A PEACE delegation comprising representatives of womens organisations reached Jammu to try and initiate a dialogue between the warring sides on August 11, at a time when the economic blockade of the Kashmir Valley was at its peak and traffic on the 400-kilometre Pathankot-Srinagar national highway was severely disrupted.
The delegation, which over two days met families affected by violence, leaders from both sides, and administrative authorities, has expressed concern over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The members of the delegation were Subhashini Ali, president of the All India Democratic Womens Association; Mohini Giri from the Guild of Service; Annie Raja from the National Federation of Indian Women; Jyotsna Chatterjee of the Joint Womens Programme; Afroz representing the War Widows Association; and Veenabehn of the Bharatiya Rachnatmak Samaj.
At the end of their visit, the members felt that the response of the administration and the governments at the Centre and in the State had not been what the situation demanded. One member, it was learnt, was involved in setting up parleys between the disputing parties.
The delegation found the minority community in a state of insecurity and demanded immediate compensation for the families of those killed and for people who had their homes vandalised or their property damaged. The delegation visited mixed localities and areas affected by violence and met people who had suffered in the recent skirmishes. Our objective was to listen to all sections to understand their feelings and to appeal for peace and harmony and the restoration of normalcy, which is necessary to alleviate the plight of poor families, of women and of children in this difficult situation, read a statement of the joint delegation.
It succeeded in setting up a Sadhbhavana Samiti comprising local men and women committed to peace and got an assurance of full cooperation from the local administration.
In Ustad Mohalla, a mixed neighbourhood where people are known to live in harmony, the delegation met people deeply worried about the volatile situation but nonetheless committed to maintain amity. Daily wage earners and other poor people were worried about the implications of the prevailing situation of conflict for their income.
In Talab Khatikan, an area dominated by the minority community, many residents, including leaders of the Muslim Federation and the Gujjar community, came forward to speak to the delegation. Mohini Giri later said: Every community was in a state of siege. We sent out appeals for peace and wondered why the government wasnt even setting up a grievance committee.
The delegation found the administration and the police insensitive in their dealings with affected members of both communities. The delegation visited the home of Kuldip Dogra, who ended his life in support of the agitation. His family complained about the shabby way in which the police had treated his widow and the disrespect they displayed to his body. The Guild of Service, represented by Mohini Giri, offered to take care of the education of the children.
The delegation visited the leader of the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti, Lila Kiran Sharma, who spoke about the reasons for the ongoing agitation. In response to the delegations plea for communal harmony, Sharma promised that mischievous elements would be dealt with strongly and the situation would not be allowed to be communalised.
However, when the delegation members met Divisional Commissioner Sudhanshu Pandey a day later, the members learnt that clashes had taken place at Kishtwar. Seventy-four Gujjar homes had been burnt and water tankers sent by the administration to areas inhabited by a particular community were stoned by angry mobs.
The Divisional Commissioner said that the administrations efforts to reopen schools and banks had met with violent opposition. Representatives from the valley and the Sangharsh Samiti have to talk. Only if some talks can be initiated can efforts from our side be made to bring them together, said Subhashini Ali. Another delegation member added that much of the protests in the valley had taken place in reaction to the firing by the administration.
Overall, the delegation was of the view that the situation was serious but could be brought under control by the people with their long history of co-existence. The delegation also resolved to involve secular and progressive organisations in efforts to ensure that similar flare-ups did not develop elsewhere in the State.
T.K. RajalakshmiCOMMents
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