"If a neighbour is in trouble, other neighbours will also feel the strain." Qouting these words of an ancient sage, Tahir Mohammad Khan, chairman of the Balochistan Human Rights Commission, made a passionate plea for subcontinental solidarity.
He was speaking at a seminar organised by the Pakistan–India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy, West Bengal Chapter, in Calcutta. Karamat Ali, trade unionist and peace activist from Pakistan, said that the battle for peace, democracy and secularism should transcend borders. Professor Arun Banerjee, and international relations expert, elaborated on the inequality and underdevelopment that the region’s rulers have fostered while spending scarce resources on war preparations. He pointed out that neither India nor Pakistan has come up with a positive proposal on the contentious issue of Kashmir, or ever tried to ascertain what the Kashmiris actually wanted.
The following resolution was adopted at the meeting: "It has been brought to the notice of Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy, West Bengal Chapter, that in Jammu and Kashmir a good number of people were arrested and are still in the prisons without trial for merely exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression.
The extent of their alleged offence was that they advocated non–participation in the last Lok Sabha election in Jammu and Kashmir. Freedom of expression guaranteed in Indian Constitution, as was made clear by the Chief Election Commissioner of our country, includes the right to advocacy of participation and non–participation in the elections. There are instances in this country in certain areas and constituencies where the voters concertedly boycotted the election en masse without attracting any penal measure. This august meeting of democratic and peace loving people expresses concern for trampling human rights under foot in Jammu and demands on the powers that be the immediate release of those incarcerated persons.
At another gathering, the South Asia Peace Meet and All India Constructive Workers’ Conference, also held in Calcutta, peace activists further strengthened their resolve to put pressure on their governments to talk about cooperation rather than confrontation.
Terrorism was a major challenge in any peace initiative between the two countries and unless the problem was solved, lasting peace could not be expected, West Bengal Transport and Sports Minister Subhas Chakraborty said at this meeting.
Speaking on the occasion, a member of Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission, Brigadier R Rao Hamid, said Pakistan wants to normalise ties with India and the authorities here should take the opportunity to start talks to improve bilateral ties. "Gen Musharraf is a man of peace. He wants to normalise relations with India. This is the time when India can start negotiations for improvement of relations," Hamid is also a founder–member of the Pakistan-India Forum for Peace and Democracy.
Journalist and former diplomat, Kuldip Nayar and former chief of the Indian navy, Admiral Ramdas were also participants. Political leaders of both the countries "were afraid of peace", he added.
Senior Pakistani journalist, M.B.Naqvi spoke eloquently. He said that the "peace movement" in his country was "small but alive". Despite their fledgling state, Pakistani peace organisations were making efforts along with their Indian counterparts to resolve disputes between the two countries. Stating that "vast ghettos of the poor, the unlettered and the ailing" remained both in India and his country even after 50 years, Naqvi said the authorities of both the countries should take steps to ensure lasting peace in the interest of development. "The distance between the rulers and the common man had increased and with liberalisation of the economies, the rich became richer and the poor, poorer," Nayar said.
The three–day meet was being organised by Akhil Bharat Rachnatmak Samaj and Harijan Sevak Samity.
Archived from Communalism Combat, February 2000, Year 7 No. 56, Breaking Barriers