Journeys to democracy

May 25, , Puri beach, Odisha: Sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik’s image of India’s Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi and the Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made in sand, with the message ” Peace gets a chance’.

I don’t have any great expectations from Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s upcoming visit to Delhi for PM designate Modi’s inauguration but it’s good that he’s going (despite all the pressures) and that contact is being initiated. Hopefully this contact will lead to steps being taken to implement agreements that have already been signed (re: trade, travel) that are in limbo. In that spirit, a re-plug for the Aman ki Asha petition against visa restrictions. Please sign and share if you haven’t already. Also, a very positive step ahead of the Modi-Sharif meeting is that, as a goodwill gesture, Pakistan has ordered the release of over 150 Indian prisoners, mostly fishermen, from Pakistani prisons. And for the first time, they are also releasing fishing boats. This is the first time in years that any side has decided to release fishing boats – kudos to Pakistan for taking the lead in this direction.

PIPFPD welcomes fishermen’s release, participation of Sharif in Modi’s swearing in ceremony

Modi’s invitation to Nawaz Sharif – a welcome move: Justice Markandey Katju

PIPFPD welcomes fishermen’s release (including boats), participation of Nawaz Sharif in Narendra Modi’s swearing in ceremony

May 25, 2014: Pakistan India Peoples’ Forum for Peace & Democracy (PIPFPD) welcomes the decision of the Indian and Pakistani governments that Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Prime Minister, will attend the swearing in ceremony of Narendra Modi, Indian Prime Minister designate, on May 26, 2014. Nawaz Sharif’s presence along with other SAARC countries leaders will send a positive and strong message that only consistent dialogue processes can bring peace and prosperity in South Asia. We hope that in the middle of hectic political activities the SAARC leaders will be able to interact with each other and address the challenges they are faced with.

We take this opportunity to urge Indian and Pakistani leadership to resume the paused composite dialogue. The release of 151 Indian prisoners from Pakistan out of which 150 are fishworkers is an extremely significant positive step in the peace processes and this is what various fishworkers’ struggles and citizens groups have been working for since decades.

We urge both Indian and Pakistani governments to take ahead various positive processes like these and at this point as a reciprocal measure, release the fishworkers belonging to Pakistan who are in Indian jails along with their boats. Fishworkers have consistently raised demands for a ‘No Arrest Policy’ which would be a significant Confidence Building Measure and we appeal to the Government of India to take ahead the demand for a joint fishing zone and an Economic Co-operation Agreement by both countries that would aim at shared marine resources which will benefit both governments and fisher people in both areas.

These are efforts that strengthen people to people contact and we believe that peace processes must pertain to issues that concern the common people of the two countries. We say all this in order to also point out that the recent expulsion of two Indian journalists from Pakistan, an act for which no reason was given is disappointing and shocking since the journalists community has for decades been one of the strongest threads that has continued to enhance peace processes between the two countries. Intolerance in both countries has been on the rise and there is a need for the governments to not just talk of peace but engage with the issues that the common people in both countries are facing. Issues concerning soldiers on the border belonging to either of the two countries; the effects of militarization on people living in border areas; extensive procedures for visa and bizarre visa restrictions; the creation of borders in the middle of the sea and arresting fishermen; soldiers of both countries dying due to severe weather conditions in Siachen rather than bullets are just some of the many issues that need to be addressed.

This is a crucial time in both countries and it is important to understand the fact that there is a need for genuine political will and commitment to working for the people of the two countries.

Jatin Desai, Secretary, Pakistan India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), India| Contact: pipfpd.india@gmail.com | Ph: +91-9869077718

Modi’s invitation to Nawaz Sharif – a welcome move: Justice Markandey Katju

“The invitation by Mr. Modi to the Pakistan Prime Minister to attend the oath taking ceremony should be welcomed,” commented Justice Markandey Katju in a statement released received by email today.

“All well meaning people should want good relations between India and Pakistan. We are both poor countries. About 75% people in both countries suffer from poverty, hunger, unemployment, and lack of health care and good education for the masses,” said the statement.

“Both India and Pakistan presently spend huge amounts on our armed forces. If we have good relations this huge amount of money can be spent on eliminating the abovementioned socio-economic evils and on welfare programmes. If, however, we fight with each other we will continue to spend huge amounts on armaments ( presently both India and Pakistan are among the 5 top purchasers of arms in the world). India’s 2013-14 defence budget was Rs. 2 lakh crores (over $40 billion) of which over 41% was for buying new weapons.”

“The test of every system is whether it is raising the standard of living of the masses. Poverty, hunger, unemployment, disease, etc have no religion or caste. Therefore India and Pakistan should collaborate in eliminating our massive socio-economic evils, rather than fighting with each other.”

Filed under: Pakistan-India | Tagged: boats, fishermen, fishing boats, India, Modi, Pakistan, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, PIPFPD, Sharif |