[sacw] South Asians Against Nukes Mail (May 25, 1999)

[Harsh Kapoor]

May 25, 1999
Dear Friends,
Posted below is a press release from the Action Committee Against Arms Race
in Pakistan and a news update from Indian Anti-Nuclear activists' ongoing
Peace March which began from a place close to India's nuclear test site.
Harsh Kapoor
(South Asians Against Nukes)
==========================================
(1.)

24 May, 1999
PRESS RELEASE

Resolution adopted by Action Committee Against Arms Race (ACAAR) in its
General Body Meeting in Karachi on Saturday, 22nd May 1999.

We express our strong disapproval of the Government's plans to celebrate
the first anniversary of the Chaghai nuclear tests. When India conducted
the tests at Pokhran on 11th and 13th May last year, we had publicly
condemned it in the strongest terms and cautioned the Pakistan
Government against getting provoked into following suit, and instead
take the initiative in signing the CTBT and pre-empt possible
international economic sanctions. However, Islamabad thought differently
and went ahead with the Chaghai tests on 28th May.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had said then that Pakistan wanted to divert
its resources towards economic development and people's welfare but
had been pushed to the corner by India's nuclear tests, leaving his
government with no option but to follow suit. In other words, he meant
that going nuclear was not Pakistan's choice, but it was forced upon us
by India. .

If what Mr. Nawaz Sharif said then is to be believed, how can the
government justify the
hysterical mass campaign being organised officially in the national
media to celebrate something which Pakistan had not wanted to do but was
forced to do? It is ironical, to say the least, that ours is perhaps the
only country in the world which, despite our pervasive poverty, will be
publicly celebrating our capability to build weapons of mass death and
devastation and call it
"Yaum-e-Takbeer,", precisely when thousands of men, women and children
in Sindh, who are also good Muslims, have either been drowned and dead,
most of them in the high seas because of the criminal failure of the
government to warn the fishing boats in time, and when there is an
urgent need to address the problems of the rehabilitation of the
survivors.

We call upon the Government of Pakistan to call off this ridiculous
high-cost pro-nuclear campaign, even as the latest hike in petrol prices
and other ensuing price and tax increases threaten to cut deep into the
meagre earnings of the people, and divert those funds to the
rehabilitation of the affected people in Sindh.

We also call upon the government to stop further nuclear and missile
tests and continue the dialogue with India, for the denuclearisation and
demilitarisation of the subcontinent.

We also express our strong protest at the repressive actions of the
government against the independent journalists and institutions of civil
society,(especially targeting those working for the promotion of the
rights of women), who are serving the people in areas where the
government institutions have miserably failed to deliver.

We demand that all such repressive measures be withdrawn and the culture
of intolerance of dissent and victimisation of opposition be brought to
an end.

B.M.Kutty
Secretary (ACAAR) and Convener Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(2.)
Global Peace March 1999 update as on May 23

Global Peace March 1999 started on May 11 from village Khetolai (3
kilometers from nuclear test site in India) after a big meeting in the
village. The meeting was attended by villagers in large numbers, concerned
individuals and organizations from Rajasthan and other parts of India.
Following speakers addressed the meeting: social & environmental activist
Medha Patkar, senior Gandhians Siddharaj Dhadda and Bhagwan Das Maheshwari,
nuclear experts and activists Dr. Surendra and Sanghmitra Gadekar, local
MLA, village head (sarpanch), and coordinator of the march Dr. Sandeep.
All speakers severely criticised the nuclear tests conducted last year by
the Government of India. They reiterated that the message of the peace
march is global peace and disarmament, and to highlight that 'security' can
be obtained only by building relationships of trust and friendship and not
by any weapons. The meeting drew a favourable response from the villagers.

