Re-discovering each other

Re-discovering each other



Sandeep Pandey



Hindustan Times, March 19, 2005




I am hearing stories from people returning from Indiawho went there to see the cricket game in Chandigarh of thetremendous response they got from Indians. They did not have to payfor their stay or food. Indian families were competing with eachother in inviting Pakistanis over to their place for dinner. ThePakistanis were having difficulty in deciding which invitation toaccept and which to leave. Indians were welcoming Pakistanis withwarmth as they probably do not welcome their own fellow citizensfrom other parts of India. Similarly when we're in Pakistan we get aresponse so overwhelming which probably the Pakistanis would notoffer to their own fellow citizens.


How strange this is? First wehated each other for over 50 years and then all floodgates ofemotions open. Which of the two feelings is real?At least we have advanced from putting our youth inbattle fields against each other to putting them in cricket fields.Cricket fields also used to be like battle fields once. Now we haveimproved. There is bonhomie which has replaced the feeling ofrevenge. Victory and loss are no longer a matter of prestige. Ourpoliticians are telling our cricketers to play for diplomacy.Cricket has moved from second last page of newspapers when we werechildren to the front pages now.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also highlighted the role of cricket and bollywood in improvingIndia-Pakistan relations. It is unfortunate that because of failureof resolution of issues politically we have to resort to a detourusing cricket. However, that we're moving towards the right goal isimportant.There are contentious issues between India and Pakistanwhich need resolution. Prime Minister Saukat Aziz rightly pointedout in a discussion, when I went to see him in Islamabad inconnection with our proposed Delhi to Multan Indian Pakistan PeaceMarch scheduled to begin on 23rd March, 2005 from the dargah ofNizamuddin Auliya, unless the issue of Kashmir is resolved we cannothope to have a durable peace between India and Pakistan.

He expressed his unhappiness over the way things have unfolded inBaglihar dam talks and admitted that Pakistan was `hurt'. These anda number of contentious issues will keep propping up whenever thingswould start to look bright. However, we have to decide whether we'llchoose to co-exist living with these issues or will perish togetherbombing each other with state of the art weaponry.After all, in India we have water disputes between thestates of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over Cauvery river. The emotionsbetween the people of two states run as high as between Indian andPakistanis whenever a contentious issue is discussed. The problemhas existed since independence and will probably remain unresolvedfor a long time to come. But that doesn't take Karnataka and TamilNadu to the brink of bombing each other with nuclear weapons. So,why cannot India and Pakistan peacefully co-exist even if theproblems remain unresolved for some time to come?It is heartening to hear Shaukat Aziz that hisGovernment is interested in resolving the disputes rather than justcontaining them. His government's commitment to peace and harmonywas amply clear from his confident attitude when he was discussingvarious contentious issues in a forthright manner. He demonstratedan openness which has not been the hallmark of India Pakistanrelations over our independent history.


The decision by governments of India and Pakistan toallow a bus service between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar without therequirement of passports is a truly commendable one. Frankly, we hadnot expected that governments would take such a bold move so soon.If they continue on this path and free Kashmir from the grip oftension and violence by withdrawing their armed forces and helpinglife return to normalcy, they will do a great service to the peopleof Kashmir. India and Pakistan can jointly ensure the normalizationprocess in Kashmir. How does lack of resolution of the Kashmirdispute come in the way of ensuring peace in Kashmir? For the peopleof Kashmir restoration of peace is the most important priority.Infact, the arms race between India and Pakistan whichis often linked to the Kashmir dispute is an independent phenomenonwhich is based on threat perception of each other. If we can have arelationship based on trust there will be no need for keeping anyarms. And in due course of time the outstanding contentious issueswill be resolved through the process of dialogue.


If making ofnuclear weapons has done any good it is that it has made us realizethat there can be no military solution to the problem of Kashmir.The Kashmir issue will have to be resolved through a dialogue andthat too involving the people of Kashmir, according to theiraspirations. This may take some time. The common people of India andPakistan cannot wait until then. They want the normalization processto continue. When the people don't feel threatened by each other, asis amply clear by the warmth and bonhomie generated during allexchange visits between citizens of two countries without exception,why should the governments live in suspicion of each other? Is itnot the people that comprise any nation? Of course, there are thefundamentalists on both sides. But do they represent the feelings ofcommon people?


Let us not force our youth to put on uniforms and makethem face each other with guns in their hands at the border. Afterall, it is only a difference of few kilometers which determineswhich side they'll fight for. It is only a matter of few kilometerswhich determines whether they'll be indoctrinated in Indiannationalism or Pakistani nationalism. The outer coat of ideology inthe name of nation or religion is what we received only after wewere born. The nature did not ordain us to fight. We have more incommon than we have differences. The cultural and emotional and moreimportantly human bondings are much deeper. Let us respect them,rediscover ourselves as peace loving people and learn to livepeacefully with our differences.




