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Real Democracy in India, includes Freedom for Kashmiris |
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Written by Janhastakshep
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Wednesday, 10 September 2008 |
Press Release New Delhi 10.9.2008. “Real Democracy in India, includes Freedom for Kashmiris” was the topic of a discussion at a public meeting at Rajendra Bhawan on 9th September 2008, organized by Janahastakshep, PUCL, PUDR and Dr. Rajendra Prasad Academy. It was attended by intellectuals, students, human rights activists, political activists and working class leaders. The presidium consisted of Gautam Navlakha (PUDR), George Matthews (PUCL) and Pankaj Singh (Janhastakshep). Noted Columnist Prem Shankar Jha insisted that the economic blockade of the Valley and the complicity of the Indian state in failing to protect the rights of Kashmiris, was an act of war against the people of the Valley and he held Manmohan Singh and NSG advisor MK Narayanan responsible for the terror and horror of armed occupation of Kashmir. Former Chief Justice Delhi High Court and former President of PUCL Rajendra Sachar insisted that there have been repeated human rights violations in the Valley and the only solution to the Kashmir issue is by allowing the Kashmiri people to handle their own affairs. Noted Journalist Jawed Naqvi said it is a important to expose the myth that freedom for Kashmir would lead to a backlash on Muslims elsewhere in India, since it has never taken a Kashmir for pogroms against Muslims to happen, mere accusations are enough and he affirmed that the only way to protect minorities is to strengthen the progressive forces of resistance. Dr. Aparna [secy., Delhi Committee CPI(ML)New Democracy] held that Indian rulers have refused to uphold the commitment given by Nehru Govt. for a referendum to settle the future of J &K and in fact the Govts. of India have ruled this region mainly through the army for past 61 years. GN Saibaba of RDF talked about the historicity of the Kashmiri struggle and the need to support and respect it as a national liberation struggle away from the discourse of “autonomy” or “terrorism”. Filmmaker Sanjay Kak lamented the absence of any serious consistent media coverage of the Valley and he decried the layers of censorship being imposed by those in power and by those who control the media. Writer Arundhati Roy, spoke about the blatant genocide being committed in the Valley while the government and Human Rights activists quibble about what constitutes a “genocide”. Academician, SAR Geelani spoke against the systematic disinformation campaign against Kashmir which has been spread by the government in collusion with the media; that Kashmir is an integral part of India, which it never was, while calling the movement for Azaadi a “separatist” movement. This meeting was held against the background of over two month long agitation and counter agitation in Kashmir and Jammu which brought home the Indian state's precarious hold over J&K. In just four days on August 11-14 Indian security forces shot dead thirty two people in Kashmir valley. The Valley saw lakhs of people coming out to protest against the blockade and for their inalienable right to exercise the right of self-determination. The people of the state groan under draconian laws like AFSPA, Disturbed Areas Act, PSA etc. and unarmed people are fired upon. Despite the unprecedented violence against the protestors in Kashmir their quest for ‘azadi’ from Indian Union remained non-violent. The speakers unanimously exposed the agitation in Jammu, spearheaded by BJP and Congress which conducted an essentially an anti-Muslim agitation while the two leading parties competed with each other in harnessing majority Hindu chauvinism. Their top leaders in Jammu participated in blockade while the Congress led UPA went into a denial mode on the fact of blockade despite extensive proof of the same. The economic blockade which severely affected the life in the valley imperiled the right to life of people in the valley and the message conveyed was that Indian State was unmindful of even the physical well-being of the people in Kashmir. The speakers also held that the agreement reached between the Jammu based agitation and the Indian government, through its Governor, is an appeasement of the Hindutva forces. This appeasement was compounded by the blood-letting in the Valley resulting in death of 50 and injury to more than 2000 persons. Moreover, repression is back in vogue and security forces are singling out local leaders in the villages with arrests, beating, booking some under PDA of J&K, Public Safety Act and filing of more than 250 cases. In contrast, as part of the agreement with the agitators in Jammu persons charged with various violent acts have been allowed to go scot free and may in fact, as part of the deal struck, be provided with compensation. The speakers condemned the Indian state’s approach of military suppression accompanied by politics of manipulation and empty promises or though an election process which severely lacks credibility. The speakers stressed that erosion of Article 370 along with India and Pakistan back tracking from their commitment to refer the matter to the people of J&K has been a major reason for the irresolution of the dispute for over 61 years. They also opined that massive and peaceful outpouring on the streets of Srinagar and elsewhere in Kashmir ought to be met with meaningful political dialogue. For this dialogue to be meaningful it ought to revolve around the right to self-determination of the people of J&K. The meeting unanimously passed a resolution holding that respecting the democratic aspirations of the people of J&K including their right to self-determination is the only way forward. JANHASTAKSHEP PUCL PUDR Dr. RAJENDRA PRASAD ACADEMY |
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DHARNA AGAINST REPRESSION OF PEOPLE OF KASHMIR |
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Written by Janhastakshep
