[Reader-list] CIVIL SOCIETY AND INDIA’S OFFER OF DIALOGUE

[Khurram Parvez]

CIVIL SOCIETY AND INDIA’S OFFER OF DIALOGUE 
 
On 15th
of November 2009, eminent civil society individuals, representatives of
various civil society groups from; Srinagar – Doda – Handwara –
Islamabad – Shopian – Poonch – Baramulla – Budgam – Ganderbal – Kulgam
– Bijbehara – Kupwara – Rafiabad – Uri, students from various colleges
and Kashmir University, teachers, professors, representatives of
various district bar associations, journalists, and poets had gathered
on the invitation of Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society for a
discussion on “Civil Society Concerns About Dialogue”. The participants
unanimously adopted a statement of resolution:  
 
Statement of resolution 
 
Civil
society favors the institution of dialogue for the resolution of
disputes including determination of the political status of the
disputed Jammu and Kashmir. We believe any dialogue must address the
aspirations of the primary stakeholders – the people of Jammu and
Kashmir.  
 
We are concerned that:
  
The stakeholders as far as the India’s latest pronouncements are concerned are not clearly defined at all.New
Delhi has not reviewed its arbitrary constitutional position on Jammu
and Kashmir to facilitate any genuine dialogue process.The
liberation struggle of people of Jammu and Kashmir in its historical
perspective has not been acknowledged in the political processes New
Delhi has conducted so far.This
proposed dialogue seems to be about administrative matters, Indian
security concerns and not about determining the political
status/sovereignty of Jammu and Kashmir. The negotiating position that a section of Kashmir’s resistance leadership is taking to the table is not clearly pronounced.  Those
who intend to enter a dialogue with New Delhi are going to talk about
disengagement with India in some other form than the principle of right
of self-determination and relevant UN resolutions.New
Delhi’s appointment of India’s Home Minister as the “point-man” on the
latest offer of dialogue suggests that India is not going to address
the question of sovereignty of Jammu and Kashmir but treating the issue
as internal law and order affair. The agenda and format of the current dialogue offer is not transparent.The
offered format is not democratic in nature as there are no inherent
mechanisms to put to public vote the conclusion, if any, of the “quiet
dialogue”. The
conditions on ground are not conducive for any expected outcome to be
implemented due to heavy military occupation of Jammu and Kashmir. The current format might dilute the international character of the Kashmir dispute rather than acknowledge it. 
 
We resolve that:   
 
The
above concerns of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, the primary
stakeholders, are first addressed to in any exercise for the resolution
of the Kashmir dispute including in the current proposed dialogue. The
dialogue needs to be conducted under the international guarantees and
all the three stakeholders, resistance leadership, India and Pakistan
have to be part of it.