Sandeep Pandey




(Author is a recepient of Ramon Magsaysay Award 2002 for emergent leadership, former Professor of IIT Kanpur, PhD from University of California, Berkeley and heads National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM). He can be reached at ashaashram@yahoo.com)

Re-discovering each other

Re-discovering each other



Sandeep Pandey



Hindustan Times, March 19, 2005




I am hearing stories from people returning from Indiawho went there to see the cricket game in Chandigarh of thetremendous response they got from Indians. They did not have to payfor their stay or food. Indian families were competing with eachother in inviting Pakistanis over to their place for dinner. ThePakistanis were having difficulty in deciding which invitation toaccept and which to leave. Indians were welcoming Pakistanis withwarmth as they probably do not welcome their own fellow citizensfrom other parts of India. Similarly when we're in Pakistan we get aresponse so overwhelming which probably the Pakistanis would notoffer to their own fellow citizens.


How strange this is? First wehated each other for over 50 years and then all floodgates ofemotions open. Which of the two feelings is real?At least we have advanced from putting our youth inbattle fields against each other to putting them in cricket fields.Cricket fields also used to be like battle fields once. Now we haveimproved. There is bonhomie which has replaced the feeling ofrevenge. Victory and loss are no longer a matter of prestige. Ourpoliticians are telling our cricketers to play for diplomacy.Cricket has moved from second last page of newspapers when we werechildren to the front pages now.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has also highlighted the role of cricket and bollywood in improvingIndia-Pakistan relations. It is unfortunate that because of failureof resolution of issues politically we have to resort to a detourusing cricket. However, that we're moving towards the right goal isimportant.There are contentious issues between India and Pakistanwhich need resolution. Prime Minister Saukat Aziz rightly pointedout in a discussion, when I went to see him in Islamabad inconnection with our proposed Delhi to Multan Indian Pakistan PeaceMarch scheduled to begin on 23rd March, 2005 from the dargah ofNizamuddin Auliya, unless the issue of Kashmir is resolved we cannothope to have a durable peace between India and Pakistan.

He expressed his unhappiness over the way things have unfolded inBaglihar dam talks and admitted that Pakistan was `hurt'. These anda number of contentious issues will keep propping up whenever thingswould start to look bright. However, we have to decide whether we'llchoose to co-exist living with these issues or will perish togetherbombing each other with state of the art weaponry.After all, in India we have water disputes between thestates of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over Cauvery river. The emotionsbetween the people of two states run as high as between Indian andPakistanis whenever a contentious issue is discussed. The problemhas existed since independence and will probably remain unresolvedfor a long time to come. But that doesn't take Karnataka and TamilNadu to the brink of bombing each other with nuclear weapons. So,why cannot India and Pakistan peacefully co-exist even if theproblems remain unresolved for some time to come?It is heartening to hear Shaukat Aziz that hisGovernment is interested in resolving the disputes rather than justcontaining them. His government's commitment to peace and harmonywas amply clear from his confident attitude when he was discussingvarious contentious issues in a forthright manner. He demonstratedan openness which has not been the hallmark of India Pakistanrelations over our independent history.


The decision by governments of India and Pakistan toallow a bus service between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar without therequirement of passports is a truly commendable one. Frankly, we hadnot expected that governments would take such a bold move so soon.If they continue on this path and free Kashmir from the grip oftension and violence by withdrawing their armed forces and helpinglife return to normalcy, they will do a great service to the peopleof Kashmir. India and Pakistan can jointly ensure the normalizationprocess in Kashmir. How does lack of resolution of the Kashmirdispute come in the way of ensuring peace in Kashmir? For the peopleof Kashmir restoration of peace is the most important priority.Infact, the arms race between India and Pakistan whichis often linked to the Kashmir dispute is an independent phenomenonwhich is based on threat perception of each other. If we can have arelationship based on trust there will be no need for keeping anyarms. And in due course of time the outstanding contentious issueswill be resolved through the process of dialogue.


If making ofnuclear weapons has done any good it is that it has made us realizethat there can be no military solution to the problem of Kashmir.The Kashmir issue will have to be resolved through a dialogue andthat too involving the people of Kashmir, according to theiraspirations. This may take some time. The common people of India andPakistan cannot wait until then. They want the normalization processto continue. When the people don't feel threatened by each other, asis amply clear by the warmth and bonhomie generated during allexchange visits between citizens of two countries without exception,why should the governments live in suspicion of each other? Is itnot the people that comprise any nation? Of course, there are thefundamentalists on both sides. But do they represent the feelings ofcommon people?


