The Vancouver Declaration

August 12, 2001

This Second Conference of INSAF affirms the political and organizational principles adopted at the founding meeting in Montreal in September 1999 and the subsequent meeting of the Coordinating Committee in Boston in April 2000. The basic situation in South Asia has not changed. The Sangh Parivar controls a large number of institutions and the government in India and uses this control to expand and consolidate Hindutva ideology and politics. The carnage in Kashmir continues and the Agra Summit between Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee and Pakistan President Musharraf was not able to solve the problem. The situation in Sri Lanka remains grave. The government in Bangladesh has not fulfilled its promise to Chakma people. The 10-year old democracy in Nepal has failed to address the rampant landlessness of the peasantry. A significant population of Nepali or Indian origin fear expulsion from Bhutan. The Neoliberal policies have led to great hardship to the working people in South Asia.

The consensus at the earlier meetings was that secularism, democracy, and peace among South Asian countries and mutual respect on the principle of equality is a precondition for the prosperity and well-being of its people. This consensus still holds and the Second Conference of INSAF affirms it.

 

 

 

 

2nd INSAF Conference Report

The Vancouver Declaration

Charter

Main Presentations

Tapan Bose
Parvez Hoodbhoy
Zafar Meraj
Vinod Mubayi
K. N. Panikkar
Shree Mulay
Abha Sur
Daya Varma

Resolutions

Special Articles

"Caste discrimination is racism and more", Say academics, jurists and civil society groups at Delhi Conference

Why Does Hindutva hate Muslims and Christians so violently?
By Shamsul Islam