South Asia Citizens Web

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  Kashmir Diary: Where do We Go from Here?

  by Tapan Bose 31 August
  Instead of calling on the youth to stop violence, New Delhi should unilaterally release all the Kashmiris from detention, set up a transparent justice commission on the lines of the “Truth and Justice Commission” of South Africa and request the people of Kashmir to come forward, appoint several task forces to address all the political, social and economic issues that have been agitating the minds of the people. These should be done in an open and transparent manner throughout the Valley. The task forces must be empowered not only to make recommendations but to implement their recommendations. As these task forces will begin to meet and discuss all issues in an open manner with the people in the districts and tehsils we will perhaps begin to see the contours of a solution emerging from the darkness that engulfs the region of Kashmir today. This will go a long way in establishing trust and substantive democracy in Kashmir. But the question is: Is anyone in New Delhi listening?
  
  
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  Preliminary Findings & Recommendations - The National People’s Tribunal on Kandhamal

  29 August

  The jury observes that communal forces have used religious conversions as an issue for political mobilisation and to incite horrific forms of violence and discrimination against the Christians of SC origin and their supporters in Kandhamal. The object is to dominate them and ensure that they never rise above their low caste status and remain subservient to the upper castes. The jury observes, with deep concern, that a range of coercive tactics have been used by the communal forces for conversion or re-conversion of a person into the Hindu fold, including threat, intimidation, social and economic boycott and coercion, as well as the institutionalization of humiliating rituals. The state and district administrations have, on no occasion, intervened to protect the freedom of religion and freedom of expression.

  The jury observes, with concern, the institutionalised communal and casteist bias of state agencies, and their deliberate dereliction of constitutionally mandated duties, their connivance with communal forces, participation in and support to the violence and a deliberate scuttling of processes of justice through acts of commission and omission.