Introduction

The Pakistan-India People's Convention on Peace and Democracy, in which more than two hundred Pakistani and Indian delegates participated, has been hailed as a major breakthrough. For two days, the delegates freely discussed the contentious issues of Kashmir, demilitarization, and the politics of religious intolerance, which have locked the ruling elites of the two countries in conflict. The delegates demonstrated that at the people's level the area of agreement on all these issues is much larger than the area of conflict.
Initially, the Pakistan, press was rather critical of the hundred citizens of Pakistan who came to Delhi to attend the convention. However, subsequent press reports and editorials, which appeared in a significant section of the Pakistani press, indicate a definite change in their attitude towards the convention.
The Indian press largely ignored the efforts of the Forum before the Convention. Most people were sceptical about its purpose.
The Pakistan Chapter of the Organising Committee of the Forum initially received 135 nominations from its constituents all over Pakistan. They had to request some of the nominees to voluntarily withdraw to keep within the limit of 100 delegates, decided at the joint meeting of the Organising Committee in September 1994. The India Secretariat of the Forum submitted the names of Pakistani delegates to the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi with a request for grant of visas. The Ministry accepted our request and all the Pakistani delegates were given non-reporting visas for the convention.
The Indian delegates numbered 117. They came from Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal-from all over the country representing trade unions and mass organisations.
The Convention itself received countrywide coverage from the Indian Press and the electronic media. Within a fortnight after the Convention, the India Secretariat received nearly 80 letters from fellow citizens all over India seeking more information about the Convention and the Forum. They have asked for the report and recommendations. Many want to join the Forum and take up this work in their own areas.
This response from our fellow citizens and the media strengthens our resolve to bring even larger numbers of peace loving people in Pakistan and India together in an open forum to continue the dialogue for peace and democracy. We are convinced that through such efforts we shall be able to persuade the two mutually suspicious governments to listen to the growing demand for peace and enter into meaningful negotiations that would eventually pave the way to lasting peace and friendship in the subcontinent.
The idea of holding a people's convention on peace and democracy as a dialogue between representatives of people's movements, mass organisations and committed individuals was conceived more than two and a half years ago at a meeting in Vienna between human rights activists of the two countries. Actual work however, was initiated in March 1994. In the beginning there were about two- dozen persons on both sides of the border who were willing to spend their time on this "impractical idea". Apprehensions were expressed that the time was not ripe and an effort like this would not be able to withstand the pressure of the "mainstream". On both sides of the border friends warned us that at this stage any talk of "peace" would be seen as an act of capitulation to the "enemy" by a section of the media and political parties.
After informal discussions with academics, human rights activists and trade unionists in Lahore and Islamabad in May 1994, the two groups met formally in Lahore in September. By then the group had grown in size, and was designated to be the "Core Group". At Lahore, the Core Group felt that at times it was necessary to challenge the misconceived notions of "patriotism and national security" and that this was one such occasion to call for "outlawing war and war hysteria in the subcontinent".
When the Indian Core Group took the message of the Lahore mini-summit to people in Bombay, Bangalore, Calcutta, Hyderabad and Madras we found many ready to join us in this effort. In Delhi, at a mass meeting in November 1994, more than a hundred organisations and individuals signed the statement calling for outlawing war in the subcontinent. Similarly in Pakistan organisations of doctors, academics, journalists, lawyers, trade unions, artists, writers, theatre persons and social activists from all the provinces came forward to endorse this peoples' peace initiative.
From a modest beginning in March 1994 to the February Convention in 1995 the forum has made achieved remarkable feats. With the support of citizens of Pakistan and India, the Forum has marched on towards its objective - peace in the subcontinent and true democracy - where every individual without distinction of gender, religion, class, caste and creed shall be able to live with dignity, without fear of exploitation, hunger and violence.
The India Secretariat received contributions from many individuals, business houses and other institutions both in cash and in kind. The Indian Express sponsored the press advertisements and a dinner. The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) provided transport and an advertisement for the brochure, the Church of North India, Gandhi Peace Foundation and the Aurobindo Ashram provided free accommodation to delegates; Sriram Industrial Enterprises Ltd paid for one lunch while other NGOs and individuals contributed towards the cost of accommodation and food. SANCHAL FOUNDATION Produced a special film on nuclear devastation for the convention. The delegates from Pakistan and India paid for their own travel.
Staff of The Other Media worked day relentlessly for days and nights at a stretch. Naga People's Movement for Human Rights, National Council of the YWCA and Vidya Jyoti sent volunteers who worked tirelessly during the three days of the Convention to make it a success. We thank them all for their contribution and cooperation.