Burhan Wani's father meets Sri Sri Ravishankar

NEW DELHI: Muzaffar Wani, the father of slain Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani, met Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at his Bengaluru ashram on Saturday, with an AOL spokesman saying that they discussed, among other things, the current situation of suffering in the valley, and ways to restore peace and normalcy.The news of Muzaffar's meeting with Sri Sri was announced by the AOL founder through his Twitter page on Saturday evening. Along with a picture of Muzaffar and himself, Sri Sri tweeted: "Muzaffar Wani, the father of Burhan Wani was in the ashram for the last 2 days. We discussed several issues." An AOL spokesperson told TOI Wani's stay at the ashram "was not a government initiative" and "it is too early to say anything about the meeting and discussions at this stage.""Certainly, Sri Sri and Mr Wani discussed about the current situation, about the suffering and how peace and normalcy can be restored in the Valley," he added.Government sources said that while everyone was welcome to contribute to help restore peace in the valley, no decision had been taken to involve private persons in the peace process in any institutional way.Sri Sri is known to have brokered a peace deal between the Left guerrila group FARC and the Colombian government in June 2015. After his intervention, FARC agreed to give up violence and follow the Gandhian path to fulfil its political goals.He has also set up AOL centres in Pakistan and visited the country twice.Muzaffar Wani, a government school principal in south Kashmir, made headlines early this year when he told the press, "I am waiting for his (Burhan’s) body. The average life of a militant is only seven years, and he has lived six. So I know his moment will come."After Burhan was killed on July 8, his father called him a "martyr" for the "independence" movement of Kashmir. He was also reported to have said, "The children who leave, they don’t want to be leaders or heroes. They are drawn to death."Burhan's killing has led to massive stone pelting and rioting in the last 50 days. 70 people have been killed and thousands injured.