December 14
Former Union Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said the UPA government should have acted on the report submitted by three interlocutors on Kashmir in 2011 and he “deeply regrets” the way it was handled, as he underscored that talks are the “only way forward” to resolve Kashmir’s problems.
Speaking at Lokmat National Conclave, Chidambaram noted that bringing an amendment to Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and removing “inhumane” provisions will send a very powerful signal in Jammu and Kashmir. He termed the “muscular military” approach to Kashmir as the “biggest mistake” of the government and claimed it has only driven more youths towards militancy.
Three Kashmir interlocutors, M.M. Ansari, Radha Kumar and Dileep Padgaonkar, were appointed by the Centre as part of its eight-point package for the state following the massive unrest in the valley in the summer of 2010
The report was submitted to the Union Home Ministry in 2011, when Chidambaram was the Home Minister.