SRINAGAR – Usually at daggers drawn, Kashmir’s separatists and pro-India leaders sat down to dine and discuss, courtesy Norway’s TV 2 which hosts representatives of opposing sides from the world’s conflicts in its “Dining With the Enemy” programme.
The Kashmir episode of the series running since the beginning of the year was recorded atop a houseboat in Srinagar’s famed Nigeen Lake, with the unbelievable sight of separatist leaders Muhammad Yasin Malik and Nayeem Ahmad Khan breaking bread with member of parliament Dr. Mahboob Beig of the pro-India National Conference.
A picture of Yasin Malik along with Nayeem Khan dining with the NC MP on a houseboat deck went viral on social media networks with many attributing different motives to the unusual scene.
JKLF sources told Kashmir Observer that the discussion between the two sides moderated by the Norwegian film crew was recorded.
As the title of the documentary suggests, the discussion was meant to take place while having dinner, they said.
“The crew has not only shot in Kashmir but they have recorded different versions from politicians with different ideologies in Palestine, Egypt and other conflict-hit areas around the globe,” they said.
“It is very unfortunate that some miscreants are spreading wrong information among the masses”, they added.
While Beig advocated Autonomy during the discussion, the pro-independence leaders put forward their point of view.
“Leaders like the chairman of the Hurriyat (G), Syed Ali Geelani, were also invited to the discussion, however, being under house arrest he was not able to join”, sources said.
Producer Fredrik Græsvik, who has worked in TV 2 Norway since 1994, moderated the programme.
He has worked as correspondent covering areas in war and conflict, and recently covered the Arab Spring in Egypt and Libya.
“Fredrik and chef Tom Victor Gausdal invites representatives from areas of conflict to dine together, with amazing results”, the TV channel claims.
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