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February 2000
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February 2000
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S tatement issued by the Movement in India for Nuclear Disarmament (MIND) & Pakistan Peace Coalition (PPC) on January 29, 1999 : "The recent announcement by the Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes unveiling a "limited wars" doctrine is alarming evidence of the dangerous path along which those who govern India are moving towrads. Recent news from Pakistan also suggests a tussle among the ruling generals with significant voices among them pushing for a "tougher" stand vis a vis India. This coupled with the continuing voices of nuclear threat mongering and blackmail on both sides of the border (especially exchanged during the Kargil conflict) pushes the subcontinent into one of is gravest crises ever.Several citizens forums have called for the cessation of the present climate of jingoism and chauvinism and stressed the need for sobriety and peace. The visits last week of several senior retired army officials from Pakistan and their recognition and commitment (reciprocated by their counterparts in India) to taking bold steps to foster peace in the region are an indication of the possibilities that still exist to urgently initiate a process of mutual restraint and dialogue. We urge the peoples and governments of both countries to urgently forge a bold plan of action to reverse the present process of sliding into a political deadlock that may justify continuing "limited wars" at the expense of greater amity and security for the peoples of South Asia. Pakistan: India: MB Naqvi Sumit Sarkar Anis Haroon Imtiaz Ahmad Karamat Ali Smitu Kothari Abdul Khaliq Junejo Kumkum Sangari Brig. (retd). Abid Hameed Rao Praful Bidwai Tahir Mohammed Khan Achin Vanaik Sheema Kirmani Seema Mustafa BM Kutty Prabhat Patnaik AH Nayyar Tanika Sarkar Nusrat Jamil Kamal Mitra Chenoy Beena Sarwar Utsa Patnaik Jennifer Bennet Nirmala Deshpande IA Rehman Anuradha Chenoy
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