OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTERS OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN
On Behalf of the People of the Two Countries
5 July 1999
Honorable Prime Ministers,
With all sincerity and humility I take the liberty of addressing you, on behalf of the people of the two countries of Pakistan and India.
I have been impelled to write these lines believing that even an ordinary person not connected with the government circles has the right to tender an advice which, if accepted, may avert any war and contribute to peace and amity between the two nations.
Let me begin with the frank remark that, barring a few, the political leaders of both the countries have mismanaged for over fifty years the state apparatus. The true democratic process too has suffered badly at their hands and it has not been allowed to flourish in these countries. Moreover, instead of raising the standard of living of the people and the level of their educational and political awareness, and delivering in their hands the power to rule (which rightly belongs to them), the rulers, with a few exceptions, have tried to concentrate power in their own hands and enrich themselves at the cost of the people. They were able to do all this because they met with little resistance from the people.
The root cause of this lack of resistance on the part of the people and non-existence of their proper organizations at the lower and middle strataís of society, lies in the system of governance adopted by the governments eversince the inception of the two states. This system does not allow effective participation of the people in state affairs. The highly centralized bureaucratic system was inherited from the British rulers of India and is playing havoc in both the countries. Inspite of this, however, India is moving ahead of Pakistan in the field of democratic governance as far as the system of elections to the assemblies and the working of assemblies themselves are concerned. India is also ahead in that it dissolved the feudal system altogether from the very start, and has thus freed itself of the many ills of feudalism. But Pakistan continues to bear the burden of feudalism that has stunted the growth of economy and debased the social structure of society.
However, both the countries have become hostages to the race for military might. The Indian leadership is to be blamed for taking initiative in building up military strength while Pakistan is constrained to follow suit. Pakistan has got involved in the nuclear race, after India initiated it, as a means of defence against any aggression from a much bigger neighbor. The beneficiaries from this race for armaments are the countries that manufacture and trade in war machines. The losers are the masses of the two countries that, because of heavy expenditure on arms, are left with little funds for securing their own basic human needs. Preoccupation with building military might to the neglect of economic and social goals, and the need for changing and improving the existing systems of economy and governance, necessarily leads to disintegration of the state apparatus and the consequent increase in the problems of the people.
Now, in this situation, what should be done and by whom? History has a lesson for us in this regard. It has always been the leaders of a nation who, by their personal examples, have set good standards for the people to follow in all matters pertaining to life. Even today, it is for the political leaders and rulers of the two countries to set personal examples for their peoples by their acts of simplicity, austerity, fraternity, amity, peaceful living and lovingness, and of creating good working relations between the two peoples. Hatred, enmity, wars mongering, killing and maiming, and religious intolerance must be eschewed at all cost.
But, all the good acts can only flow from a just mind and a good heart. The core issue causing grave hurdles in developing good relations and peace and amity between the two peoples is undoubtedly that of Kashmir. The aspirations of the Kashmiris and their right of self-determination must be honored. Solution of the Kashmir problem has been avoided for too long; it should not be neglected any more. Let us now solve it between ourselves on the golden principle of justice and equity while not allowing the Western superpowers to dictate their terms that are always based on their hegemonic interests. We should sit together and resolve all our differences bilaterally and without third party intervention. Such an approach will keep us independent and free from extraneous influences in our domestic affairs, and also help us develop peaceful, fruitful and fraternal relations mutually. This will relieve the two peoples, who have lived together for centuries and have many common bonds of learning and culture, of much travail. This will open up a bright future for them.
It is time the people of both countries exert concerted pressure on their political leaders and governments to give up all together, and for all times, their aggressive and warlike bearings. It must be kept in mind vividly that it is the people who have the real stakes in their collective future. The rulers generally have their vested interests to serve; they are not trained to serve mankind but to pursue their own narrow self-interests and the demands of unprincipled power politics.
Therefore, we the people of Pakistan and India, especially the oppressed masses, offer one last piece of advice to the governments of both countries to adopt ìpolitics of conciliation, consultation and cooperationî as against ìpolitics of confrontation and machinationsî. Pakistan and India should enter into a ìno wars pactî, agree to proportional reduction of arms and withdrawal of troops from Siachin, as a first step towards the solution of Kashmir problem. A truly democratic process should also be initiated in the two countries that will lead to devolution of power up to the lowest tiers of society. This will result in the raising of honest, educated and committed leaders from the lower and middle classes. Such a change alone will be instrumental in establishing a lasting and perfect peace, not only in the Indian sub-continent but also in South Asia. We, the people of India and Pakistan, have now resolved to play our part for a better future by working hand-in-hand for peace and amity and for developing humane relationship between the people of Pakistan and India
We also make a fervent appeal to the two Prime Ministers to mend the strained relations created recently between the two countries on account of the Kargil affair.
With regards and best wishes,
Yours truly,
Safdar Hasan Siddiqi
Convenor, Roshni Tehreek
E-mail: tehreek@brain.net.pk
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