NEW DELHI, Dec 15 — Ruling out tripartite talks on the Kashmir issue, the Centre today said it was prepared for talks with Pakistan if violence comes to an end or reduced drastically in the valley.

“If violence comes to an end or reduced drastically, New Delhi is prepared for talks, even with Pakistan. But we do not contemplate any tripartite talks,” the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, said while addressing the members of consultative committee of the Home Ministry here.

The Home Minister said militancy in Jammu and Kashmir was essentially a proxy war incited by our neighbour and it was not indigenous. Therefore, the Ramzan cease-fire was another opportunity for Pakistan to take positive steps so that peace talks could be considered, he said.

Welcoming the members at the meeting, the Home Minister briefed them about the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s initiative and said that the move was decided after wide ranging discussions at the Centre and with the Jammu and Kashmir government.

The Home Minister said there has been a perceptible change in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir after the announcement of the ceasefire and militant activities have declined and the infiltration from across the border had also come down.

This could be because Pakistan shelling has come down and infiltration generally takes place under the cover of fire, he said.

The consultative committee members welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement of the Ramzan ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir and wanted simultaneous efforts to be made to hold political dialogue to bring permanent peace in the valley.

On the situation in the North-East, some members expressed concern on the increase of killing of Hindi-speaking people by ULFA in Assam. They said the people were fed up with militancy and demanded initiative to enlist people’s support to put an end to this violence.

They said the recent killings reflects the frustration in the ULFA cadres.

Mr Advani said the government reviewed the situation in Assam at a meeting convened by the Ministry and attended by the Defence Minister, the Governor and the Chief Minister of Assam, the Army Chief and senior officials recently.

Mr Somnath Chatterjee of the CPM pointed out that the Kamtapuri Liberation Organisation in North-Bengal has become very active demanding a sovereign and independent state and its cadres were being trained by ULFA.

He urged the government to continue the deployment of forces in this area to deal with the situation.

Mr Advani assured Mr Chatterjee that necessary steps were being taken in this regard.

Mr Holkhomang Haokip, Mr G. M. Banatwalla, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, Mr Bishnu Pada Ray, Mr Somnath Chatterjee, Mr Wangcha Rajkumar, Mr Jayanta Rongpi and Mr Anadi Charan Sahu, all from the Lok Sabha, and Mr Dina Nath Mishra, Mr S. Viduthalai Virumbi, Mr Narender Mohan, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mr Mirza Abdul Rashid, Mr Maulana Obaidullah Khan Azmi and Mr Ghanshyam Chandra Kharwar, all from the Rajya Sabha, participated.