Sign-On Statement Against Rising India-Pakistan Nuclear Tensions
Fear is being spread in the Kashmir region of India that nuclear war is imminent with Pakistan. People are being told to dig air raid shelters.
Recent reports of some gruesome happenings on the borders between India and Pakistan have led to comments, magnified multi-fold in these highly networked times, of a nature designed to stoke further hostility rather than to calm heightened fury.
Not only has the border skirmish led to diplomatic tensions, military build-up and war hysteria in the sections of the media on both sides of the border, but the Jammu and Kashmir Police, on the Indian side, has reportedly issued advisories for its citizens on how to conduct themselves in the event of a nuclear exchange. This is nothing but pure insanity.
As revealed by saner sections of media and some public intellectuals, unfortunate violent skirmishes on Indo-Pak border have become routine, only to be overplayed occasionally by either side for their political convenience. Given that both India and Pakistan are nuclear-armed, it is highly imperative that saner counsels prevail.
We, the undersigned, call upon politicians, the civil society and the public at large in both countries, to exercise caution as regards jingoistic media reports and commentaries. We urge all concerned to re-engage instead in working for the common prosperity of people on the both sides.
For organizations to sign on to the above statement please send an email to Kumar Sundaram in India at editor@dianuke.org or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pksundaram
You can also sign the statement directly on Kumar's web page here
For more information about this nuclear crisis please see http://english.samaylive.com/nation-news/676522449/nuclear-war-weapons-srinagar-jammu-kashmir-national-news.html
No comments:
Post a Comment