[sacw] Open Letter to PM's of Pakistan & India

[aiindex@mnet.fr]

July 5, 1999
=46YI
(South Asia Citizens Web)
Please visit the website:
Citizens Oppose India - Pakistan War on Kargil, Kashmir
[http://www.mnet.fr/aiindex/Kargi/Kargilindex.html]
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D

OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTERS OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN
On Behalf of the People of the Two Countries

5 July 1999

Honorable Prime Ministers,

With all sincerity and humility I take the liberty of addressing
you, on behalf of the people of the two countries of Pakistan and India.
I have been impelled to write these lines believing that even an
ordinary person not connected with the government circles has the right to
tender an advice which, if accepted, may avert any war and contribute to
peace and amity between the two nations.
Let me begin with the frank remark that, barring a few, the
political leaders of both the countries have mismanaged for over fifty
years the state apparatus. The true democratic process too has suffered
badly at their hands and it has not been allowed to flourish in these
countries. Moreover, instead of raising the standard of living of the
people and the level of their educational and political awareness, and
delivering in their hands the power to rule (which rightly belongs to
them), the rulers, with a few exceptions, have tried to concentrate power
in their own hands and enrich themselves at the cost of the people. They
were able to do all this because they met with little resistance from the
people.
The root cause of this lack of resistance on the part of the people
and non-existence of their proper organizations at the lower and middle
strata=EDs of society, lies in the system of governance adopted by the
governments eversince the inception of the two states. This system does not
allow effective participation of the people in state affairs. The highly
centralized bureaucratic system was inherited from the British rulers of
India and is playing havoc in both the countries. Inspite of this, however,
India is moving ahead of Pakistan in the field of democratic governance as
far as the system of elections to the assemblies and the working of
assemblies themselves are concerned. India is also ahead in that it
dissolved the feudal system altogether from the very start, and has thus
freed itself of the many ills of feudalism. But Pakistan continues to bear
the burden of feudalism that has stunted the growth of economy and debased
the social structure of society.
However, both the countries have become hostages to the race for
military might. The Indian leadership is to be blamed for taking initiative
in building up military strength while Pakistan is constrained to follow
suit. Pakistan has got involved in the nuclear race, after India initiated
it, as a means of defence against any aggression from a much bigger
neighbor. The beneficiaries from this race for armaments are the countries
that manufacture and trade in war machines. The losers are the masses of
the two countries that, because of heavy expenditure on arms, are left with
little funds for securing their own basic human needs. Preoccupation with
building military might to the neglect of economic and social goals, and
the need for changing and improving the existing systems of economy and
governance, necessarily leads to disintegration of the state apparatus and
the consequent increase in the problems of the people.
Now, in this situation, what should be done and by whom? History has
a lesson for us in this regard. It has always been the leaders of a nation
who, by their personal examples, have set good standards for the people to
follow in all matters pertaining to life. Even today, it is for the
political leaders and rulers of the two countries to set personal examples
for their peoples by their acts of simplicity, austerity, fraternity,
amity, peaceful living and lovingness, and of creating good working
relations between the two peoples. Hatred, enmity, wars mongering, killing
and maiming, and religious intolerance must be eschewed at all cost.
But, all the good acts can only flow from a just mind and a good
heart. The core issue causing grave hurdles in developing good relations
and peace and amity between the two peoples is undoubtedly that of Kashmir.
The aspirations of the Kashmiris and their right of self-determination must
be honored. Solution of the Kashmir problem has been avoided for too long;
it should not be neglected any more. Let us now solve it between ourselves
on the golden principle of justice and equity while not allowing the
Western superpowers to dictate their terms that are always based on their
hegemonic interests. We should sit together and resolve all our differences
bilaterally and without third party intervention. Such an approach will
keep us independent and free from extraneous influences in our domestic
affairs, and also help us develop peaceful, fruitful and fraternal
relations mutually. This will relieve the two peoples, who have lived
together for centuries and have many common bonds of learning and culture,
of much travail. This will open up a bright future for them.
It is time the people of both countries exert concerted pressure on
their political leaders and governments to give up all together, and for
all times, their aggressive and warlike bearings. It must be kept in mind
vividly that it is the people who have the real stakes in their collective
future. The rulers generally have their vested interests to serve; they are
not trained to serve mankind but to pursue their own narrow self-interests
and the demands of unprincipled power politics.
Therefore, we the people of Pakistan and India, especially the
oppressed masses, offer one last piece of advice to the governments of both
countries to adopt =ECpolitics of conciliation, consultation and cooperation=
=EE
as against =ECpolitics of confrontation and machinations=EE. Pakistan and In=
dia
should enter into a =ECno wars pact=EE, agree to proportional reduction of a=
rms
and withdrawal of troops from Siachin, as a first step towards the solution
of Kashmir problem. A truly democratic process should also be initiated in
the two countries that will lead to devolution of power up to the lowest
tiers of society. This will result in the raising of honest, educated and
committed leaders from the lower and middle classes. Such a change alone
will be instrumental in establishing a lasting and perfect peace, not only
in the Indian sub-continent but also in South Asia. We, the people of India
and Pakistan, have now resolved to play our part for a better future by
working hand-in-hand for peace and amity and for developing humane
relationship between the people of Pakistan and India
We also make a fervent appeal to the two Prime Ministers to mend the
strained relations created recently between the two countries on account of
the Kargil affair.
With regards and best wishes,
Yours truly,

Safdar Hasan Siddiqi
Convenor, Roshni Tehreek
E-mail: tehreek@b...

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