| Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that his government is ready to talk to any militant group, including those in Kashmir, abandoning previous preconditions that the rebels must first disarm. However, he expected the militants to "eschew the path of violence". At his first press conference since taking office on May 22, he said: "We are ... willing to talk to all elements in Kashmir who are not represented in the state assembly. All groups, and I repeat all groups, whether they are in Jammu and Kashmir or in the North East, they are welcome to talk to us. We are ready to talk without preconditions." He said that his government was "alive to the sentiments and concerns" of people living in Jammu-Kashmir. He added that he would visit Kashmir shortly. |