Srinagar, April 18
On one of the rare visits and a rarer public address here, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today offered a hand of friendship to Pakistan and dialogue with the people of Jammu and Kashmir to settle “internal and external issues” but made it clear that the gun could not resolve problems.

At a public meeting addressed by a Prime Minister after 15 years in the militancy-hit state, Mr Vajpayee, however, accused Islamabad of not responding to peace initiatives taken by India.

“.....We once again extend the hand of friendship, but it should be reciprocated by both sides,” he said recalling the peace initiatives taken by his government, including the Lahore bus journey and the Agra summit.

Addressing the meeting shortly after Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed spoke justifying his healing touch policy, Mr Vajpayee said the Centre would work in tandem with the new government to “change the face of the state”.

He said the path of peace and brotherhood might be time-consuming but the people would have to bear it. “The doors of Delhi are always open and the people (from J and K) are free to knock at them with their problems.”

Taking credit for holding free and fair Assembly elections in the state, he congratulated the people on exercising their democratic right “at grave risk to their lives and even daring death”.

Greeting the people on the occasion of Kashmiri new year “Navroz”, the Prime Minister expressed the hope that the state would witness an era of peace, prosperity and brotherhood.

Maintaining that the Centre would create new job avenues in various sectors including road construction and housing, the Prime Minister said, “It is our duty to make the Mufti government successful”.

Observing that unemployment was one of the biggest problems in J and K, Mr Vajpayee assured the people that the Centre would make all efforts to provide jobs. Like voting, employment should be made a right, he added.

Laying the foundation stone of the North-South Corridor of the Srinagar Bypass on the National Highway 1A, he said his government wanted to reduce the “distance” between the Centre and the states and that was why the highway project was launched.

People from far-flung areas reached Srinagar to attend the rally, which has been described as a show of strength by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

Congress leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma, were conspicuous by their absence. The Congress is the senior coalition partner in the state government.

The Prime Minister also invited all groups in Jammu and Kashmir for talks to ensure restoration of peace in the insurgency-hit state.

The Hurriyat Conference, while giving a two-day general strike call during Mr Vajpayee’s visit, had urged the Prime Minister to take “positive initiative” for the resolution of the Kashmir issue.

“We have to save democracy, humanity and Kashmiriyat in the state. Kashmiriyat has to be saved at all cost,” Mr Vajpayee said.

Referring to Iraq, he said India was always against war because guns never solve any problem. “The war in Iraq has ended. Good. But in the first place, the war should never have taken place.”

“We have come to share your joy and grief. We have come to listen to your problems and make efforts to redress them,” he said.

Mr Vajpayee’s visit endorsed the coalition parties’ common minimum programme and its healing touch policy. The PM distributed appointment orders on compassionate grounds to seven youths on the occasion.

Life was paralysed in the valley due to the Hurriyat’s call for strike as the Prime Minister spent over 50 minutes in the stadium. The stadium echoed with slogans by the people in support of Mr Vajpayee and Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, and “Grenade say na goli say, baat banagee boli say”. There were banners like “Mufti sahab ka kadwa sach, healing touch hai, healing touch hai”.

Mufti Mohammad Sayeed urged the youth to shun the path of violence and come forward for talks to put forth their point of view for the restoration of peace in the state.

He said normalcy was restored in the North-East and Punjab through the process of reconciliation and dialogue. He said that all sections should join the dialogue process and hold talks with the Centre’s interlocutor, Mr N.N. Vohra, who is scheduled to arrive here on Monday.