Left parties cast doubts over initiative on J&K

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL. 6. The Left parties today expressed doubts over the efficacy of the talks on Jammu and Kashmir announced by the Centre, on the grounds that political framework and direction was missing.

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) today said nothing would emerge out of the proposed dialogue. The CPI(M) Politburo member, Mr. Prakash Karat, said the Government has not decided on the political framework on which the talks have to be held or spelt out the eventual aim of the proposed dialogue.

He said nothing has been stated by the Government on these aspects while announcing Mr. K.C. Pant as the negotiator. ``Nothing much will emerge from these talks,'' he said.

The CPI said while any initiative for holding talks were welcome, in the present case ``genuine preparedness and clarity in approach'' was not visible.

The party's National Secretary, Mr. D. Raja, said the Government should have taken political parties into confidence just as it did before extending the unilateral ceasefire earlier.

``We do not know what the Government has in mind,'' he said adding that it is too early to comment on the possible outcome of these talks, especially since the Hurriyat had already rejected the offer.

The CPI(ML), also said negotiated political settlement of the Kashmir dispute and any breakthrough in this regard could not be achieved without early resumption of dialogue with Pakistan and honesty and sincerity of taking concrete steps of confidence building among people of the State.

``Mere politicking on Kashmir will not yield any result,'' the party's Politburo member, Mr. Swadesh Bhattacharya, said in a statement.

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