Harmony and Unity of Jammu and Kashmir

To:  People of Jammu and Kashmir

CITIZENS OF J&K APPEAL FOR UNITY, HARMONY


We, the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir, express concern over the deteriorating situation in the state arising out of the controversial forest land transfer to Amarnath Shrine Board and the economic blockade of Jammu-Srinagar national highway. We condemn the killings of people in both the regions in brutal action by police and paramilitary forces. We also condemn incidents of harassment to people on selective basis, especially burning of 70 houses of Gujjars and attacks on Kashmiri drivers on the national highway.
We also express our concern at the regional and communal divide that the situation has created and appeal to people from both the regions of the state to maintain communal harmony and not to fall prey to rumours, propaganda and machinations of petty politicking. We also appeal to the media to act with a sense of responsibility in these trying times and project facts without adding fuel to the fire. Media instead should play the role of building bridges between regions and between different religious communities. The civil society, whose space has shrunk in the given scenario, either willingly by some intellectuals ready to toe the line of extremist elements in their respective regions or out of fear and threats, is also appealed to come forward and dispel misunderstandings and help save the situation for the greater good of humanity. We also appeal to the state administration, Government of India to act with wisdom and sensitivity and the politicians to maintain restraint and not flare up passions with provocative statements.
It is important to understand the significance of maintaining the communal harmony and brotherhood of the state where its plurality has thrived through the decades due to the overlapping cultures and the inter-dependent economies. Jammu and Kashmir’s communal harmony today is under severe threat of eroding and the state under threat of disintegrating. Any such eventuality will be a total disaster. The unity of the state and its secular fabric has to be maintained both in the interests of resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute as also the stability of South Asian region.

1. Anuradha Bhasin Jamwal
Executive Editor Kashmir Times
anusaba@rediffmail.com


2. Murtaza Shibli
editor, Kashmir Affairs, London
www.kashmiraffairs.org

3. Shafat N. Ahmad
Advocate, J&K High Court, Srinagar
Shafat.naseem@gmail.com


4. Jyoti Mathur
Executive Director
Madaan Hospital & Research Centre
Jammu,
jyotimathur@hotmail.com




5. Altaf Qadri, political analyst, New York,
altafqadri@hotmail.com




6. Mohammed Altaf Khan
Advocate J&K High Court
160 Hubbi Colony Sikh Bagh
lal Bazar Srinagar Kashmir.
+919419458456
Kashmiriyat1@hotmail.com



7. Fouzia Khan
Social Activist
160 Hubbi Colony Sikh Bagh
lal Bazar Srinagar Kashmir.
+919419015411


8. Suhail Masoodi
Social activist
Srinagar
sohailkopr@gmail.com


9. Shivnandan (that’s his complete name)
Retired teacher and social activist, Kathua


10. Prabodh Jamwal

Editor Kashmir Times
prabodhjamwal@rediffmail.com


11. Tariq Masud
Chairman, Red Crescent Society of AJK
tariquzma@yahoo.com



12. Nayeema Ahmad Mahjoor,
BBC London,


13. Pervez Majeed





Supporters
-----------------


1. DR. LATA MANI, BENGALURU latamani@vsnl.net

2. Meenakshi Ganguly
Human Rights Watch
gangulm@hrw.org


3. Ashok Agrwaal
56 Todar Mal Road
New Delhi-110001
Tel: 91 11 23714531(o)

4. Rashmi Dewan - Delhi/rashmidewan@hotmail.com
5. Y K Shrestha
6. Sonia Jabbar
Journalist, film maker and peace activist
New Delhi
Sonia.jabbar@gmail.com

7. Aheli Moitra
Senior Research Associate, SAFHR
aheli@safhr.org
8. Frank Huzur
writer, publisher, New Delhi,
frankhuzur@rediffmail.com

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Harmony and Unity of Jammu and Kashmir Petition to People of Jammu and Kashmir was created by members of public and written by Anuradha Bhasin-Jamwal (kashaffairs@yahoo.co.uk).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.