Focus on the Global South - India Programme

Statements and Declaration

Indian and Pakistani Citizens Condemn Serial Blasts in Mumbai

Monday, 18 July 2011 19:49 administrator

We the citizens of India and Pakistan strongly condemn the inhuman and dastardly serial blasts in Mumbai on 13th July 2011 in which 21 innocent people were killed and over 140 injured. We offer our heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families and pray for quick and complete recovery of all those injured.

It is clear that these blasts are a well orchestrated heinous conspiracy to derail the resumption of the dialogue and peace process between India and Pakistan that was stalled following the terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008.

With the resumption of dialogue in the last 6 months both the countries had made significant progress towards normalisation of relations and resolution of a number of outstanding issues through a series of high level meetings and exchange programs. The all-important meeting of the foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan is scheduled at the end of this month to address a number of crucial issues and the blasts seem to be engineered to disrupt this meeting and derail the peace process once again. It must be remembered that the terror attack in Mumbai in November 2008 was also carried out about two weeks before the scheduled meeting of the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan in mid-December 2008.

The forces of evil who had engineered the blasts in 2008 succeeded in the cancellation of the meeting of the foreign secretaries in December 2008 and the disruption of the peace process for over two years. We should not allow the nefarious designs of the terrorists to succeed once again and strive to not only ensure that the scheduled talks proceed as per plans but also yield positive outcomes to give a fitting reply to the disruptive forces and prevent them from using such a stratagem to disrupt and derail the peace process in future.

We urge the investigating agencies to probe the matter fully with an open and unprejudiced mind to unravel the conspiracy, expose all these involved and punish the guilty. We urge agencies of all countries, especially India and Pakistan to cooperate fully in thorough investigation of all terror attacks anywhere to frustrate and decapitate all the groups and forces engaged in these inhuman and criminal actions that are a danger to all countries and create an atmosphere of security for all.

Asma Jahangir, advocate Supreme Court, Pakistan
Jatin Desai, journalist, Mumbai
Manisha Gupte, National committee member, Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), Pune
Mahesh Bhatt, film director, Mumbai
Amitabh Mattoo, political analyst, N Delhi
B. M. Kutty, Pakistan Peace Coalition, Karachi
Mazher Hussain, Confederation of Voluntary Alliances, Hyderabad, Deccan
Vrinda Grover, South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) India
Anand Patwardhan, filmmaker, Mumbai
Justice (r) Nasir Aslam Zahid, Karachi
Shivam Vij, journalist, Delhi
Admiral (R) L Ramdas, Pakistan India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFD), former chief of Navy, India
Lalita Ramdas, activist, India
Ammu Joseph, journalist, Bangalore
Moeen Faruqi, artist, Karachi
Murtaza Razvi, journalist, Karachi
Mira Hashmi, teacher, Lahore
Shahvar Ali Khan, musician, ad-man, Lahore
Nandita Das, actor, Mumbai
Varsha R. Berry, Focus on the Global South, India
Semu Bhatt, writer, entrepreneur, Mumbai
Hina Jilani, Advocate Supreme Court, Pakistan
Sherry Rehman, Jinnah Institute & member of parliament, PPP, Pakistan
S.G. Vasudev, artist, Bangalore
Shaukat Ali, businessman, Karachi
Nadra Huma Ahmar, teacher, Karachi/Sydney
Suleman Tahir, consultant, Karachi
Mohd. Tahseen, South Asia Partnership, Lahore
Taimur Rahman, activist, musician, Lahore
Ilmana Fasih, gynaecologist, New Dehli/Karachi
Nuzhat Kidvai, activist, Karachi
Gul Bukhari, Columnist, Lahore
Junaid Zuberi, Peace activist, Karachi
Mohsin Sayeed, Journalist, Karachi
Meera Ghani, activist, Pakistan
Kuldeep Kumar, Journalist, Delhi
Ujjwal Bhattacharya, journalist, Germany
Reena Satin, peace activist, Bangalore
Beena Sarwar, journalist, Karachi

Peoples

Wednesday, 16 December 2009 04:49 Sonila Swaminathan

Press Release

Peoples’ Media Initiative (PMI) strongly condemns Shiv Sena for the dastardly attack on Ibn-Lokmat’s Mumbai and Pune office. The attackers ransacked Mumbai office and injured four journalists including women journalists. A group of around 25 Shiv Sainiks barged into the office with cricket stumps and hockey sticks. They were on rampage for about 45 minutes. They damaged furniture, computers etc. Ibn-Lokmat staffers’ contacted police but, as usual, they reached late.

