Report on Procession in Calcutta against
Kargil War
by Amit Chakraborty.
July 6, 1999
When the euphoria for ' recapturing of Tiger Hill along the LOC [Line of Control] by the Indian Army ' is running high almost all over India some 300
people from all stratas of the society walked today in a procession in
Calcutta covering a stretch of more than two kms against the war in
Kargil.
Cutting across their personal belief or organisational line Poets,
litterateurs, film-makers, actors, singers, journalists, painters and
other intellectuals walked in the procession along with factory
workers, political workers and social workers. The procession was
led by people like noted film-maker Mrinal Sen, eminent litterateur
Sunil Gangopadhyay. Several mass organisations including
Pakistan India People's Forum for Peace and Democracy, West
Bengal Chapter took leading role in organising the procession.
A mass memorandum addresed to the Prime-Ministers of India and
Pakistan and signed by 350 signatories was released on this
occasion.
The text of the memorandum :
" Those who are dieing either in India or in Pakistan at the Kargil
Border are also human beings and the offsprings of this
subcontinent. We demand that the bloodshed must stop. The war
where mother looses her child, wife looses her nearest and dearest
kinsman, the war that leads to fratricide must stop. The border
problem be resolved throough negotiations. Let the two Prime-
Ministers sit on the negotiation table. At the same time we want that
the armies of the two countries withdraw their arms and the militants
who have crossed the Actual Line of Control go back to their
respective territory. It is our apprehension that there will be not only
bloodshed, the war will escalate hatred and malice to the people of
the other country and it will also lead to hike in prices of the
essential commodities .The problems of the common people of the
two countries are same and identical. Poverty strikes them. For the
interest of these common people and all cease-fire is a must. "
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