Dineshwar meets Kulgam public, away from media

SRINAGAR: On the second day of his sixth visit to Jammu and Kashmir, Centre's special representative for Kashmir peace dialogue Dineshwar Sharma on Friday met a number of delegations in South Kashmir's Kulgam district, including sports persons and civil society members, amid tight security
The proceedings were, however, kept away from the media lime-light, in light with what Sharma had asserted before coming in Shopian on Thursday where he had met 16 delegations.
After being stopped from covering the visit of the interlocutor, who has in the past also maintained distance from media, the media personnel staged protest outside District Commissioner Kulgam's office.
Official sources said that security forces have been deployed in strength in the entire Kulgam district, particularly the main town, to prevent any militant attack or protests.
They said the roads leading to DC office Kulgam have been sealed with barbed wires and by parking police vehicles. "Only people who have valid invitation to meet the interlocutor were being allowed to go towards the DC office, to meet Sharma," they added. Media persons, including journalists and photo-journalists representing local and national media organisations, were stopped at the main gate of the DC office and barred from entering the premises. "We were on Thursday asked by the DC to cover the event on Friday. But later in the evening yesterday, the DC issued another order barring media from covering the event," the protesting media personnel said.
On Thursday, Sharma met 16 delegations, including Gujjars, Transporters and sports personnel, who complaint of lack of sports infrastructure and facilities for budding players in south Kashmir. Meanwhile, a civil society group sought initiation of a meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders to resolve Kashmir issue.
Appointed as an interlocutor for Kashmir on October 23 last year by the Centre to initiate a meaningful dialogue process with all stakeholders in the state, Sharma had arrived five times before meeting a cross-section of people in both Kashmir and Jammu.
Sharma is credited for the amnesty announced by J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to first time stone pelters in Kashmir in November 2017. The development had come after the Centre advised the Jammu and Kashmir government to withdraw cases against about 4,500 youth, who were first-time offenders or stone-pelters. The advice was given by the Centre on the recommendations of Mr Sharma, who is trying to woo the people to initiate a dialogue process.