SANSAD held a public forum last week on the topic of Crisis for Minorities in India: Kashmir and Orissa, at Langara College in Vancouver.
The program began with the screenng of the highly acclaimed and provocative documentary film on Kashmir by Sanjay Kak, Jashne Azadi (How We Celebrate Freedom). In his talk that followed SANSAD president Hari Sharma presented a brief sketch of Kashmir's history up to the current turmoil created by the Hindutava forces around the Amarnath Cave issue, and situated all that in the larger context of the growth of Hindutava's fascistic trend in the country as a whole - especially the recent upsurge of attacks on the community of Christians in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and elsewhere.
A lively discussion followed, and two Resolutions were adopted which are appended below.
Whereas the people of Indian-administered Kashmir have been consistently denied the right of political self-determination and genuinely democratic self-expression;
Whereas since 1979 Kashmir has been under military siege and has become a virtual military camp;
Whereas the systematic denial of their aspirations has compelled the people of Kashmir to take up arms as the only means of self-determination available to them;
Whereas more than a hundred thousand Kashmiri people have died in this struggle and as a result of military atrocities;
Whereas several thousand people have been "disappeared," many have been tortured, uncounted numbers have been clinically traumatized, and all live in insecurity, terror, and indignity;
Whereas the situation in Kashmir continues to vitiate the democratic life of India as a whole, to poison its existence as a secular nation, to threaten the security of its people, and lead to the growth of militarization;
And whereas the conflict over Kashmir has been basic to the destructive hostility between India and Pakistan from the moment of their creation as independent nations;
Therefore be it resolved that we demand that the Government of India end its military occupation of Kashmir and engage in negotiations in good faith to achieve a peaceful and just political solution in Kashmir that addresses the interests of its entire and diverse people.
Further, whereas the current crisis in Kashmir, in which hundreds of thousands of unarmed people have dared to challenge the military occupation of their land, has been precipitated by the political use of the Amarnath pilgrimage as an instrument of enforced "normalization" under the condition of occupation and as a means of consolidating a base for the Hindutava agenda in Kashmir;
Therefore be it resolved that we condemn the political use of this Hindu pilgrimage to further the political oppression of the people of Kashmir and strengthen the might of the fascistic religio-nationalist force that further erodes the pluralist tradition of India's composite civilization, and further weakens India's claim to be a modern secular-democratic nation.
We call on all secular democratic people in the world to stand in solidarity with the people of Indian administered Kashmir.
We urge the Government of Canada to use its diplomatic power in the cause of democracy and human rights in Kashmir and in the interest of peace in Kashmir, and between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.
Whereas since 1979 Kashmir has been under military siege and has become a virtual military camp;
Whereas the systematic denial of their aspirations has compelled the people of Kashmir to take up arms as the only means of self-determination available to them;
Whereas more than a hundred thousand Kashmiri people have died in this struggle and as a result of military atrocities;
Whereas several thousand people have been "disappeared," many have been tortured, uncounted numbers have been clinically traumatized, and all live in insecurity, terror, and indignity;
Whereas the situation in Kashmir continues to vitiate the democratic life of India as a whole, to poison its existence as a secular nation, to threaten the security of its people, and lead to the growth of militarization;
And whereas the conflict over Kashmir has been basic to the destructive hostility between India and Pakistan from the moment of their creation as independent nations;
Therefore be it resolved that we demand that the Government of India end its military occupation of Kashmir and engage in negotiations in good faith to achieve a peaceful and just political solution in Kashmir that addresses the interests of its entire and diverse people.
Further, whereas the current crisis in Kashmir, in which hundreds of thousands of unarmed people have dared to challenge the military occupation of their land, has been precipitated by the political use of the Amarnath pilgrimage as an instrument of enforced "normalization" under the condition of occupation and as a means of consolidating a base for the Hindutava agenda in Kashmir;
Therefore be it resolved that we condemn the political use of this Hindu pilgrimage to further the political oppression of the people of Kashmir and strengthen the might of the fascistic religio-nationalist force that further erodes the pluralist tradition of India's composite civilization, and further weakens India's claim to be a modern secular-democratic nation.
We call on all secular democratic people in the world to stand in solidarity with the people of Indian administered Kashmir.
We urge the Government of Canada to use its diplomatic power in the cause of democracy and human rights in Kashmir and in the interest of peace in Kashmir, and between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.
2. On the Hindutava Assault on Christians in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and elsewhere
Whereas the forces of Hindu fanaticism organized under the Bajrang Dal, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the RSS have committed large scale atrocities against the members of the Christian community in Kandhamal and many other parts of Orissa, burning churches and youth hostels, torching thousands of homes and killing several people;
Whereas tens of thousands of people in Orissa have been forced to flee into the forests as a result of this terror and further thousands are languishing in refugee camps;
Whereas the fascistic Hindutava leaders have openly declared that they will make sure no Christians live in Orissa any more;
Whereas the Hindutava fascist mobs have become a force on its own, even engaging in attacking police officers who try to apprehend the killers, and arsonists;
Whereas the menace of Hindutava assaults on the Christian churches and people has spread to very many places in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and other provinces of India;
Therefore be it resolved that we urge the Government of India to ensure the rule of law especially in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, protect the Christian minority, provide relief to the people displaced and subjected to violence, and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Be it further resolved that the Bajrang Dal, VHP, and RSS, which engage in open and covert acts of mass violence, terrorism and intimidation be declared and treated as terrorist organizations.
Whereas tens of thousands of people in Orissa have been forced to flee into the forests as a result of this terror and further thousands are languishing in refugee camps;
Whereas the fascistic Hindutava leaders have openly declared that they will make sure no Christians live in Orissa any more;
Whereas the Hindutava fascist mobs have become a force on its own, even engaging in attacking police officers who try to apprehend the killers, and arsonists;
Whereas the menace of Hindutava assaults on the Christian churches and people has spread to very many places in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and other provinces of India;
Therefore be it resolved that we urge the Government of India to ensure the rule of law especially in Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, protect the Christian minority, provide relief to the people displaced and subjected to violence, and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Be it further resolved that the Bajrang Dal, VHP, and RSS, which engage in open and covert acts of mass violence, terrorism and intimidation be declared and treated as terrorist organizations.
postscript:
We in SANSAD welcome the news that since our Forum, the Central Government has taken a decision to invoke Article 355 of the Constitution warning the administrations of Orissa and Karnataka it will intervene if they do not immediately bring to a halt the continuing violence by the Sangh Parivar against the Christian community. Let's hope it is followed through in full earnest.
