AFTER having recently visited Pakistan to attend an international conference, Muhammad Yousuf Tarigami, the CPI(M)’s Jammu & Kashmir state secretary, said on March 25 that there was a consensus among participants that there is need to initiate a purposeful process which could reduce the barriers between India and Pakistan. Tarigami told the KNS that the participants believed the two countries must encourage people to people contacts as well as trade and cultural exchanges. That “this will help in creating an atmosphere of trust which will finally lead to meaningful dialogues including on Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek” was the crux of discussions, said Tarigami.   The conference was organised jointly by the IMT of Pakistan and the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign. The CPI(M) leader said the conference agreed that India and Pakistan had common problems and that their solution lay in joining hands and not in confrontation. “It was an international conference organised by a progressive platform of various civil rights organisations, social and trade union organisations of Pakistan. It was attended by people from each province of Pakistan. There was a good number of participants from Waziristan and the Pakistan administered Kashmir as well. It was a unique event because renowned progressive thinkers from various countries including the UK, the US and Sweden also attended it,” the CPI(M) leader who also represents Kulgam in the Jammu & Kashmir legislative assembly told the KNS. Tarigami informed that “Almost all the participants agreed that India and Pakistan have common problems and solution lies in joining hands and not in confrontation. Moreover, the discussions in the conference yet again testified that the reasons of acrimony between these two neighbours are the vain political positions taken by the governments, whereas the people of both the countries have similar viewpoints which are of mutual trust and respect.” The CPI(M) leader further said that whatever has been happening between India and Pakistan since the countries' independence makes it evident that dividing the country has created more problems than it has solved. “Nevertheless I don't suggest that this is not a historical reality now, but certainly it has not suited for the future for both the countries.” On important issues which were discussed in the conference, Tarigami informed that it was a unique conference attended by progressive thinkers, civil rights activists and women rights activists from all parts of Pakistan and other countries of the world. “The issues debated were that of the internal situation of Pakistan, Indo-Pak relations, issues of the subcontinent and common issues of the ordinary citizen of the present day world. There was a common resolve to reconstruct the world which may be liveable, and where there will be no oppression and exploitation --- a world free of violence, free of hatred in any shape or form.” He said that the changing world remained the dominant issue at the conference. “The dominant system as of now, that of imperialist globalisation, is caught in a deep crisis where jobs are getting curtailed and the livelihood of the people is under attack. This is being resisted by huge mobilisations of the working people across the world. The participants said there have been unprecedented public uprisings for better life not only in Asia and Africa but in Europe and the US as well.” He said that in every country all over the world the ruling classes are pursuing the policies which are detrimental to the interests of the common man. “A handful of people are shining whereas a vast majority of the common people are forced to suffer. Governments are only interested in taking measures to protect the exploitative system and common people are facing scourge of price rise, unemployment, disease, and hunger. Resources are spent on weapons and wars, but not for welfare of people.”   Tarigami said this provides an opportunity to the people in general to come closer for seeking alternatives, irrespective of the divide on the lines of religion and region. In such a situation, he said, there is no way out except to organise united struggles for protecting the rights of the people and force the regimes to reverse the disastrous policies which are responsible for creating miseries for the people. He further informed: “The ruling elites have developed a vested interest in keeping the pot boiling. So people themselves have to rise up for restoration of peace and get involved so that outstanding issues between countries are resolved. The conference observed that it is only through united struggle of the toiling people that these tyrannous regimes could be forced to initiate such a process.” When asked about the discussions on the internal situation of Pakistan at the conference, Tarigami said though participants talked about the dejecting situation of Pakistan, but the conference demonstrated that there is another glorious face of Pakistan which is worthy of being appreciated and acknowledged. “In that country it is not only extremism and violence; rather it has another facet which is tolerant, progressive and revolutionary. The conference expressed optimism over the fact that dominant public opinion in Pakistan is in favour of peace and harmony with its neighbours.” On the proposals that were put forth during the conference, Tarigami aid that there were suggestions that peace on the  line of control (LoC) must not be disturbed, more areas of people to people contacts must be identified, travel  made easy and restrictions removed. “There was also a suggestion that there has to be a sustained public campaign from both sides of the LoC for ensuring people to people contact. It was said it is disheartening that the relatives are issued travel permits only after going through a cumbersome process.” The CPI(M) leader added that there was an urge for making travel across the LoC easy for all those desirous to travel. He further informed that having personally witnessed the overwhelming yearning of the people against restrictions on the movement of people across the LoC on this or that excuse, he believed that the people’s campaign across the LoC would dismantle the walls of hatred and mistrust. The conference, held at Aiwan-e-Iqbal in Lahore on March 8 and 9, 2014, was attended by around three thousand delegates. Many of them came from several European countries. Representatives of the NSF of AJK were also there.