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Last ditch efforts are on to get the separatists, especially the All-Party Hurriyat Conference, to participate in the coming assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir.
A US delegation that went to Srinagar with a similar message returned on Wednesday after failing to achieve any breakthrough.
The delegation, comprising Lisa Curtis, an advisor to Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Christina Rocca, and officials from the American embassy in New Delhi, held extensive talks with the separatists early this week.
Curtis met separately with Hurriyat leaders, including Abdul Gani Bhat, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Javed Mir. She also held discussions with J&K Democratic Freedom Party leader Shabir Shah.
However, the Hurriyat stuck to its guns. According to sources, the separatist amalgam will launch a 'Meet-the-people Programme' from Friday to explain to everyone why it is boycotting the polls.
Curtis said in Srinagar that the coming elections are "an opportunity" and "part of a larger process to establish peace".
She said the delegation had come with the "message that the US does care about Kashmir and Kashmiris. The problems have to be resolved peacefully".
However, she admitted that the US has no "magical solution. We urged them to see an opportunity in these elections".
Though America's latest efforts have failed, it has helped in mellowing down the separatists. During the past few days Shah has been saying that the separatists should put up a united face for a better bargain.
Bhat said on Monday that "if the elections are for the governance, we have nothing to do with it. However, if it is for deciding the future [of the state], Hurriyat is ready to participate in the process with all seriousness".
The Centre says it is ready to talk to the representatives of the new assembly, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said as much during his address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15.
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