Indian civil society for Kashmir solution through talks

10 July 2010

New Delhi: Prominent members of India's civil society have called upon the government of India to begin a political dialogue with Kashmiri and Pakistani leadership to settle the Kashmir dispute, once and for all. Members of India's civil society in a joint statement expressed concern over the fast deteriorating situation in the occupied territory, which had recently witnessed the senseless killing of over two dozen innocent youth by Indian troops. They said that the army had now been directly deployed in many areas of the territory in a shameful attempt to cover up the utter political failure of the governments of India and its authorities in occupied Kashmir. They urged India to send the army back to the barracks and out of all inhabited areas in the territory, release all illegally detained political leaders and activists, repeal the draconian AFPSA and urgently start meaningful and result-oriented talks with Pakistan and Kashmiris for the settlement of the Kashmir dispute.

The signatories to the statement include, Dr JK Jain, Chairman, Jain TV, Syed Shahabuddin, President, All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, Prem Shankar Jha, columnist, Professor Ram Puniyani, All India Secular Forum, N.D. Pancholi, People's Union of Civil Liberties, Manisha Sethim, Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association, Yugal Kishor Saran Shastri, Ayodhya, Professor Nirmalangshu Mukherji, Delhi University, Dr Shamsul Islam, Delhi University, Neelima Sharma, Theatre Person, Zafar Mahmood, President, Interfaith Coalition, Kamal Faruqui, Ex-Chairman, Minorities Commission Delhi, Navaid Hamid, Member, National Integration Council, Dr M.H. Jawahirullah, President, Tamilnadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam, Lateef Mohammad Khan, Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee and Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, Editor, The Milli Gazette.

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