Chinars’ old leaves are falling

Welcoming spring in Indo-Pak relations. Chinars’ old leaves are falling. The three generations old conflict of Kashmir looses its aged foliage. Fresh saplings are pushing through the disputed soil Finding common grounds, looking ahead is the need for conflict resolution. Around 36 participants including civil society activists, politicians, legislators, journalists, former government officials from Azad Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and refugees settled in Pakistan held an extensive and rigorous debate and expressed their support, persistent dedication towards peace process – the first Citizens’ Dialogue on Kashmir, jointly organized by the Centre for Peace, Development and Reforms (CPDR), a recently formed civil society forum in Azad Kashmir/Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit (FNF), supported by the European Union.

The renewed springtime of the India-Pakistan relations eased the get-together. The participants welcomed the resumption and reassured their full support to the upcoming India Pakistan dialogue and reengagement. They unanimously agreed that sustained and long term engagement along with people to people interaction between the masses such as civil society, media and law makers of two countries is a primary need essential to solve all outstanding and long standing disputes in the region through peaceful means. “Nobody would have thought the German Wall will come down afters so many years. So, don't give up hope that Kashmir can be resolved.” encouraged FNF Resident Representative Olaf Kellerhoff the Kashmiris in their aspirations.

The partakers of the one day seminar while appreciating the Confidence Building Measures (
Citizens in dialogue CBM) taken by both governments in past demanded they take some creative steps to make them more meaningful and hassle free. They ask Delhi and Islamabad to further facilitate intra-Kashmir travel and trade. India and Pakistan should work together to open all traditional routes between two parts of Jammu and Kashmir including Kargal-Skardu road.

It was ardently felt that the intra-Jammu and Kashmir dialogue had tremendously helped people of former state of Jammu and Kashmir to broaden their understanding about each others’ aspirations. The present Kashmiris developed a common minimum agenda to arrive on a consensus stand. Thus, the hope is raised that both governments would encourage frequent civil society interaction leading to political dialogue through Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot route.

However, the representatives of the civil society strongly urged India and Pakistan to take effective and assertive measures. A renewal is required to render the process meaningful, productive, and result oriented so that the people of Jammu and Kashmir across Line of Communication (LoC) could own and wholeheartedly support the peace process in the long run.

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