Resolution on Kashmir passed in STWC conference in London

London, October 31
In London, Stop the War Coalition (STWC), a United Kingdom group has passed a resolution on Kashmir in its general conference. The resolution, which was moved by Khaja Aslam,
a journalist from Indian occupied Kashmir, on behalf of Britain/south Asia solidarity forum (BSASF), condemned the recent killings of over 111 innocent and unarmed young men and teenagers in the occupied territory.
It maintained that Kashmir was not a dispute of land between India and Pakistan but was a core political issue concerning to the future of millions of oppressed Kashmiris who had been deprived of justice since the partition of Indian sub-content. “The issue of Kashmir is the issue of self-determination which was guaranteed under successive United Nations Security Council resolutions. The self-determination of peoples is a basic principle of the United Nations Charter, which has been reaffirmed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and applied countless times to the settlement of many international conflicts,” it added.
“Presence of 700,000 Indian military and paramilitary forces without any moral, political and legal code has made Jammu and Kashmir the heaviest concentration in human history,” it added. It pointed out that India had put in force draconian laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the Disturbed Areas Act in occupied Kashmir that gave Indian troops to act with impunity.
The STWC resolution said that the lingering dispute needed the immediate attention of the world powers. It emphasised that the time had come when the world powers especially the US President, Barack Obama, who is going to visit India next week, should play an effective role in helping to secure a permanent settlement to the dispute in accordance with the Kashmiris’ aspirations.
It is to mention here that the STWC was founded in October 2001, one month after the then US President, George W Bush announced the ‘war on terror’, and has since been dedicated to ending the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, bringing the troops home and forcing the British and US governments to change their disastrous foreign policies.
It is for the first time that SWTC has included the Kashmir dispute in its agenda. In the conference it was decided that in future there would be a full day discussion on the Kashmir issue to highlight it on international forum. (KMS)

Deoband -Kashmir

NEW DELHI: The Deoband seminary, which has stayed out of Kashmir politics, will host a gathering of Muslim clerics and scholars on October 4 to discuss Kashmir in the backdrop of renewed violence in the Valley. The conference is an initiative by the Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind (JuH), first-of-its-kind by a Muslim religious organization in the country, said the group's leader Maulana Mahmood Madani.

"The ulema will meet to evolve a peaceful and unanimous civilian response to the Kashmir crisis," he said.

But dragging Deoband into Kashmir wasn't being welcomed. "It could create a perception that Kashmir is a religious issue," said Arshad Alam, assistant professor, Jamia Millia Islamia University. He feared it could create a wedge between communities. "A message could go out that Kashmiris are facing repression because they are Muslims. It could foist a monolithic identity on a heterogenous Muslim community," he said. Sociologist Imtiaz Ahmad said, "A religious initiative on Kashmir issue is not desirable."

Madani says Deoband is just a venue and no symbolism should be attached. "We couldn't find a venue in Delhi due to the Commonwealth Games. On October 30, we will hold a rally at Delhi's Ram Lila Maidan where we'll invite like-minded people from all communities and civil society groups."
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In the first such initiative by a mainstream Muslim outfit, the Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind is set to assemble around 10,000 Islamic scholars and clerics at Darul-uloom Deoband in the first week of next month to give a call for peace in Kashmir, and to seek protection of the “democratic and human rights” of Kashmiris.
Islamic scholars and clerics of “all shades of opinion and schools of thought” would be invited for the conference to be held on October 4, which would be on the lines of a conclave it had organised two years ago at the end of which some 6,000 clerics had issued a joint fatwa against terrorism.
This was decided at a meeting of the working committee of the Jamiat here on Sunday.

One of the country’s leading Islamic organisations and an influential voice of Deobandi ulema, the Jamiat hopes to rally support for the people of Kashmir through the conference and at the same time send a powerful message that Kashmir is an integral part of India and peace has to be restored through dialogue with all stakeholders

New Delhi, Sep 21: Leading Indian Muslim politico-religious outfit, the Jamiat-Ulama-i-Hind, is holding a Kashmir Conference at Darul-Uloom, Deoband in the first week of the next month to evolve what it calls a peaceful and unanimous civilian response to the on going crisis in Kashmir.

Jamiat would be inviting around 10,000 Muslim scholars and clerics of all schools of thought and shades of opinion at Darul-uloom for the conclave.

This was decided at a meeting of the national executive of the Jamiat, chaired by Maulana Qari Mohammad Usman Mansoorpuri, in Delhi yesterday.

The meeting was called to discuss deteriorating situation of Kashmir and to formulate strategy for restoration of peace and help in alleviating the suffering of innocent people, according to a Jamiat statement sent to Kashmir Observer.
While expressing its concern over the killing of innocent citizen including woman and children in Kashmir in what it called was the unrestrained firing by the police and CRPF claiming more than 100 human lives, Jamiat said it would look at the issue from humanitarian, Islamic and moral viewpoints.