The attackers were giving slogans in favour of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and they abused Ibn-Lokmat. It is not for the first time that Shiv Sainiks attacked women journalists. In early ‘90s Shiv Sainiks brutally attacked two women journalists when they were returning home from a journalist’s demonstration held outside Sena Bhavan, Dadar.

Shiv Sainiks tried to attack Nikhil Wagle, editor of Ibn-Lokmat But; Lokmat staffers cordoned him and saved him. This is an attack on freedom of expression and speech.

The State Government must act firmly against the culprits. The track record of Maharashtra Government is dismal. Many incidences of attacks on journalists have taken place in last couple of years with virtually no action.

The journalist community will, once again, oppose the fascist attack. Peace loving people of Mumbai and Maharashtra should come out openly and condemn Shiv Sena’s goondagiri.

(Jatin Desai)

Secretary, PMI

Independent Citizens Fact Finding Mission to Manipur

Wednesday, 16 December 2009 02:32 Sonila Swaminathan

Imphal,
7th November, ‘09
PRESS RELEASE

A team of concerned citizens comprising Dr. K.S. Subramanian, IPS
(retd.), formerly of the Manipur-Tripura cadre and currently Visiting
Professor, Jamia Millia University, New Delhi, Sumit Chakravartty,
Editor, Mainstream, Kavita Srivastava, PUCL National Secretary, and
Vasundhara Jairath of Delhi Solidarity Group is on a fact finding
mission to Manipur from 5th of November onwards in the wake of the
heightened tensions in the State since July 2009. Shri. Prabhash
Joshi, veteran Hindi journalist and a consistent voice against
violation of human rights, who was to join the team on 6th of November
and had expressed grave concern over the situation in Manipur, asking
his doctor to allow him this visit, possibly his last to the state,
sadly passed away due to a cardiac arrest on 5th night. We are left
shocked and greatly saddened by this sudden loss. His undaunting
commitment to justice, peace and free speech shall continue to inspire
young and old, particularly in the field of journalism.

Our Terms of References are:
1. Visit and interact with families of those killed in alleged fake encounters.
2. Take account of the number of people killed, arrested, tortured,
detained, etc by forces.
3. Interact with those in jail or those released after detention/arrest.
4. Meet the CM, and other officials concerned with the law and order situation.
5. Prepare a narrative and photo documentation of the visit.
6. Compile a comprehensive report of the facts collected with analysis
and recommendations and present it to all the stakeholders and
national/regional media.

GAZA FREEDOM MARCH

Wednesday, 16 December 2009 02:29 Sonila Swaminathan

http://www.gazafreedommarch.org/article.php?list=type&type=416

STATEMENT OF CONTEXT

Amnesty International has called the Gaza blockade a "form of
collective punishment of the entire population of Gaza, a flagrant
violation of Israel's obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention."
Human Rights Watch has called the blockade a "serious violation of
international law." The United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human
Rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, Richard Falk, condemned
Israel’s siege of Gaza as amounting to a “crime against humanity.”

Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter has said the Palestinian people
trapped in Gaza are being treated "like animals," and has called for
"ending of the siege of Gaza" that is depriving "one and a half
million people of the necessities of life."

Protest against denial of visa to Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi Journalists

Wednesday, 16 December 2009 02:28 Sonila Swaminathan

PEOPLES’ MEDIA INITIATIVE
Galaxy Classique, B-204, Mitha Nagar, Goregaon (W), Mumbai

To
Smt. Ambika Soni
Information & Broadcasting Minister
Government of India
New Delhi

Greetings from Peoples’ Media Initiative (PMI).

We write this with deep pain and anguish, to bring to your notice the
developments about refusal of visas to journalists enlisted for an
international workshop.

Four journalists from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh were chosen and invited
to attend a workshop on environmental journalism at Tuticorin from
October 26 to November 6, 2009. The workshop was organized at Suganthi
Devadason Marine Research Institute (SDMRI) with the cooperation and
support of Institute for the Continuing Education of Journalists, a
body promoted by journalists unions/associations in Sweden.

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