'Centre should invite all separatist groups for talks'

SRINAGAR: Terming Centre''s invitation for talks to Hurriyat Conference led by Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari as a "hasty step", a religious study group on Sunday urged the government to extend the dialogue offer to all separatist groups and militants for a durable solution to Kashmir issue.
"Centre''s decision to invite only one group for talks is a hasty step...It is a big mistake," head of Universal Association of Spiritual Awareness Pandit N K Sharma told reporters here.
He said the invitation should be extended to militants and all separatist groups and leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mohammad Yaseen Malik and Shabir Ahmad Shah for a lasting solution to the vexed issue.
"Other groups outside the Ansari-led Hurriyat should also be included in the talks. It is the militants who are up in arms... They should not be left out as, otherwise, the violence will continue unabated," Sharma said.
Moulana Athar Hussain Dehelvi, chairman of another religious study group Minhaj-e-Rasool, said government should have created a ''conducive atmosphere'' for talks before engaging the separatists in the talks.
"We have been calling for a dialogue for a long time through seminars and discussions held across the country. It is good the government has heeded to our suggestion but the atmosphere is not conducive yet," he added.
Director of Washington-based Policy Institute for Religion and State P D John said international community could play an important role in facilitating the dialogue process.