SRINAGAR: In a significant development, former Chief Minister of Occupied Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, has endorsed recent statements made by a senior leader of the Indian extremist party RSS and a former Indian Army Chief, both advocating for dialogue between India and Pakistan.
Abdullah, a prominent voice from the Kashmir Valley, welcomed the remarks calling for renewed talks between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. He stressed that war is no longer a viable option and that only diplomacy can resolve long-standing disputes.
“Someone has come to the conclusion that war is not an option,” Farooq Abdullah said in his statement. “Problems can be solved only through talks.”
Abdullah’s comments come two days after RSS Secretary General Dattatreya Hosabale made a rare statement advocating for diplomatic engagement. Hosabale had said that India should always be prepared for talks with Pakistan and that the doors to dialogue should not be shut.
Following Hosabale’s remarks, former Indian Army Chief General Manoj Naravane also echoed a similar sentiment. He noted that the problems faced by ordinary people on both sides of the border are fundamentally the same, and that these issues have nothing to do with politics.
The convergence of views from a Kashmiri political leader, a top RSS functionary, and a former Army chief represents an unusual consensus on a matter that has long been politically contentious in India. Official reaction from the Indian government or the Pakistan Foreign Office is awaited.
