Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 22: At an intra-community online dialogue “Kaath-Baath”, facilitated by Kashmir Policy & Strategy Group (KPSG) and attended by prominent Kashmiris, speakers condemned the recent killings of innocent civilians in Kashmir and termed it against the tenets of all the religions, particularly Islam.
Chairman KPSG, Ashok Bhan said that targeted killings of innocent civilians, including outsiders and from minorities unlike past evoked large condemnation and protestations by the Kashmiri Muslims.
“The political leadership across the spectrum, the civil society leaders and the spiritual and religious leaders strongly condemned the killings. There was a strong appeal to minorities, especially to members of Kashmiri Pandit community not to be frightened to leave Kashmir,” he said, adding this manifests that the soul of Kashmiri ethos and plural societal values of Kashmir are alive.
Former Chief Secretary, Mohd Shafi Pandit said that Ashok Bhan’s doctrine of Kaath-Baath between the communities of valley and Jammu is a noble cause. “There is dire need of this doctrine to transform into a large meaningful structured one to involve all the professionals, religious and spiritual leaders and youth,” he said, adding that the trust deficit between various communities is due to negative and competitive narratives and disinformation unleashed by vested interest and some movie makers.
.Shafi Pandit suggested a need for constitution of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission that can give a closure to all the negative narratives prevalent currently.
Prof Mehraj-u-Din, former Vice-Chancellor of the Kashmir University, said that the death and destruction by terrorists violence has so far not only devastated demographic profile of the Valley but also destroyed old age coexistence and mutual trust. He said the united Kashmiri communities shall act as a bulwark against attempted radicalization and in restoring the Insaniyat and Kashmiriyat.
Raj Nehru, Vice-Chancellor of VK University Haryana, said the tolerance, amity, mutual trust and coexistence is the hallmark for a healthy society and history is replete for ages the Kashmiris have lives up to as a shining example as a plural society with peaceful coexistence. All communities have suffered since 1990 and now is the high time to adopt the Bhan doctrine of mutual understanding and intra communities dialogue to bridge the wide trust gap and move forward unitedly,” he said.
Author and Journalist, Ashok Ogra said the intra communities dialogue has to be a process de-horse of any governmental interference at least till it evolves in bridging the gulf and mistrust between the Kashmiris.
Social activist Imtiyaz Chesti said that the Bhan doctrine of unity among all the Kashmiri communities shall culminate into a robust peace movement to defeat negative narratives unleashed by the vested and redicalised interests.
Advocate Yasmeen Wani emphasized that the new age youth of Kashmir are against gun culture. Advocate Arshid Bashir, Dr Manmeet Bali, Prof Raj Kachroo, K K Khosa, Ravinder Pandita and former Session Judge B L Saraf also expressed their views on the topic and hoped that the KPSG imitative of intra communities dialogue will reinforce the enthusiasm and warmth for KPS to come back home. Suneel Wattal moderated the webinar.
Follow our WhatsApp channel