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DECLARATIONS
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Bangalore Declaration
Adopted on April 8, 2000 by the Fifth Joint Convention of ThePak-India
Peoples' Forum for Peace and Democracy.
Meeting in critical time of war, threats of war, nuclearization, and
the persistent obstacles placed in the path of the assembly of the peace
loving peoples of the two countries.
In pursuance of its objectives of normalization of relations, demilitarization
and peace, a democratic resolution of the Kashmir problem, promotion
of tolerance, democracy and good governance, and joint endeavour against
the common threats to the economies of India and Pakistan by unfettered
globalization.
Being aware of the increasing danger of deliberate or accidental war
breaking out with the risk of any conflict escalating to the level of
nuclear holocaust.
Concerned about repeated incidents of religious intolerance and hatred
in both countries rooted in deprivation, backwardness, power politics
and misconceived notions of national interest.
The Pakistan-India People's Forum for Peace and Democracy in its Fifth
Joint Convention held at Bangalore, India, on 6-8 April, 2000.
DEMANDS an immediate resumption of dialogue at the highest level,
reversal of current military build-ups, horizontal and vertical denuclearization
and a comprehensive non-war pact, effective steps towards internal demilitarization
and in the interim, until a complete roll back of the nuclear weapons
and delivery systems programmes of both countries, a no-first use agreement,
consent to the CTBT, rejoining the discussions on the FMCT and move
towards the declaration of South Asia as a nuclear-free zone.
CALLS upon Governments of India and Pakistan to order cessation
of all hostilities along the Line Of Control by all forces directly
and indirectly under their control, the various militant organizations
of Jammu and Kashmir to eschew violence, the Government of India to
release all political detenus, so that the peoples of all sections of
Jammu and Kashmir can decide their future in a democratic manner, achieve
reconciliation, and the representatives of the Governments of India,
Pakistan and of the peoples of Jammu and Kashmir strive together to
find a solution acceptable to the peoples of Jammu and Kashmir and the
sub-continent in the larger interest of peace and democracy.
TOP
DEPRECATES all attempts to curtail the facilities
of travel and communications between India and Pakistan and calls upon
the two Governments to rewrite the protocol and allow all people to
travel freely.
RESOLVES to link the joint struggle against unfettered globalization
with the struggle for democratization of our societies, co-operate in
building food security through a sustainable agricultural strategy that
excludes the MNC controlled seed- biotechnology-pesticides cycle, share
appropriate and small technologies, address water management and distribution
issues on a regional basis, extend most favoured nation status to each
other, forge a common strategy to tackle environmental degradation of
common ecological regions and evolve joint strategies on multilateral
negotiations such as WTO and plant breeders rights.
DEMANDS the two governments to ensure popular participation in
governance through decentralisation and devolution of power to the grassroots
with adequate safeguards, provide basic amenities to the people, institutionalise
transparency, responsibility and accountability in governance, ensure
security of the minorities, prevent crimes against women, end child
labour, protect common people against displacement from traditional
habitats in the name of development, break the politician-criminal nexus,
preserve and extend freedom of expression along with the right of access
to information, reverse the trend of politicisation of education leading
to a collapse of standards, and defend cultural rights and freedoms.
DEMANDS immediate steps for the realisation of women's basic
rights and their legitimate aspirations.
CALLS upon the educationists and the people in general to work
towards ways of inculcating values of cooperation, tolerance, harmony,
through all possible means, particularly curricula and prescribed textbooks,
print and visual media, undertake investigations of incidents of communal
violence to bring the findings to the notice of the people, organise
exchanges of children and teachers, and to be aware of and monitor possible
misuse of places of worship and religious educational institutions for
the promotion of preaching and promotion of hatred and intolerance.
RESOLVES further to take concrete steps both jointly and separately
in each country including formation of working groups to implement the
above resolutions towards the realisation of its aims and objectives.
Sd/- I.A. Rehman Sd/- Admiral (Rtd) L. Ramdas
Chairperson Pakistan Chapter Chairperson India Chapter
Bangalore
April 8, 2000
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