CONVENTIONS
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Pakistan-India
Peoples Convention on Peace and Democracy Lahore
November 10-11, 1995
Introduction
With the Lahore Convention the Pakistan-India Peoples'
Forum for Peace and Democracy completed the first round of its initiative
and founded a new approach to people to people dialogue between the
two-countries. This was the second part of Delhi Convention held in
February, 1995. While the Delhi Convention identified areas of common
concern to the two peoples and adopted some basic formulations. The
Lahore Convention framed strategies to implement these recommendations.
In this Convention the people of both the countries tried to rid themselves
of the biases and irrational attitudes which they had been locked in
by their ruling hierarchies in the pursuit of their narrow interests.
The initiative to hold a people to people dialogue on the relevant issues
concerning both the countries was taken more than three years ago by
the concerned citizens of the two countries. Initially there were very
few people from the two sides who worked on this idea seriously, but
gradually they grew in number.
Two groups from India and Pakistan working on this proposal met in Lahore
on September 2, 1994. At Lahore, the participants felt that despite
all odds, they should gear up their activities against war mania prevalent
in the two countries. The message of the Lahore Meeting was hailed in
both the countries especially among human rights activists, labour movement,
women rights activists, academics, journalists, lawyers, professionals
and other concerned groups.
Following Lahore Meeting, the group again met in Delhi on November 25-26,
1994 and framed their proposals for peace and democracy, tolerance,
better governance and other issues concerning the two countries.
The first ever Peoples' Convention for Peace and Democracy held in Delhi
on February 24-25, 1995 was a modest but historical progress towards
a better future for the people of the sub-continent. Around two hundred
delegates participated from India and Pakistan and consolidated the
proposals for peace, demilitarization, denuclearisation, tolerance,
better governance and Kashmir.
The Lahore convention was held on 10th and 11th November, 1995, at Holiday
Inn, Egerton Road, Lahore. On both days, at the Convention started at
10 a.m. and concluded at around 5 p.m. Cultural programmes were arranged
at Ali Auditorium, Ferozepur Road, Lahore.
The Indian delegates numbered 70, while the Pakistani delegation comprised
102 members. The Indian chapter had representation from Andhra Pradesh,
Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh, Nagaland, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. The Pakistan contingent
had delegates from all the four provinces i.e. Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan
and Frontier and Islamabad. The delegates belonged to various walks
of life, like politicians, human rights activists, environmentalists,
women rights activists, professionals, journalists, social workers,
lawyers, trade unionists, theatre artists, scientists, writers etc.
There were 46 delegates >from Punjab, 35 from Sindh, 9 from NWFP,
5 from Balochistan and 7 from Islamabad. More than 50 observers from
Pakistan also attended the convention.
The Indian guests reached Lahore on the evening of 9th November. They
were accorded a warm reception at the airport. Besides the reception
committee, many senior members of the Pakistan Forum from all the four
provinces were present. Except for a few delegates who stayed with friends,
the Indian guests were put up at hotels. The next morning, the 10th
of November, the convention began with the registration of the delegates
at 8 a.m. At 10 a.m. the inaugural session started. It was chaired by
Mr. Nirmal Mukerjee and Mr. I.A. Rehman, and facilitated by Mr. Iftikhar
Ul Haq. Mr. I.A. Rehman welcomed the delegates and emphasised the need
for holding dialogues regularly, as these dialogues reflected the concern
of the millions of people of the two countries. He suggested the establishment
of joint committees and asked peace activists to increase their activities
in their own countries. Mr. Nirmal Mukerjee hailed the convention as
a historical event and stressed that central cause of these dialogues
was political. He said that the Delhi Convention was a remarkable achievement
in itself. More over it was also a significant event that participants
of both sides agreed that Kashmir Issue was not merely a territorial
dispute, but also an issue concerning people living on both sides of
the line of control.
After tea break, the house was divided into four groups to discuss strategies
for four core issues, i.e., Kashmir, Intolerance, War, demilitarisation
and denuclearisation, and Governance. The four groups discussed at length
ways and means to solve those issues, till 5 p.m. Next day, on 11th
November, the convention resumed at 10 a.m. The working groups formulated
their suggestions and consolidated them into resolutions.
Before the final session, special group meetings were also arranged.
In these meetings delegates from the same areas of interest sat together
in nine groups and exchanged views on working strategies to co-ordinate
activities in their respective fields. After lunch, the delegates again
met in a plenary session. Dr. Mubashir Hasan and Ms. Rati Bartholomew
chaired the meeting. The resolutions approved by four working groups
were presented before the house. After discussion on some points, the
resolutions were unanimously approved. The resolutions of special groups
were also put before the house, which approved them with slight modifications,
and the convention was declared closed.
The convention was followed by a largely attended press conference,
which was addressed by Dr. Mubashir Hasan, Mr. Nirmal Mukerjee, I.A.
Rehman, and Mr. Kamla Prasad. In the evening, the second part of the
cultural programme was arranged at Ali Auditorium.
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