On the occasion of an open house discussion on dialogue as the best way to resolve conflict, Syed Basharat Hussain, President of the Jammu Kashmir Alliance for Peace and Conflict Resolution, stressed on the urgent need to recommit to inter-religious and intercultural dialogue in order to restore peace in Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the forum will serve as a unique platform to share knowledge and explore innovative ways of promoting inclusive approaches to ensure conflict prevention for sustaining peace and development within the state.
While speaking on this occasion, Peer Ishfaq Bukhari, a patron of the Karwani Shahi Hamadhan RA, stressed upon the fact that Kashmir bleeds profusely, and for the past seven decades, the people of Kashmir have been ‘trapped’ within the state. The baggage of history weighs heavy on us and a change of fortunes is possible only through sustained unconditional dialogue, which in today’s world is the most civilised and humane way to resolve conflicts.
Social activist Syed Aijaz Kashani highlighted an Islamic concept of peace; the concept of justice in Islam, motivations for humanitarian work in Islam and the duty to work for peace.
Furthermore, both Islam and Salam (peace) are derived from the same root in Arabic; two words that share the same root in the Arabic language also share a relationship in meaning.
Mohammad Hussain highlighted that the Kashmir conflict is a legacy of the past. The international community had given Pakistan and India many chances to resolve the outstanding issues. Right from the time of partition, mediation and talks have been articulated between the two nations. The Tashkent Agreement, the Shimla Agreement, the Lahore Declaration, the Agra Summit, peace processes and confidence building measures are some glaring examples.
As a bilateral approach, political leaderships of both the countries have failed because of unacceptable ‘political’ demands. Kashmir is a place of chaos and the relations between the two countries affect the day-to-day affairs in the state.
Sameer Bukhari, a social reformer, stressed upon social reformation as a tool for conflict resolution and highlighted various means to achieve conflict prevention and resolution.
India and Pakistan should repair the damage that has been done for the past 65 years and pledge to cooperate in the economic, technological and social areas. The resurrection of Kashmir can be achieved by soft hand, making the Line of Control a Line of Cooperation to diminish and eliminate the mistrust and stubbornness between the two nations.
Mohd. Akbar, an educationist from central Kashmir was of the opinion that the SAARC Summit has previously been postponed on five occasions. All regional powers are aware of the fact that the blame games between the two nations spoil the geopolitical landscape of South Asia instead of making things better. If India and Pakistan want to make South Asia a peaceful and prosperous region, they need to practice peaceful co-existence.
Syed Basharat, while concluding the session made the observations that India and Pakistan should resume the dialogue process and engage all stake holders including the people of Jammu and Kashmir in a sustained unconditional dialogue aimed at resolving the problem which is imperative for lasting peace in South Asian region. In order to move forward on the Kashmir issue, there needs to be proper mechanism in place.