They called upon the people of the South Asian region to foil the rising threat of Hindu fascism and other extremist and authoritarian forces.
Addressing a conference on freedom and peace, sponsored by SAFMA and supported by half a dozen Left parties and organisations, the speakers expressed their concern about the wider ramifications of Hindu communalism and fascism in India, which has endangered not only India’s republican character as envisioned by Gandhi and Nehru but also posed a serious threat to peace and security of the region.
Expressing their support for the cause of the Kashmiri people for their right to self-determination, they condemned unconstitutional and arbitrary revocation of special status of Kashmir and turning J&K into a virtual colony. The conference called upon the international community to stop human rights violations in the occupied state.
The speakers were equally critical about the character of current hybrid authoritarian political structure In Pakistan. They condemned narrowing down of freedoms and violation of human rights and imposition of blanket censorship in the country.
The conference called upon the people of the region to work together for the rights of the oppressed people and against the forces of fascism, religious extremism and conflict.
Those who addressed the conference included Imtiaz Alam (SAFMA), Farooq Tariq (AWP), Taimur Rahman (MKP), Asif Khan (PPP), Hussain Naqi, HRCP, Saleema Hashmi (WAF), Irfan Mufti (SAP) besides other prominent intellectuals.
The conference passed the following resolution:
- Condemn the arbitrary and unconstitutional steps, including the scrapping of article 370, Article 35-A, annexation of J&K and its bifurcation, which is also against the UN Security Council resolutions and Shimla Accord and above all the aspirations of the Kashmiri people for independence.
- Express our solidarity with the democratic and civil society forces of India in their struggle against the Communal and fascist designs of Hindutva and Modi government’s ultimate goal of turning Republic of India into a Hindu Rashtra. We are equally concerned about continuing violations of human and civil rights and censorship on media and rise of authoritarian and sectarian forces in Pakistan.
- Caution against the dangerous consequent repercussions of Hindu communalism on Pakistan where extremist religious forces and outlawed terrorist outfits are quite eager to strike a comeback on the dangerous and counter-productive pretext of misconstrued ‘jihad’.
- Condemn all attacks on civil liberties, human rights, freedom of expression, independence of media and peoples peaceful struggles for their rights not only in Indian-held Kashmir, but also in Pakistan.
- Demand lifting of curfew, blockade of communication and imprisonment of political activists in Kashmir. The restrictions on media, ongoing which-hunt of leaders of opposition and activists of people’s rights movements and plight of missing persons should be brought to an end in Pakistan as well.
- Caution both the governments of India and Pakistan to avoid violation of ceasefire agreement on LoC and refrain from turning conflict in Indian annexed J&K into a limited or yet another full-scale Indo-Pak war which may bring the irreparable devastation of a nuclear winter to the subcontinent.
- Appeal to the peoples of South Asia and the international community to stand up against the spectre of war, possible nuclear holocaust, rising authoritarianism and repression of peoples’ rights.