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Indian Deputy Prime Minister to Hold Talks with Kashmiri Separatists
Patricia Nunan
New Delhi
22 Oct 2003, 12:48 UTC
India has made a dramatic step in its policy for the disputed region of Kashmir, saying its deputy
prime minister would hold talks with Kashmiri separatists.
The announcement that Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani would meet with separatist
leaders followed a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, the Indian body that handles
Kashmir-related issues.
Separatists welcomed the announcement, but did not commit to talks. And, so far, no date has been
set.
Home Secretary N. Gopalaswamy says the decision stems from an overture made in August by
Moulvi Abbas Ansari, the chairman of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a group of separatist
parties.
"The CCS [Cabinet Committee on Security] has decided that the DPM [Deputy Prime Minister]
will meet in response to a statement on the 25th of August by Mr. Abbas Ansari [about], their
interest in talking to the central government," he said.
More than 60,000 people have died in fighting in Kashmir since 1989, when a loose alliance of
Islamic militant groups based in Kashmir and in Pakistani territory began an insurgency to break
free of Indian control.
The decision could mark the end of a diplomatic deadlock between the two sides. Previously,
separatists from the Hurriyat, as the group is known, refused offers of talks with low-ranking
government officials. Meanwhile, the government said the Hurriyat did not reflect the will of the
Kashmiri people.
Despite the apparent diplomatic breakthrough, unrest in Kashmir continues. Police arrested three
separatist leaders in Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar. Authorities said the separatists had
organized anti-government demonstrations, one of which led to clashes between security forces and
protesters