”We should first look at the problem as a common citizen who is committed to humane and democratic values. Unless we are sensitive to the suffering of common people of Kashmir we have no right to meddle in their affairs”, Jamiat said.
"The people of Kashmir have been fed up with prolonged curfew, bandhs. They are deprived of essential commodities and medicines. Their business and factories are shut down. Their children are unable to attend to schools”. 

“Keeping these circumstances in mind, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind has decided to hold Kashmir Conference at Deoband on October 4 to evolve a peaceful and unanimous civilian response to this crisis ", said Maulana Mahmood Madani, leader of Jamiat and Rajya Sabha MP.

”We must understand and respect their legitimate aspirations. This alone, we believe, can create space for reconciliation and bring an end to the turmoil and conflict prevalent in the valley”, the statement said.
”Steps to repress their voice would not bring any solution; instead it would complicate the situation further, working committee of Jamiat felt. 

Senior Jamiat leader Maulana Niaz Farooqui said there would be a joint declaration by the ulema at the end of the conference, talking about humanitarian and religious angles.

He said the declaration would not talk about political package or initiative. “That is not our subject. We will confine ourselves to humanitarian and Islamic aspects,” Farooqui said.

Following this conference he said Jamiat would also send a high level delegation to Kashmir to establish people-to-people contact there and also to express solidarity with them. 

The Jamiat has also  decided to hold a public conference at Ram Lila Grounds in New Delhi on October 30 against the ongoing violence in the Valley.

”We will launch countrywide awareness campaign and to sensitize all sections of civil society about the suffering and problems of common people and how it threatens our democratic polity”, Jamiat said adding the party shall seek cooperation of all Organizations and leaders cutting across religious, social and political affiliations

RAKESH K SINGH | New Delhi

The Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind (JUH) has convened a conference at Deoband early next month of all the Muslim sects to evolve a consensus over the Kashmir situation and express solidarity with the community in the Valley. The JUH also plans to send a delegation to the Valley.

While major Muslim bodies have so far refrained from interfering with the sensitive Kashmir situations, the JUH move could have wide ramification as it might end up projecting the Kashmir conflict as a Muslim issue.

“The movement against the violence in Jammu and Kashmir has so far been run by a small minority of civil rights group and we are trying to give a voice to the silent majority of masses and bring people to the fore to address the situation and resolve the problem,” secretary and spokesperson of JUH Niaz Ahmed Farooqui told The Pioneer.

Besides leaders and representatives from the Shias, Sunnis, Deobandis, Barelvis and non-Muslim communities, the Jamiat has invited 10,000 delegates of the organisation from across the country at Deoband on October 4 to discuss the Kashmir situation.

“Following this conference, the Jamiat will also send a delegation to Kashmir to establish people-to-people contact there and express solidarity with them against violence and address the humanitarian problems being faced by them. The Jamiat will also hold a public conference here next month to address the Government, public at large and the Kashmiris in particular against the ongoing violence in the Valley,” Farooqui said.

The conference will try and evolve a consensus among the different Muslim sects over a common stand to be taken by them on the Kashmir issue.

“Different people have different views on the Kashmir issue….We will discuss the humanitarian problems being faced by the community as result of the violence that is perpetuating in the Valley for the last three months,” Farooqui said.

He said, “The Valley is under siege…. The Muslims are facing a lot of problems there due to shortage of essential commodities, like medicines…. Suffering of the common man is enormous.”

“The situation in Jammu and Kashmir is alarming and the community cannot remain a silent spectator. A democratic voice of the masses is necessary to contain the spate of violence,” he said and added that a public session of the Muslim organisations here next month will help in mobilising the masses against the ongoing violence there.

Other Muslim organisations that will participate in the Deoband conference include All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Jamat-e-Islami, All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat and All India Milli Council among others.

The Kashmir issue was discussed at the National Executive Committee meeting of the JUH here on Sunday.

The AIMPLB, which held a separate meeting on the Kashmir situation on Sunday, said the Muslims cannot afford to remain silent and should play a constructive role in containing the violence in Kashmir.

New cycle of agitation in Kashmir

By Ershad Mahmud
Sunday, 03 Oct, 2010 | 01:26 AM PST |

SCORES of people have been killed in the Kashmir Valley in pitched street battles between angry protestors and Indian security forces during the last three months. It is said that each death creates new protestors who fearlessly battle with police and paramilitary forces.

Despite the heavy-handedness of the security forces and frequent impositions of curfews no end to current resistance is in sight. A couple of consecutive high profile incidents of human rights violation by the security forces and the lack of accountability at the state level forced the people to take to the streets which turned into a massive agitation. It is the third straight summer which have witnessed the massive street protests that have not only paralyzed the state apparatus but has also affected the daily life.

New Delhi made several attempts but could not succeed to reach out to the people and address their grievances and aspirations so far. The same old traditional and conservative methods are being applied to handle the problem such as most of the pro-Azadi leaders have been locked up in the jails while repressive measures are used to curb the agitation.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appeared twice on television channels and made appeals to the people to calm down and help restore peace in the Valley but to no avail. The current cycle of agitation began when the security forces killed a protestor who was part of a march against a fake encounter that took place in the Machil, a town close to Line of Control.

