People's Democracy

Utilise This Biggest Opportunity

For Indo-Pak Peace

Surjeet & Bardhan’s Call

THE CPI(M) and CPI general secretaries, Harkishan Singh Surjeet and A B Bardhan have called upon the people of India and Pakistan and their governments to utilise the biggest opportunity existing today for ushering in long-lasting peace between the two countries. “There is such a conducive atmosphere – made possible largely due to the people-to-people contacts in the last few years -- for settling all issues that this opportunity must not be missed”, they asserted.

They were briefing the media on March 10 at AKG Bhavan about the outcome of their eight-day tour of Pakistan at the invitation of the Joint Front of Left parties in Pakistan.

Saying that the response to their visit has been very good, Surjeet said small irritants should not be allowed to get in the way of improving relations between the two countries. “Let us not waste our energies in fighting”, he said and called for building a mass support for the peace process.

Bardhan in his remarks said that it was made clear to the Pakistan establishment the Left view that there is absolutely no need for third party mediation and that the two nations are mature enough to tackle the issues on their own.

The two veteran leaders felt that the response to their visit in Pakistan ha been tremendous and cut across parties and sections. They said many people in Pakistan were intrigued by the fact that the Left in India played a crucial role at the centre.

Responding to a question, Bardhan said Kashmir issue was not discussed in their meetings with president Musharaff or prime minister Shaukat Aziz. They said they would brief the prime minister Manmohan Singh about their visit. Asked to comment on the proposed visit of Musharraf to India to watch cricket, Bardhan acknowledged that cricket had also played a good role in improving relations between the two countries. On the gas pipeline covering India, Pakistan and Iran, he said that the Pakistan prime minister had informed that they are ready to sign the agreement by March 18. Bardhan asked the Indian government to follow up.

Following is the full text of the statement released by Surjeet and Bardhan at the press conference:

WE were invited to visit Pakistan and meet leaders of Pakistan, leaders of other political parties, our Left counterparts, different sections of the community and prominent public figures in that country.

A joint front of Left parties extended the formal invitation and arranged the crowded itinerary of the eight-day tour which took us to Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi and a few places around. They took great pains to arrange well-attended meetings, receptions and personal visits for our delegation. The administration on its part extended full cooperation. We thank them all for making our visit fruitful and enlightening.

This was our first visit to Pakistan in 57 years. Surjeet had been the Provincial Secretary of the Communist Party in Punjab before 1947 and had worked from Lahore for nearly 10 years. He had been in prison in the Lahore Fort and the Montgomery jail (Sahiwal). For him it was also a nostalgic visit to these places.

Wherever we went, we were received with fraternal enthusiasm coupled with a lot of expectation about the peace process between the two countries. Everyone spoke about the need to resolve all issues pending between the two countries through dialogue and in a spirit of mutual accommodation and goodwill. There was a general feeling that once we solve our issues, both the countries and South Asia region will witness rapid development and emerge as a powerful region.

They were keen to hear from us what the Indian people and the Indian government thought and felt on these questions, and as two Left parties who were supporting the government today what our experience was about its policies, especially on economic issues and in relation to Pakistan.

There is general satisfaction that several confidence building measures had been taken, such as the latest agreement on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and the expected rail link.

The highlight of our visit was our hour-long meeting with president Musharraf, followed by our talks with the prime minister, Shaukat Aziz and the lunch hosted by the foreign minister, Kasuri.

The meeting with the president was very frank. He was happy with the progress of the confidence building measures and was also forthright about removing all obstacles to commerce and trade and opening up, but asserted that ‘conflict issues have also got to be taken up. We cannot avoid any discussion on Kashmir.’ He urged that both sides should display ‘sincerity, flexibility and courage’ in trying to evolve a settlement that is both acceptable to both sides and to the people of Kashmir.

The question of Baglihar dam was also discussed, which he said was vitally linked with the supply of water downstream to Pakistan.

The issue of nearly 200 poor Indians who had completed their term of punishment but were still held in Pakistan was raised. (Next day a foreign a foreign department official had been asked to confirm their Indian nationality so that they can be handed over)

We also raised the issue of fishermen who are detained for crossing the territorial waters. On this too he was of the view that the two sides should agree on the simple procedure of rebuking these ‘poor people’ when caught and sending them back, rather than detaining them.

We had a lengthy discussion on the Gas pipeline with him.

Our talks with the prime minister were a follow up to our talks with the president.

We found many Left-oriented people and sympathisers in Pakistan. Unfortunately, they are scattered and divided. No doubt they will come together in the coming days and play their role.

We had the opportunity to have detailed talks with Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party in the historic Sindh Assembly building and to meet leaders of the National Awami Party (this included Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan’s grandson, who is the president of the Party) and leaders of the MQM.

We have returned with the feeling that both the countries and their people have today a great opportunity before them – one that cannot and should not be missed. (INN)