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The Wire
11-05-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Petition Urging Indians, Pakistanis to Reject Division and Hate Gets Over 5,500 Signatures
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Top Stories Petition Urging Indians, Pakistanis to Reject Division and Hate Gets Over 5,500 Signatures The Wire Staff 5 minutes ago Signed by people including Jean Dreze and Pervez Hoodbhoy, the petition also opposed weaponising shared resources and bilateral pacts. Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Donate now Representative image. Photo: Artem Podrez/Pexels New Delhi: A petition that calls for the people of India and Pakistan to reject divisive ideologies and advocating dialogue over hate and revenge has garnered over 5,500 signatures since it was floated three days ago on Signed by prominent individuals including filmmaker Anand Patwardhan, Pakistani physicist Pervez Hoodbhoy, Indian economist Jean Dreze and Nepali publisher Kanak Mani Dixit, the petition condemned violent extremism and terrorism as well as 'the targeting of unarmed civilians for any reason including as a means to achieve political ends'. Noting that 'communal and faith-based politics' being amplified by the media and social media on either side was creating 'the illusion of a consensus for war', it added that this sentiment has 'severely vitiated the political climate in Southasia [sic]'. 'Sustainable peace requires a collective rejection of such divisive ideologies by the people of the region,' said the petition posted by the Southasia Peace Action Network, which went on to urge Indians and Pakistanis to 'hold their governments accountable and resist any speech or action that feeds war hysteria'. It also opposed attempts to weaponise shared natural resources or bilateral agreements such as under the Indus Waters Treaty or the Simla Agreement. India and Pakistan engaged in a military stand-off that killed civilians as well as security personnel over the last week. This followed India's conducting missile strikes against 'terrorist infrastructure' in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and in Pakistan, which New Delhi said was retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Both sides agreed to cease fighting on Saturday afternoon. The petition has been reproduced in full below. § The Issue We, peace activists from India, Pakistan and elsewhere, categorically condemn every form of violent extremism and terrorism. We particularly condemn the targeting of unarmed civilians, for any reason, including as a means to achieve political ends. This cycle must end for peace to prevail. Communal and faith-based politics feeding frenzy on both sides, amplified by media and social media, gives the illusion of a consensus for war. This loud warmongering puts tremendous pressure on governments and armed forces on both sides, as well as inciting the public. It has severely vitiated the political climate in Southasia*, fostering mistrust among citizens. Sustainable peace requires a collective rejection of such divisive ideologies by the people of the region. India and Pakistan must behave responsibly. Any war between these two nuclear-armed nations would be disastrous. As history shows, it is ordinary citizens who suffer the most in conflict, especially women, children, minorities, the elderly, and other vulnerable communities forced to prove their patriotism. We therefore urge the people of India and Pakistan to hold their governments accountable and resist any speech or action that feeds war hysteria. We strongly oppose any attempts to weaponize shared natural resources or historic bilateral agreements. Suspending longstanding agreements like the Indus Water Treaty (1960) or like the Shimla Accord (1972) would erode the basic framework of legality and civility in bilateral relations. We call on all those who believe that peace, not war, is the way forward, to speak out against the politics of hate, violence, and vengeance, and to stand up for dialogue, cooperation, and a shared future of peace and co-existence. * Why Southasia as one word? Because history, geography and shared struggles say so. Initial signatories: Dr. A.H. Nayyar, physicist, Lahore Beena Sarwar, Journalist, filmmaker, Boston / Karachi Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, Physicist, Islamabad Saeeda Diep, activist, Lahore Tahira Abdullah, activist, Islamabad Sheema Kermani, Cultural activist, Karachi Dr. Riaz Sheikh, Historian, Karachi M. Tahseen, Activist, Lahore Anand Patwardhan, Filmmaker, Mumbai Lalita Ramdas, educationist, Hyderabad, Telangana Dr. Sandeep Pandey, activist, Lucknow Feroze Mithiborwala, Writer, Social Activist, Mumbai, India Anuradha Bhasin, journalist, Jammu Kanak Mani Dixit, Journalist, Kathmandu Arundhati Dhuru, Activist, Lucknow Khawar Mumtaz, Activist, Lahore Laxmi Murthy, Journalist, Bangalore Dr. Syeda Hameed, activist, Delhi Asad Faruqi, Artist/Filmmaker, Karachi / Brooklyn, NY Badre Alam, Social and political activist, Siddharth Nagar, Lucknow,Uttar Pradesh Dilip D'Souza, writer, Bombay Pragyan Srivastava, Journalist, Boston/Delhi Ram Puniyani, Peace worker, Mumbai Sameera Khan, Journalist/Researcher, Mumbai Col. Pavan Nair, Indian citizen, Pune Siraj Khan, Board Chair, Society for Youth Boston Marvi Sirmed, journalist/peace activist (Pakistani-Washington, D.C.) Vinod Mubayi, Co-editor Insaf Bulletin, New York Vishal Sharma, Researcher/Peace Activist, Coventry Dolores Chew, College professor, Montreal Dr. Jatinder Maan, Punjab