Bangalore Declaration 2000. Resolution of the Indo-Pakistan conflict

Meeting in critical time of war, threats of war, nuclearization, and the persistent obstacles placed in the path of the assembly of the peace loving peoples of the two countries.

In pursuance of its objectives of normalization of relations, demilitarization and peace, a democratic resolution of the Kashmir problem, promotion of tolerance, democracy and good governance, and joint endeavour against the common threats to the economies of India and Pakistan by unfettered globalization.

Being aware of the increasing danger of deliberate or accidental war breaking out with the risk of any conflict escalating to the level of nuclear holocaust.

Concerned about repeated incidents of religious intolerance and hatred in both countries rooted in deprivation, backwardness, power politics and misconceived notions of national interest.

The Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy in its Fifth Joint Convention held at Bangalore, India, on 6-8 April, 2000.

• DEMANDS an immediate resumption of dialogue at the highest level, reversal of current military build-ups, horizontal and vertical denuclearization and a comprehensive non-war pact, effective steps towards internal demilitarization and in the interim, until a complete roll back of the nuclear weapons and delivery systems programmes of both countries, a no-first use agreement, consent to the CTBT, rejoining the discussions on the FMCT and move towards the declaration of South Asia as a nuclear-free zone.

• CALLS upon Governments of India and Pakistan to order cessation of all hostilities along the Line Of Control by all forces directly and indirectly under their control, the various militant organizations of Jammu and Kashmir to eschew violence, the Government of India to release all political detenus, so that the peoples of all sections of Jammu and Kashmir can decide their future in a democratic manner, achieve reconciliation, and the representatives of the Governments of India, Pakistan and of the peoples of Jammu and Kashmir strive together to find a solution acceptable to the peoples of Jammu and Kashmir and the sub-continent in the larger interest of peace and democracy.

• DEPRECATES all attempts to curtail the facilities of travel and communications between India and Pakistan and calls upon the two Governments to rewrite the protocol and allow all people to travel freely.

• RESOLVES to link the joint struggle against unfettered globalization with the struggle for democratization of our societies, co-operate in building food security through a sustainable agricultural strategy that excludes the MNC controlled seed- biotechnology-pesticides cycle, share appropriate and small technologies, address water management and distribution issues on a regional basis, extend most favoured nation status to each other, forge a common strategy to tackle environmental degradation of common ecological regions and evolve joint strategies on multilateral negotiations such as WTO and plant breeders rights.

• DEMANDS the two governments to ensure popular participation in governance through decentralisation and devolution of power to the grassroots with adequate safeguards, provide basic amenities to the people, institutionalise transparency, responsibility and accountability in governance, ensure security of the minorities, prevent crimes against women, end child labour, protect common people against displacement from traditional habitats in the name of development, break the politician-criminal nexus, preserve and extend freedom of expression along with the right of access to information, reverse the trend of politicisation of education leading to a collapse of standards, and defend cultural rights and freedoms.

• DEMANDS immediate steps for the realisation of women’s basic rights and their legitimate aspirations.

• CALLS upon the educationists and the people in general to work towards ways of inculcating values of cooperation, tolerance, harmony, through all possible means, particularly curricula and prescribed textbooks, print and visual media, undertake investigations of incidents of communal violence to bring the findings to the notice of the people, organise exchanges of children and teachers, and to be aware of and monitor possible misuse of places of worship and religious educational institutions for the promotion of preaching and promotion of hatred and intolerance.

• RESOLVES further to take concrete steps both jointly and separately in each country including formation of working groups to implement the above resolutions towards the realisation of its aims and objectives.

Notes

• Author: The Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace and democracy.

• Chairperson Pakistan Chapter: Sd/- I.A. Rehman.

• Chairperson India Chapter: Sd/- Admiral (Rtd) L. Ramdas.