Objectives of this convention were to further promote peace between India and Pakistan through people to people initiatives and to step up promotion of democracy and secularism in both countries.
Following Joint Declaration was issued at the conclusion of Bangalore Convention.
Meeting in critical times of war threats of war, nuclearization and the president 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 endeavor against the common threats to the economies of India and Pakistan by unfettered globalization.
DEMANDS an immediate resumption of dialogue at the highest level, reversal of current military build-ups, horizontal and vertical denuclearization and a comprehensive no-war pact. Effective steps towards internal demilitarisation 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 Jummu 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 representative of the Governments of India, Pakistan and of the peoples of Jarnmu and Kashmir strive together to find a solution acceptable to the people 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 favored 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 breeder’s rights.
DEMANDS that the two governments 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 and 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 realization of women’s basic rights and their legitimate aspirations.
CALLS upon the educationist and the people in general to work towards ways of inculcating values of co-operation tolerance harmony, through all possible means, particularly curricula and prescribed textbooks, print and visual media, undertake investigation of incidents of communal violence to bring the findings to the notice of the people organise exchanges of the children and teacher and to be aware of and monitor possible misuse of places of worship and religious educational institutions for the preaching and promotion of hatred and intolerance, and:
RESOLVES further to take concrete steps both jointly and separately in each country including formation of working groups to implement the above resolution towards the realization of its aims and objectives. Resolution on Kashmir
Convinced of the indivisibility of peace and democracy, the Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy is gravely concerned at the state of hostile relations between India and Pakistan and its impact on their domestic policies as also on the two civil societies.
Alarmed by the “limited war” in Kargil area of the Jammu and Kashmir last summer by forces that possesses nuclear weapons with the potential of causing the nuclear holocaust.
Releasing that the hostility between the two countries has encouraged forces of reaction to whip up war hysteria and jingoism with the concomitant attack on people’s freedom in the name of “National Security”.
Recognizing that peace as a condition of democracy requires a degree of normalcy in relations between the two countries.
Considering the urgency for creating conditions conductive for beginning peace talks among all concerned and mindful of the central roll that all the people of Jammu and Kashmir must play in its resolution.
We the members of the Pakistan-India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy call upon Governments of India and Pakistan to order cessation of all hostilities along the line of control by forces directly or indirectly under their control.
Simultaneously, we call upon Government of India to halt its’ military campaign which is imperiling the life and liberties of the peoples of Jammu and Kashmir, also we call upon the Government of Pakistan to exercise all control and restraint over the mindless violence of the “mujahid” and “jehadist” groups.
We appeal to the various militant organizations of Jammu and Kashmir (and their over ground supporters) and the state security forces to eschew violence and particularly the use of rape as thes instrument of war, and to agree to resolve all political and other differences exclusively through peaceful and democratic means. We urge them to declare cease-fire voluntarily with immediate effect and to create conditions conducive for democratic and peaceful negotiations
Recognizing that it is the peoples of Jammu and Kashmir who have the democratic right to decide their political future and that they must get an opportunity to meet and confabulate.
We also call upon the political parties, the militants and the groups who support them in India-held Jammu and Kashmir as well as in Pakistan-held Jammu and Kashmir to dedicate themselves to achievement of reconciliation and mutual trust and to the protection and vindication of the human rights of all as a mark of respect to those who have died or been injured and the thousands of families who have been rendered homeless during the last five decade of violence.
We also call upon the Governments of Pakistan and India to confer and cooperate with all the representatives of the people in all areas of Jammu and Kashmir. Both Governments should facilitate a process by which the peoples in all the areas in Jammu and Kashmir can chose their representatives who can then engage with the governments to determine their future. As a first gesture, the Government of India should immediately release all political detenus. The talks between the representatives of the peoples of Jammu and Kashmir may be held both at bilateral level as well as at a tripartite level. The talks between Government of India and the representatives of India-held Jammu and Kashmir, as well as between the Government of Pakistan and the representatives of Pakistan-held Kashmir, should be held in the presence of a group of eminent persons of the respective countries so that the process of dialogue remains transparent and free from intimidation and negotiations do not break down.
As a step towards beginning purposeful negotiations, we call upon the political parties and other groups in different parts of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir to acknowledge the fact that Governments of India. Pakistan as well as different groups of people of Jammu and Kashmir hold divergent views on questions of continuance of status quo and of legitimate political aspirations of the participants, especially of the right of exercising sovereignty, wholly or partly over the whole or part of the territories of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir.
We also call upon the political parties and other groups on both sides of Jammu and Kashmir to recognize the difficulties that the Governments of India and Pakistan would face to modify their historical public stances. We also urge the Governments of India and Pakistan to recognize the inalienable rights of the peoples of Jammu and Kashmir to decide their political future. This is why, it is important that all the three parties, representatives of the Governments of India and Pakistan as well as that of the peoples of Jammu and Kashmir, together must strive to find a solution that may be generally acceptable to the peoples of Jammu and Kashmir and the sub continent in their larger interest of peace and democracy. They should recognize that durable peace and tranquillity in the subcontinent takes precedence over all other considerations. For this reason they should strive in every practical way towards reconciliation and rapprochement keeping in view that in all agreements contraction of sovereign power in one political domain can be a gain in another. We believe that it is from such an effort that the contours of a likely solution will emerge.
