Start talks to end violence, Mehbooba tells PM

srinagar — Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday urged the Modi government to initiate a “meaningful dialogue” to end the “vicious cycle of killings and destruction” in Jammu and Kashmir, a day after spiralling violence in the state left five militants, including an assistant professor, and five civilians dead.

The chief minister was speaking to the media on the sidelines of an official ceremony at the civil secretariat which started functioning in the summer capital Srinagar after its six-month sojourn in the winter capital Jammu.

She urged the Centre to initiate a meaningful dialogue so that violence ends in Jammu and Kashmir “as the youths who are getting killed are our children.

“The sooner it happens, the more quickly we can get our state out of the vicious cycle of killings and destruction.”

It was not clear who she wanted the Central government to talk to. But in the recent past, the chief minister has publicly favoured a dialogue between India and Pakistan.

The chief minister appealed the Central government to find out a peaceful way out so as to end the spiralling cycle of violence in the state. “The sooner it happens, the more quickly we can get our state out of the vicious cycle of killings and destruction.”

She added: “Yesterday’s happenings are extremely sad. I appeal our people in the state and the rest of the country as also the government of India to save our children.

“In most cases, both stones and guns are in the hands of children belonging to poor families,” she said, apparently referring to Kashmir stone-pelters and security personnel. “A way out needs to be found so that our children, soldiers and policemen are not killed.” —