Jammu is not for burning

It is typical of the political procrastination in the face of national crises that the violent disturbances in Jammu and Kashmir [Images] were allowed to rage for more than a month before the all-party meeting under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh [Images ], was called to hammer out a consensus for tackling the situation. However, the meeting attended by 39 parties was a welcome development in itself. It was made all the more heartening by the unanimous agreement, as per the media briefing by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, at the end of the four-hour-long meeting that 'an environment must be created where the agitation could be suspended and the issues resolved through the process of dialogue.' According to Home Minister Shivraj Patil [Images], who was present at the briefing, the talks with... [read full story]