The people urged the government to revoke draconian laws which provide immunity to forces to act without fear of accountability. The central government, along with armed forces, not only ignored the protestors’ genuine demand but also issued no reprimand to its local forces’ commanders to censure them to avoid such behaviour in future. Neither the vibrant media nor civil society picked up this issue to sympathise with the people of Kashmir.

On the contrary, top armed forces commanders declared that the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) was a holy book for his rank and file.The outcome of the 2008 state assembly elections and tragic Mumbai attacks followed by Pakistan’s indifferent attitude towards the plight of the Kashmiris has emboldened New Delhi to suspend any negotiations with Pakistan to find an acceptable solution for all stakeholders. During the last couple of years it seriously downplayed Kashmiri aspirations and overlooked political realities of Kashmir.

On the other hand, Indian armed forces have triumphantly declared that they have defeated militancy in Kashmir. Therefore, New Delhi diverted all energies to build state of the art infrastructure in the state and froze the negotiation process with Mirwaiz Omer Farooq led Hurriyat Conference and closed the chapter of composite dialogue process with Islamabad. Interestingly, pro-India Kashmiri leadership has persistently been calling for the political solution of the issue but Delhi never took them seriously.

Above all, the authorities have miserably failed to understand the depth of alienation and grievances of the people when the non-violent character of Kashmiri uprising appeared. The New York Times noted that the protests had led India to one of its most serious internal crises in recent memory. Not just because of their ferocity and persistence, but because they signal the failure of decades of efforts to win the assent of Kashmiris using just about any tool available: money, elections and overwhelming use of force.

Over a period of time Indian society has been told that whatever awful occurs in Kashmir, it is planned by Pakistan to destabilise India. The victim card worked well. Even liberal opinion makers and civil society activists hardly criticised their government’s disproportionate use of force because of Pakistan or radicals’ role in Kashmir. Now, when a peaceful mass movement has taken over the radical and violent forces New Delhi is yet not able to seize the opportunity and initiate unconditional dialogue.

It is largely perceived that if India gives any concessions to Srinagar it will be seen as its weakness in the face of the protests. Ironically, BJP which is deemed as an architect of peace process with Pakistan does not want to give any credit to Congress to solve the Kashmir issue. Therefore, BJP declared it would not let the government show even a mild gesture of flexibility. Only Communist Party of India (Marxist) publically acknowledged that the question of Jammu and Kashmir has to be treated as a special case and this requires a new political framework. It makes an uphill task for the Congress to offer symbolic compromise even to its own coalition partner in Srinagar — National Conference — to assuage people’s grievances.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also offered conditional talks with the separatist leadership which was declined. Though, it was hinted at the top level that internal autonomy can be granted to Jammu and Kashmir but it could not turn the table. Pro-Azadi groups have upped the ante and are no more asking for mere autonomy.

Additionally, autonomy has always been National Conference’s (NC) political mantra. Other mainstream parties such as People’s Democratic Party or Kashmir chapter of the Indian Congress never let NC take political mileage if Delhi grants further internal autonomy to Kashmir. The dissident voices too do not appreciate this sort of outcome to their 20-year long struggle.

This newly found mass resilience also indicates that Indian forces have limited options to contain Kashmiri upsurge too. In fact, the use of force and repressive measure have not only lost their effectiveness but also proved counterproductive. Several times curfews were violated by the citizens and they joined either funeral procession or agitation. The Economist of London has aptly encapsulated the challenge that New Delhi is facing in Kashmir. It says, “at some point they (cycle of protests) will become so big that they can only be contained by killing more of its citizens than a democracy can stand.”

In this context, finding a respectable way out is a gigantic task for New Delhi as well as for the people of Kashmir since unlimited agitations are not sustainable in the long run. It should be acknowledged at the level of policy-makers and political elite that Kashmir issue has internal as well as external dimensions to deal with. There is no denying the fact that during the last two decades Islamabad’s influence in the Kashmir Valley has increased tremendously. As long as Islamabad and New Delhi continue to follow hostile approaches towards each other and do not stop the zero-sum game, peace in Kashmir will remain a pipedream.

However, the state government led by Omer Abdullah can also play a vital role if it demonstrates political maturity. No matter what political cost it has to pay, the state government should not allow the security forces to use highhanded policies to curb the legitimate protests. It offers no solution to the current unrest. It, in fact, has aggravated the situation further.

The resumption of internal dialogue in Kashmir can be helpful if New Delhi makes it a tri-partite – Srinagar-Delhi, Srinagar-Islamabad and finally Delhi and Islamabad based exercise. However, a dialogue between various regions and hassle-free intra-Kashmir interaction at all levels of the society can always be useful to narrow down the extreme positions and to create a broader understanding of each others’ viewpoints. The dialogue should be backed by practical steps to improve the ground realities such as demilitarisation of the urban centres.

The writer is an Islamabad-based political analyst.

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