Dr. A. Giridhar Rao, World Esperanto Association Prabir, Doctor, West Bengal Sandhya Gokhale, feminist activist, Mumbai Ms. Sharmeela de Vas, Mumbai Sneha Jayaraj, Attorney, New York City / Kerala Sushovan Dhar, Activist, Kolkata Suraj Budathoki, New Hampshire State Representative, Manchester NH Shahzad Irshad, Author, Oxford/Manchester Verdah Kazi, Psychotherapist, Brooklyn/Karachi Varsha, teacher, civic society activist, bengaluru Himanshu Gupta, Child protection Social Worker, Ferozepur Guddi S L, Social Political Activist, Mumbai Satya Talwar, Retired professor, Delhi Rajashri Dasgupta, Independent Journalist, Kolkata Bobby Abraham, Creator, Kerala Sushil Khanna, Professor (Retd) IIM Calcutta, Kolkata Rajesh Ramakrishnan, Independent researcher and activist, Chennai Purnesh Joshi, Software Engineer, Mumbai/Pune Majid nasrullah, Musician, Bangalore SandhyaRoy, Journalist, India Vishal, Engineer, Mumbai Samita Kaur, Environmentalist, Punjab Harsh Kapoor, Editor, Mainstream, Montpellier Susan, Retired, Bangalore Jyothi, Art facilitator, Chennai Nityanand Jayaraman, journalist/social activist, Chennai Sandhya Srinivasan, Journalist / researcher, Mumbai Sagari Ramdas, Veterinary Scientist, Hyderabad, India Dr Ashok Kumar Somal, Retired IFS officer, Kangra HP SUNIL MICHAEL CALEB, Professor, KOLKATA Ms Foqia Sadiq Khan, Social Scientist, Islamabad Navin, Independent, Hyderabad Community facilitator, Tirupathi Rajeev Raj R, Independent Film maker, New Delhi Prajit Basu, Hyderabad Ansloyd Gomes, Artist, Goa/London Siddhartha Mitra, Programmer NYC Aditya P, Designer, Pune Abhayraj Naik, Educator and Researcher, Bengaluru / Sri City John D'Souza, Consultant, Mumbai Ajin K Thomas, Schoolteacher, Chennai Ishan A., Ecologist, Goa John Dayal, Writer, Delhi Sadeqa Siddiqui, Activist, Montreal . Swathi, PhD scholar, Bengaluru SUMAN BASU, Teacher, Kolkata Pooja Nirala, Labour Rights Activist, Guwahati Stella James, Researcher, Bengaluru Apoorva Kulkarni, Scientist/ Artist, Mumbai/ Oxford Niya Tapo, Indigenous Climate researcher, Arunachal Pradesh, Roing Manish Kumar, Student, Araria Mohammed Ahmed Khan, Social activist, Lucknow Sehjo singh, Climate Convener, Delhi/Udaipur Philip Pinto, Brother, Chandigarh Pradeep Ghosh, Social Worker, Bhopal Bhagwan Awaghade, Core member Rashtriya Dharmnirpekshta Aandolan and Ambedkarite propagating constitutional human values, Satara Ela Gandhi, Retired Social worker/ political activist, Durban South Africa Shubhranshu Choudhary, Journalist, Delhi Geeta Seshu, Journalist, Mumbai Mubashira Patel, Student, Intern, Mumbai Amjad M Syed, Director sales and operations, Bangalore Shweta Damle, Peace Activist, Mumbai Tripta Batra, Creative Educator; Writer, Delhi NCR Soumya Dutta, Educator – Researcher – Knowledge activist Delhi NCR Madhavi Swamy-Peters, Rural livelihoods, Kashmir/ Ladakh/ Bangalore Rahul Banerjee, Social Activist, Indore Ravinder Pal Singh, Academic Activist, Gurugram harshad tayade, Student of International Relations, Mumbai Ammu Abraham, Activist, on women's rights and civil liberties, Mumbai Smita Ramanathan, Freelancer, Thrissur GOVARDHAN RAO PANCHINENI, Businessman, Hyderabad Nityanand Jayaraman, Journalist/social activist, Chennai Amna Yameen, Researcher/Activist, Islamabad and Hamilton (NZ) Abhishek Taneja, Sustainability Promoter, Solan Nishtha Jain, Filmmaker, Mumbai Guru, Concerned Citizen, Bengaluru Krithika, Psychologist / Activist, Bangalore Jugal Hatila, कृषि, Nokha ( bikaner) Komal, Activist, Maharashtra Sangeetha, self employed, Mysore Mohammad Imran, Retired, Upper Saddle River, NJ, USA Rutuja, I/O psychologist, Pune Saravanan V., Ph.D. Student, New Delhi Rukmini Iyer, Peacebuilder, Mumbai, India Nasreen Rehman, peace activist/historian, Cambridge UK' Ashka Naik, Researcher/Activist, Boston/India And others. 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The Hindu
26-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Expert group meets in Hyderabad to discuss framework for Telangana's SEEEPC survey
The Independent Expert Working Group (IEWG), constituted to analyse and interpret the findings of the Telangana Socio-Economic, Education, Employment, Political and Caste Survey (SEEEPC) met for the third time in Hyderabad on Saturday under the chairmanship of Justice B. Sudarshan Reddy at the Marri Chenna Reddy Human Resource Development Institute (MCRHRDI) where discussions on the framework and structure of the report were held. Economists Jean Dreze and Sukhadeo Thorat, participated via video conference, while French economist Thomas Piketty submitted his inputs through email ahead of the meeting. During the deliberations, the experts reviewed the intervals of analysis and the framework for interpreting the extensive data collected in the SEEEPC Survey. Each survey indicator was closely examined, with experts working towards creating a framework to measure statistical disparities and differences between castes. Beyond the numbers, the group also highlighted the importance of understanding the cultural, social, political and historical contexts of each social group to achieve a comprehensive study of Telangana's society, said a press statement. The IEWG has suggested that the Telangana government initiate an AI-based Natural Language Interface. This tool would allow the larger public to access and analyse the survey data without compromising the confidentiality of individual information. The group will reconvene on May 22 in New Delhi to discuss the draft report, which will be presented by the Convenor incorporating inputs from all members.