Since then, the marchers have walked through village Chacha (May 11), town
Pokaran (May 12), town Ramdevra (May 13), village Khara (May 14), village
Kalran (May 15), city Falaudi (May 16), villages Kheechan (May 17), Paleena
(May 18), Denok (May 19), Aau (May 20), Chadi (May 21), Panchodi (May 22)
and Bhundel (May 23). Because of intense heat (maximum temperature in
Rajasthan in 46 degree celcius) the marchers - about 25-30 in number - walk
early in the morning (starting 5 AM). They reach their milestone of the
day by 9 or 10 AM, take out a short rally through the town/village, then
rest until evening in a local place, and hold a public meeting in the
evening. Everywhere, except at Pokaran, Ramdevra and Falaudi, marchers have
been able to carry out their meetings/programmes unhindered. Local people
are gathering in large numbers, listening to the marchers on issues of
nuclear weapons, security and peace, watching slide shows/films, and
asking/discussing questions in an open atmosphere. The march has got
support in most places.

At Pokaran, Ramdevra and Falaudi, a group of 30-50 youth claiming to be
from the BJP, RSS and Shiv Sena (right-wing 'hindutva' parties) tried to
disrupt the proceedings of the march by shouting anti-peace slogans,
hurling abuses and black flags, whistling, and tearing the
literature/pamphlets of the march. They did not allow the march to proceed
in a peaceful atmosphere and scared away the local people from attending
meetings at these three places. At Ramdevra, they hurled a stone that hit
an elderly marcher. At Falaudi, they stopped the march in the middle of
the city's marketplace and declared that they would not allow the march to
proceed any further. After about 7-8 hours they dispersed, letting the
march to progress further. While during these 7-8 hours, the miscreants
were shouting abuses and slogans like 'anti-nationals go back', 'we want
security not peace', all the marchers maintained calm and sat under stark
heat with determination and patience. The role of administration and the
police was quite dubious - they tried to prevent violence from miscreants
but did not dissuade them against shouting abuses and disrupting the
meetings. Aggrieved by these incidents, Dr. Sandeep observed a complete
fast for three days (from May 13 to May 16). On May 16, senior people of
Rajasthan Sarvodaya/Gandhian unit observed demonstration and fast in Jaipur
in protest against the disruption of the peace march. Senior Gandhians,
peace activists and anti-communalism groups in India have publicly
criticised the disruptive activities of the BJP, RSS and Shiv Sena groups.

Since May 16 the march is going on in a peaceful manner and as per
schedule, though there is some chance that disruptive elements may reappear
in certain places in future. The marchers consist of few individuals who
are going to walk for the entire 1500 kilometers, and others who will walk
for a shorter period and will keep changing. People from varied
backgrounds (villagers and city people), age (from 20 to 80 years), regions
and communities are walking in this march. The stay and food arrangements
in Rajasthan are being handled by voluntary organizations like URMUL,
Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti and Rajasthan Samagra Sewa Sangha, in
collaboration with local people.

It is AN APPEAL to all that we should make the message of the peace march
stronger by:
1. joining the march in large numbers as early as possible,
2. spreading the news about the march and this appeal to as many people as
possible, and
3. helping the march gain greater publicity in the mass media.

Those willing to join the march or support in any other way should contact
the co-ordinating office of the march:

Vimal, National Alliance of Peoples Movements (NAPM),
14 Supreme Enclave, Mayur Vihar Phase-1, New Delhi - 110019.
Phone: (011) 2256394

OR

Laxmi Chand Tyagi, Gramin Vikas Vigyan Samiti, 458, Gali No. 3, Milkman
Colony, Pal Road, Jodhpur - 342008. Phone: (0291) 741317, Fax: (0291) 744549

OR

Sawai Singh, Rajasthan Samagra Sewa Sangha, Gokulbhai Bhatt Marg,
Durgapura, Jaipur - 302018. Phone: (0141) 552878

Route of the peace march for next one month is as follows:
May 27: Nagaur
May 29: Tarnau
June 1: Makrana
June 3: Nava
June 5: Bhainslana
June 7: Pachar
June 9 & 10: Jaipur
June 12: Bassi
June 14: Jatwada
June 16: Kalakhoh
June 18: Sikrai
June 24: Bharatpur

Regards,
Anil Sharma
Global Peace March spokesman
____________________________________________________

South Asians Against Nukes
http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex/NoNukes.html

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