Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Yasin Malik has said that Kashmiris believe in dialogue and even if these dialogues failed to resolve the Kashmir issue, it would be their political victory.
He was speaking at a dialogue on "Transcending Boundaries - Role of Civil Society in a Changing World", organised by Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) in the World Social Forum at the KMC Sports Complex here on Saturday.
"Then the world won't be able to accuse us of not believing in dialogue", Yasin Malik remarked.
To a question, he said the official parleys between the governments of India and Pakistan were going-on on the issue of Kashmir.
He said the close liaison between the peoples of India and Pakistan was important as they can compel their respective governments to take initiatives and solve the Kashmir issue at the earliest.
"Kashmir is the main hurdle in the way of true friendship between India and Pakistan and you can't imagine durable and true friendship between the two without resolving this outstanding issue", he asserted.
He said the "Kashmiriat" (to be a Kashmiri) is a spiritual belief and all the residents of Kashmir irrespective of their religion and political affiliations believe in that.
The JKLF chief said that 15,000 Hindus live in occupied Kashmir. "All Hindu Pundits, who had migrated from Kashmir, we want them to come back and live in harmony and peace with Muslims", he said.
Regarding democracy in the Muslim world, Yasin Malik said even in countries where elections are held regularly and democracy exists in form or the other, the political parties after coming to power try to crush the opposition.
The member of British Parliament, Jeff Brown, said the foundation of the democracy in UK was not strong. The British government does not make decisions as per wishes and aspirations of the people, which, he added was against the very spirit of the democracy.
After coming to office for five years, they make all decisions according to their party policy, personal whims and other political needs instead of giving top priority to the people who had voted them into power, he deplored.
"Democracy means the decisions on the daily life issues on day to day basis reflecting the expectations and aspirations of the people", he said.
For a true democracy, the trade union is a basic unit and plays a significant role in setting up of a true democratic society, he added.
Former information minister Javed Jabbar, in his address, said the issue of Kashmir and Palestine shows that the world is after Muslims. But he thinks the Muslims are themselves responsible for all that as most of them do not believe in democracy, he added.
Talking about the poverty, he said there were 35 million people in America living below the poverty line. In UK, women got voting right after a struggle spread over 300 years and in France it took 200 years to give right of vote to womenfolk.
He said the South Asia, where the democratic institutions exist, the situation at the home front is not encouraging, adding the democracy won't come to the society merely by raising slogan for it. He called upon the people to force the ruling parties to improve the system on regular basis.
"Now there is a uncivil society within the civil society which is creating and practising all these prejudices and discriminations, he added.
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