Another Appeal to De-Escalate Tension in the Border

Involve the People of Kashmir for Lasting Peace

We the following signatories from West Bengal are deeply concerned about the escalating tension between the two neighbouring countries, India and Pakistan, and the jingoism in support of armed conflict as the method to resolve this tension.

The recent civil unrest in the Kashmir Valley has cost nearly 100 lives, even more are injured and those blinded by pellets include children. Yet the leaderships of the two countries have used the tragedy as a political weapon to berate each other in the UN Human Rights Council and the General Assembly. The attempt is to completely deny the legitimacy of the struggle of the Kashmiri people for cultural, linguistic, and social identity and self-rule.

 As a result of armed attacks across the international borders, and irresponsible threat of nuclear reprisal, a war-like situation has been drummed up. This has deeply vitiated the atmosphere in the region leading to the cancellation of the SAARC summit. Evacuation orders, forcing villagers to flee their homes in border villages, have already resulted in the displacement of over 5 lakh people in India alone, causing immense hardship; land mines are now being laid out here, destabilising the border region. The Indian government’s threat to scrap the Indus Water Treaty is a gross violation of the rights of the lower riparian state and its cancellation will create a massive humanitarian disaster, affecting innocent civilians and leading to the collapse of agriculture and supply of drinking water in several parts of Pakistan.

We appeal to the governments of India and Pakistan to emulate the spirit of the grieving father, Onkar Nath Dalui. On hearing the news of the “surgical counter-strikes” after the death of his son, Gangadhar Dalui, a soldier from West Bengal killed in the attack on the Indian armed forces camp at Uri, he said that though his son is dead, he fervently hopes more loss of life will be averted through reconciliation and peace between the two countries.

Wars are not known to resolve any issue, they only result in further devastation and misery for ordinary people.  We urge the leadership of the two countries to renew the process of dialogue as there is no alternative to normalise the situation. Let us as citizens of the two countries raise our voices for peace so that future generations can enjoy freedom from the sub human levels of poverty, ill health and unemployment inflicting South Asia.  Let us also resolve that if Kashmir is the cause of tension in the region, we will all shun war and carry forward on the path of dialogue involving the people of Kashmir for lasting peace.

1.      Ranabir Samaddar, Vice-President, Pakistan India Forum for Peace & Democracy (PIPFPD), W. Bengal and Chair Professor, Calcutta Research Group.

2.      Sushil Khanna, Vice-President, PIPFPD W.B. & Former Professor, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

