor, his focus is on students and youths of Kashmir. "Right from my appointment, I have kept my focus on Kashmiri youths and students as they are future of not only Kashmir but the country," he concluded.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh in the month of October last year said that the central government has decided to start a sustained dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir, with former Intelligence Bureau director Dineshwar Sharma appointed as the Centre’s representative.

Dineshwar Sharma, a Bihar-born, Kerala-cadre Indian Police Service officer of the 1979 batch was the chief of the Intelligence Bureau. Sharma has a wide range of experience in handling separatism and insurgencies to domestic and regional politics. He has also served in a wide variety of command and staff positions in various Police, Paramilitary and Intelligence agencies.