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Saturday, 30 August 2008 |
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Press Release by Janhastakshep, PUCL & PUDR Dated 30.8.2008 Hundreds of intellectuals, students, media persons and activists sat on a Dharna today at Jantar Mantar by Janhastakshep, PUCL and PUDR protesting against the crackdowns on non-violent protests by the people in Jammu & Kashmir. Nearly three month long agitation and counter agitation in Jammu and Kashmir has brought home the extremely serious situation in J&K. In two days on August 11 and 12 Indian security forces shot dead thirty two people in Kashmir valley. Unrelenting indefinite curfew ahs been imposed in the whole of the valley since the 24th of this month and at least eight people have been killed by the security forces during this period. Already reeling under economic blockade the imposition of curfew is making it worse with even hospitals not being allowed to function fully and attacks on ambulances and injured people. Food is in short supply, water and electricity disrupted and no one is allowed to move about even with curfew passes. There are restrictions placed on media. Even the media persons have been brutally thrashed by security forces. The Kashmir Valley has seen massive outpouring of people against the blockade, for their democratic rights, aspirations and freedom. The people of the state groan under black laws like AFSPA and Disturbed Areas Act, while unarmed people are fired upon even as they gather to only attend the funeral of their leader killed in firing by armed forces. In Jammu by Hindu communal forces, chiefly led by Hindutva brigade of RSS-BJP and Congress, are conducting what is essentially an anti-Kashmir agitation. There is a sort of competition between these two leading parties of Indian ruling classes in harnessing majority Hindu chauvinism. Their top leaders in Jammu are participating in blockade while the Congress led UPA has gone into a denial mode on the fact of blockade despite extensive proof of the same. The state failed to lift the economic blockade and protect victims of mob violence for more than a month. Reports suggest that drivers and passengers of Kashmiri origin had been dragged out and beaten on the highway, guarded ostensibly by the Indian army. The economic blockade had severely affected the life in the valley over a month and a half. Thus the right to life of people in the valley was imperiled by it. The message being conveyed was that Indian State is unmindful of even the physical well-being of the people in Kashmir. The procession towards Muzaffarabad on August 11 was a consequence of this blockade imposed on the valley by the Jammu agitators. And paradoxically it is in line with the Government of India’s own promise of opening the LOC for trade. While Central Govt. said it was not opposed to the opening, its armed forced killed 6 persons including a top leader of Hurriyat Conference. It is instructive that the valley based Anti Land Transfer Committee leaders went and reassured yatris of their being honoured guests, organized langars for the yatris and they were provided free boarding in hotels and house boats. It is also worth remembering that during this entire agitation, the yatra carried on and yatris did not encounter threats of the kind faced by Kashmiris in Jammu, Kathua and Udhampur, the hindu majority districts. Many intellectuals, activists, human rights activists expressed their concern at the gross violation of human rights of the people of Kashmir and brutal repression unleashed by state on the people of Kashmir. We demand that : - Free movement of people and goods on the Srinagar Jammu Highway be ensured and road to Mazaffarabad be opened for trade forthwith.
- Mr. Gulam Nabi Azad, Mufti Mohd. and ex-Governor Sinha should be tried for fanning communal passions and generating the present controversy by transferring land against the law of the state.
- Curfew should be lifted and repression on people of Kashmir and media persons must be stopped. Register cases against those responsible for attacks on injured people, ambulances and hospitals. All Black Laws like AFSPA and Disturbed Areas Act should be repealed and armed forces should be withdrawn.
- We also demand from the Govt. to open dialogue with real representatives of the people of Jammu & Kashmir and solve the problem by respecting the democratic aspiration of the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
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Greater NOIDA (UP) : Killing peasants to enrich Corporates |
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Written by Janhastakshep
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Sunday, 17 August 2008 |
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The drive of Indian ruling classes to forcibly take away the land of peasants and hand it over to foreign & Indian big companies and building Mafia took another violent turn on August 14, 2008 in the vicinity of the capital Delhi, where the trigger-happy police of UP led by Ms. Mayawati, the new icon for the revisionist left, killed five peasant activists in the brutal firing. Whatever the party of ruling classes in power, the land-grabbing of the peasants under the colonial Land Acquisition 1894, is taking ominous turn through length and breadth of the country. The recent mayhem in Greater Noida has added one more bloody chapter to the drive of the ruling classes towards ‘development’ on the corpses of peasantry and poor people and added one more chapter to the glorious resistance by the peasantry to this bloody drive. Ghodi Bachheda and other villages of Greater Noida have been added to the likes of Kalinganagar, Nandigram, Singur, Raigarh, Erasama, Bajheda Khurd and a number of others where peasants have challenged the bloody might of the rulers. With the bodies of martyred peasants laid in this battle, the vultures of ruling classes have come out yet again to lead their anger away from their patrons. These servitors of corporates, both foreign and domestic, are coming out to prey upon the dead and dull the living. But