By Md. Ali, TwoCircles.net,
New Delhi: “There can’t be any military solution of Kashmir issue. The Indian political class needs to understand that it is a political issue and the solution can only be political and not military,” said Kuldip Nayar, senior journalist and social activist.
He was addressing a conference on Kashmir issue organized by Civil Society Initiative on Kashmir at India Islamic Cultural Center on August 26, 2010.
L-R: Kuldip Nayar speaking at the conference, SQR Ilyas, Md Shafi Pandit and Swami Agniwesh sitting
Emphasizing the need for justice to the victims of the human rights violation in the strife torn valley, he said, “There should be a high level enquiry in the recent killing of civilians in the valley and it should be conducted not by the Central or the state government but by a body of civil society activists.”
It is also very important to feel the pulse of the Kashmiri youth and their aspirations because solution to the Kashmir issue can’t be imagined without taking them on board, he further added.
Shafi Pandit, a former Kashmiri bureaucrat strongly pointed out that Kashmiris are neither Pakistanis nor terrorists and it should be very clearly understood, not only by the Indian politicians but also by the civil society activists.
Sanjay Kak addressing the audience at the conference
The solution to the Kashmir issue rests in dialogue with all the stakeholders of the issue but before that the Central government and the rest of India has to be sensitive to the emotions and aspirations of Kashmiri citizens of India, he added.
Later in the conference a resolution was passed demanding “an independent inquiry into all the killings in Kashmir starting from the fake encounter in Macchil (Kupwara) in April 2010 to the recent killing of innocent civilians and the withdrawal of cases against the protesters.
The resolution also demanded immediate withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the Disturbed Areas Act and Public Safety Act (PSA).
Social activist, Swami Agniwesh, Rajya Sabha MP, GN Ratnapuri, independent documentary filmmaker Sanjay Kak and senior journalist, Zafar Meraj were prominent among those who spoke at the conference.