CHALLENGES FACED BY C.C.S
The activists of JKCCS are working under very
difficult conditions, facing challenges from
both the governments of India and Pakistan,
because it is furthering none of their
programmes and questioning their corrupt
practices. Both, Government of India and
Government of Pakistan have their sponsored
groups working in Kashmir who serve their
interest. JKCCS also questions the activities of
political parties in the state and demands
accountability from them. It is also questioning
the accesses committed by both state and non-
state combatants, thus making civil society
actors vulnerable and subject to great risk.
There is a heavy presence of Indian armed forces
equipped with Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act,
PSA, and POTA etc. About half-a-million Indian
troops are engaged in a war-like situation. The
space for the activities of Civil Society is
totally marginalised and
their interests
strangulated.
It is difficult for an independent Civil Society
to exist as the Government has created fake
civil society groups, who in the garb of
monitoring Human Rights and humanitarian relief
are championing the cause of the state here. An
atmosphere of fear exists amongst the civil
society as the voices of those who championed
the cause of people here and took initiative
were silenced. Some examples of human rights
activists who got killed are H N Wanchoo, Jalil
Adhrabi, Dr. A. A Guru, Dr. Farooq Ashai and
Prof A A Wani. The JKCCS president Parvez Imroz
was fired upon in mid-90s. Mr Gowhar Fazili was
shot at by the suspected militants. Under these
circumstances, when non-aligned and independent
civil society is facing problems and the
intellectuals also feel that their safety lies
in silence and the civil society is facing
problems of human and financial resources, JKCCS
has tried to build alliances with like minded
people in India and abroad and we count on their
help to make our programmes successful and have
a sense of security with their involvement. But
government of India is always sabotaging our
initiatives. For example
A)
International Seminar entitled “Civil Society as
a Means for Conflict Management’” in alliance
with IKV was to be held here in Kashmir in 2003.
CCS wanted to provide platform for Indian and
International actors to express their views on
peace building measures and conflict resolution.
The European Commission was sponsoring the
seminar. Government of India rejected the
proposal altogether citing ‘political reasons’
for not allowing the seminar to be held.
B)
Government of India has banned entry to IKV who
were helping us to organize the seminar and
there remains a continued ban on entry of our
partners, the IKV members, to visit Kashmir for
the last one year.
C)
Patricia Gossman an American working for Asia
watch was refused entry in Kashmir to receive
Robert Thorp Award initiated by CCS.
D)
The visit of four European students for the
workshop in Srinagar was stalled due to the
denial of visa by the Indian High Commission at
Amsterdam.
So far CCS has been working for the victims and
in the recent years the activists of the
organisation became victims themselves.
1) One of the founder members of Association of
Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP), a
constituent of the CCS, Ms. Dilshada from north
Kashmir’s, Kupwara district got killed ON 8th
June 2003.
2) Aasia Jeelani, the president of Kashmiri
Women’s Initiative for Peace and Disarmament (KWIPD),
another constituent of the CCS, got killed
during election monitoring process on April 20,
2004 and Khurram Parvez, the CCS Programme
Coordinator, was critically injured and lost his
right leg.
But all these setbacks have not undermined our
efforts. Instead, we are moving ahead with zeal
and enthusiasm in our efforts for peace
building.