the saga of peasant struggles against forcible land acquisition continues to unfold with determination and continuity as a part of the Indian people’s struggle against imperialism and domestic reactionaries. We are here reproducing a report released by Jan Hastakshep, Campaign Against Fascist Designs, prepared by its team after a visit to the villages and interacting with villagers. New Delhi 16th August 2008. On 14th August 2008 a two member Janhastakshep fact finding team of Dr. Ish Mishra, and Sachin Singh visited Ghodi-Bacheda village in Greater NOIDA, to meet with the farmers who had been fired upon by the U.P. police a day earlier on 13th Aug 2008. The farmers were shot and beaten by the U.P. Police while demanding a higher rate of compensation for their agricultural lands which was being acquired by the U.P. government for “infrastructure projects”, including industries and an international airport, which has now been shelved. |
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End Economic Blockade of Kashmir Valley |
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Written by cpimlnd
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Thursday, 14 August 2008 |
New Delhi, August 13, 2008
Delhi Committee of CPI(ML) New Democracy organized a program at Jantar Mantar from 1130 onwards to demand that the blockade of Kashmir be lifted forthwith, curfew be lifted and firing and repression by armed forces in J&K on common people be stopped immediately. Condemning the communal conspiracies of rulers and ruling class parties against the people of Jammu and Kashmir the party demanded that ex-CM Azad, Mufti and ex-Governor Sinha be prosecuted.  Students, working class leaders, youth and several intellectuals took part in the protest. The protestors held posters displaying their demands. Speakers condemned the rulers of J&K –the trimuverate of Azad, Mufti and Sinha- for blatantly and insensitively creating a situation where the people of Kashmir feel threatened over their right to their own land. As it is, the ruling classes of India have trampled underfoot the democratic aspirations of the people of Kashmir and subjected them to severe repression and blatant violations of democratic rights. Now, after literally forcing the Kashmiri people to take to the streets to defend their rights to their land, the ruling class parties have pitted the people of Jammu against them in a bid to fan communal divisions among the people. People in all parts of the state are bearing the brunt of armed forces repression, especially the people of the Kashmir Valley. The issue, which has baselessly been projected at being at stake, is the Amarnath Yatra which has been on for over a century, with arrangements being made by the Government of Kashmir and local Kashmiri Muslims aiding the pilgrims. People of the entire country know this to be the fact which is why it makes no sense for any organisation in Jammu to say they are fighting for the rights of Hindu pilgrims-it is crystal clear that leaders of Congress and BJP are fanning and leading the so called reaction in Jammu. To add fuel to the fire, the government of India is busy denying the fact of economic blockade of Kashmir, even as it’s Defence Minister offers assurances that fruits will be purchased and consumed by ‘school children and CRPF’! – where is there need of such steps if no blockade exists? In fact, an all out attempt is on by the government to alienate and isolate the people of the Valley, further curb their democratic space and communalize the entire situation-in which it is being ably assisted by the BJP. Com. Aparna (Delhi Party Secretary), Dr. Mrigank (Pres. Naujawan Bharat Sabha), Ms. Poonam Kaushik (Gen Secy. Pragatisheel Mahila Sanghatan), Dr.Animesh Das (President IFTU, Delhi) and known intellectuals like, Ish Mishra, Tapan Bose, Gautam Navlakha and Mir Imtiaz addressed the gathering. CPI(ML) New Democracy demands the immediate lifting of economic blockade of Kashmir, lifting of curfew and stop to repression of people of J&K and prosecution of Azad-Mufti and Sinha. |
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PRESS RELEASE: ANTI RELIANCE SEZ PANCHAYAT AT GURGAON 13.7.2008 |
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Written by Janhastakshep
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Tuesday, 15 July 2008 |
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Farmers from five villages near Gurgaon – Khandsa, Narsingpur, Mohammedpur, Gadauli Khurd and Harsaru - are opposing the transfer of 1,395 acres of land to Reliance Industries by Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Corporation (HSIIDC) for setting up a SEZ in the region. Farmers have been up in arms against SEZ to be set up over an area of 25,000 acre from Garhi Harsuru to Badli at the Farrukhnagar-Jhajjar Road. The proposed Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway is also to pass through the same area. The total proposed investment is about $30 billion with more than 10,000 acre for “infrastructure, residential, leisure and entertainment and commercial establishment” with only 6500 acre outlined for industries.
After visiting the affected areas 8th July 2008 a Janhastakshep, Campaign Against Fascist Designs team comprising of; Ish Mishra, Sachin and Ramesh went to a Panchayat called by Haryana Kisan Mazdoor Bhoomi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti. For many villagers the situation remained the same, since the 30th of June, the police barricades have only been partially removed causing great inconvenience to the villagers, creating a curfew like situation. The heavy police presence was creating a general sense of fear among the villagers. At Harsaru village, there were heavy earth moving machinery, cranes and work for construction of the wall continued amidst heavy presence of private security guards and the police who prevented all villagers from using the public road. The police cases against 33 people who are leaders or farmers protesting the SEZ were also still in force.
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