Let peace prevail...

(Basjak Press Release, Oct.22): Of course within our Association we follow the situation in Jammu and Kashmir very closely after the devastating earthquake and the resulting humanitarian and natural disaster. All the members and sympathisers of our Association, their families and their friends are deeply concerned with what happened and all are contributing financially in order to bring relief to those who are suffering.



Date du Cliché: 10 août 2005
Lieu: Inde, Cachemire, Kupwara, Lolab - Gundmanchar
Matériel: Canon EOS 3000 - 300 mm - Fuji NPH NC400

But, while the whole world is doing its best and making all efforts to come to the rescue of the victims of the earthquake, the militants (or terrorists, or jehadis, or freedomfighters, or mercenaries, or extremists, or fundamentalists, or whatever one can call them) missed a second opportunity to show a human face.

Indeed, a second opportunity. The first opportunity being the snow-tsunami at the beginning of this same year. As president of our Association I happened to be at that time on a studytour through Jammu and Kashmir State and I came to the following conclusion: 'While the security forces stopped offensive actions against militants and gave priority to rescue operations, the militants continued to carry out violent actions without taking any consideration of the sufferings of the Kashmiris as a result of the snow-tsunami. This hampered relief measures and hence worsned the plight of the people for whose cause the militants claim to be fighting. They missed another chance to show a human face'

(see the report on the studytour February-March 2005, Paragraph 3. Conclusions on our website http://www.basjak.org).

This time again those who are using violence are cynically using the situation caused by the earthquake to conduct violent terrorists acts in Jammu and Kashmir. In stead of helping their countrymen they are attacking those who are doing so. They are attacking the security forces coming to the rescue of the suffering Kashmiris, they are hurling grenades in congested localities, they are taking shelter inside a doctor's clinic and destroying it, they are attacking and killing democratilcally elected politicians. While Indians and Pakistanis are working together to provide help to victims in Kashmir the self proclaimed well-wishers and liberators of the Kashmiris continue to add to their tragic situation.

We fully agree with US Assistant Secretary of State, Christina Rocca, that the activities of the militants are unacceptable: 'The real battle going on in Kashmir today will be to save the hundreds of thousands of innocent lives and overcome a natural disaster the likes of which this region has never experienced'.

We appeal to all the leaders of 'the movement' to use their power and their influence to stop all violent actions as long as the rescue activities are going on. With one and united voice they should condemn all use of violence under the present circumstances. We cannot accept that the rescue effort of so many people is blown into pieces by a few extremists having no moral standards at all.

We cannot accept that the holy month of Ramazan, when all Muslims are fasting and praying for peace, be dishonored by these immoral violent activities.

Let peace prevail....

Paul Beersmans, President
Belgian Association for Solidarity with Jammu and Kashmir
contact us: info@basjak.org