3.      Prabir Sinharoy, Secretary, PIPFPD W.B.

4.      Rajashri Dasgupta, PIPFPD W.B. & Journalist

5.      Uttam Kr. Ray, PIPFPD W.B. & Advocate, Kolkata High Court

6.      Krishna Bandyopadhyay, PIPFPD W.B., Activist and Writer

7.      Amit Chakraborty, PIPFPD W.B.

8.      Nilanjan Dutta, PIPFPD W.B. & Activist

9.      Dr. Gita Chatterjee, PIPFPD W.B. & Medical Practitioner

10.  Kavita Panjabi, PIPFPD W.B. & Professor, Jadavpur University

11.  Salil Biswas, PIPFPD, W.B. & Author

12.  Subhashis Chatterjee, PIPFPD W.B.

13.  Dipankar Roy-PIPFPD, W.B.

14.  Swapan Sarkar-PIPFPD, W.B.

15.  Bharatjyoti Roy Choudhury, PIPFPD, W.B. & Writer

16.  Pulak Chanda,  PIPFPD, W.B. & Writer & Editor

17.  Raktim Ganguly, PIPFPD, W.B.

18.  Vidyanand Jha, PIPFPD W.B. & Professor, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

19.  Partha Chatterjee, Honorary Professor, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta

20.  Amiya Dev, Former Professor of Jadavpur University & Former Vice-Chancellor of Vidyasagar University 

21.  Amiya Bagchi, Emeritus Professor, Institute of Development Studies Kolkata and Adjunct Professor, Monash University

22.  Subhendu Dasgupta, Former Professor, Calcutta University                                  

23.  Keya Dasgupta, Former Professor, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata

24.  Sibaji Bandyopadhyay, Former Professor, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata

25.  Aniruddha Deb, Consultant Psychiatrist

26.  Antara Dev Sen, Editor, The Little Magazine 

27.  Santosh Rana-Writer, Activist

28.  Dipak Piplai, Social Researcher

29.  Anuradha Kapoor, Director Swayam

30.  Samudra Dutta, Editor,  Sramajeebee Bhasa Patrika

31.  Anchita Ghatak, Secretary, Parichiti- A Society for Empowerment of Women

32.  Madhura Chakraborty, Researcher and Activist, Video Volunteers

33.  Aditi Roy Ghatak, Journalist

34.  Moinak Biswas, Professor, Jadavpur University

35.  Nilanjana Gupta, Professor, Jadavpur University

36.  Mallarika Sinha Roy, Asst. Professor, JNU

37.  Baidik Bhattacharya, Asst. Professor, University of Delhi

38.  Samita Sen, Director, School of Women’s Studies, Jadavpur University

39.  Soma Roy Karmakar

40.  Trina Banerjee, Asst Professor, Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata

41.  Samantak Das, Professor, Jadavpur University

42.  Parthasarathi Bhaumik, Asst.Professor, Jadavpur University

43.  Abhijit Roy, Professor, Jadavpur University

44.  Kalyani Chaudhuri, Former IAS Officer

45.  Sarmistha Dutta Gupta, independent researcher, writer and hon. secretary Ebong Alap

46.  Sanjib Mukhopadhyay, PIPFPD, WB & Medical Practitioner, Kolkata 

47.  Mritiunjoy Mohanty, Professor Indian Institute of Management Calcutta

48.  Kirity Roy, director MASUM and PACTI

49.  Dolon Ganguly, Azad Foundation

50.  Madhuchhanda Karlekar, Founder- member of Sachetana, Women's advocacy group

51.  Ratnabili Ray, Anjali

52.  Sipra Mukherjee, Professor, department of English, WB  State University

53.  Nisha Biswas, Activist, Women Against Sexual Violence

54.  Ruchira Goswami, National University of Juridical Sciences and Nari Nirjatan Pratirodh Mancha

55.  Shampa Sengupta, Disability & Gender Rights Activist, Kolkat

56.  Sutanuka Ghosh, Assistant Professor, Jadavpur University.

57.  Srabani Sarkar Neogi, South Kolkata Hamari Muskan

58.  Sudeshna Banerjee, Independent Researcher, editor and publisher

59.  Rimple Mehta, Assistant Professor, school of Women's Studies, Jadavpur University

60.  Anuradha Bose PhD retd. Academic

61.  Debolina Dasgupta. Teacher(retd) 

62.  Achin Chakraborty, Director, Institute of Development Studies Kolkata

63.  Saswati Ghosh, WSS, West Bengal

64.  Meher Engineer, Independent Scientist and Education Worker

65.  Biswajit Roy, Journalist

66.  Soma Marik, Associate Professor, RKSM Vivekananda Vidyabhavan

67.  Kunal Chattopadhyay, Professor, Jadavpur University

68.  Amitadyuti Kumar, Rights Activist

69.  Manas Bhattacharya, formerly of The Telegraph

70.  Mandira Sen, Director, Stree Samya

71.  Sujato Bhadra, Rights Activist

72.  Sabyasachi Deb, Poet

73.  Ishita Chakraborty, Assoc. Professor, Vidyasagar College & Writer

74.  Sitangsu Sekhar, Activist

75.  Sangram Banerjee, Activist

76.  Partha Banerjee, Activist

77.  Pranab Nayak, Editor-Ikshan

78.  Pritha Chatterjee, Singer & Activist

79.  Nirmalya Banerjee, Film Director

80.  Bolan Gangopadhyaya, Writer & Activist

81.  Promod Gupta, Documentary Film Director

82.  Prasip Das, Researcher

83.  Raghabendra Chattopadhyay, Former Professor,  Indian Institute of Management Calcutta