Let us not force our youth to put on uniforms and makethem face each other with guns in their hands at the border. Afterall, it is only a difference of few kilometers which determineswhich side they'll fight for. It is only a matter of few kilometerswhich determines whether they'll be indoctrinated in Indiannationalism or Pakistani nationalism. The outer coat of ideology inthe name of nation or religion is what we received only after wewere born. The nature did not ordain us to fight. We have more incommon than we have differences. The cultural and emotional and moreimportantly human bondings are much deeper. Let us respect them,rediscover ourselves as peace loving people and learn to livepeacefully with our differences.




Sandeep Pandey




(Author is a recepient of Ramon Magsaysay Award 2002 for emergent leadership, former Professor of IIT Kanpur, PhD from University of California, Berkeley and heads National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM). He can be reached at ashaashram@yahoo.com)

We will return to finish the march

We will return to finish the march

Dr Sandeep Pandey


The India Pakistan Peace March from Delhi to Multan is symbolically over but we are leaving Pakistan with a sense of unsatisfaction. We were not allowed to march within Pakistan. It was quite an embarrassment for us to be talking about disarmament but moving around under heavy armed security cover. A Police jeep was always accompanying us wherever we went.

Some of our hosts within Pakistan were also uncomfortable with this. We do realize that probably under the given circumstances in Pakistan this was the best possible thing that we could have done. This was the only reason we decided to come to Pakistan in what eventually was a curtailed and restrained visit for us. In my opinion in the end it was ultimately the difference of democracy between the two countries which resulted in different response from the two Sates, although it was only marginally better in India. The marchers from both countries had difficulty in crossing over into the other country to participate in the March.

Both Governments delayed giving visas to the marchers from the other side but whereas the Indian Government did give visas for all the 12 Districts that fell on the route to the Pakistani citizens the Pakistani Government granted visas to the Indian citizens only for the cities of Lahore and Multan. It is a different matter that the Pakistani marchers could not use their visas for all places as by the time they were in India, because of further delay by the Pakistani Government in granting them permission to cross the Wagha border on foot, the March was in the last District of Amritsar. However, while the Pakistani marchers were walking on the road for five days in India there was no Police accompanying us. We consider it an achievement of the March.

We find it an affront that whereas hurdles were created in the path of peace lovers from both countries to participate in this peace march by both the Governments, soon Lal Krishan Advani, the master mind behind the uprise of communal politics in India, is soon going to be a State Guest of the Government of Pakistan when he comes here to inaugurate a temple and visit the school that he studied in at Hyderabad, Sind. It reflects the misplaced priorities of the Governments. The peace activists who labour to bring about a change in the relationship of animosity between the two Nations over the last 57 years and are mobilizing public support in favour of a friendly and peaceful relation between India and Pakistan are discouraged at every step, whereas the man whose party almost brought the two Nations to the brink of a nuclear war and whose partymen indulged in the worst carnage in independent India in Gujarat, is going to enjoy Government hospitality in Pakistan. We in India are fighting a battle to free Indian politics of the forces which are a threat to our democratic polity and our neighbouring Nation chooses to honour their leader. Although, we are no admirers of the US policy, but a step to deny visa to Narendra Modi, definitely discredits these forces. We admire Pervez Musharraf for having taken steps to check fundamentalist forces in Pakistan but we also expect him to help Indian people in controlling such forces in India.

We are glad that we received a very positive response from the various people’s representatives that we met during our tour in Pakistan. The Nazim of Lahore, Mian Amir Mehmood granted us permission to take out a peace march within the city of Lahore and allowed us to plant a sapling that Professor Rameek Mohan, one of the marchers from India, had brought from Rohtak, as a symbol of peace and friendship. Rana Tariq Javed, Member of National Assembly was present to welcome us at a small function in Sahiwal on our way to Multan. The local Nazim and SSP, Khuda Bux Malik were also present here. In Chinchawatani the local Nazim welcomed us. In Multan, MNA Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi, who also happened to be the Sajjada Nashin of Dargah of Bahauddin Zakaria, almost echoed our setiments in his speech and granted us permission to move about freely in Multan. We planted another sapling at the City Council Hall in Multan that we had brought from India. Member of Provincial Assembly from Okara hosted dinner for us when we were returning from Multan. Back in Lahore we were hosted in the Punjab Provincial Assembly by the Opposition Leader Qasim Zia, a former Pakistani Hockey player. MNA, Chaudhary Manzoor Ahmad of the PPP was quite harsh on the two Governments especially for engaging in arms race. He questioned the two Members of Parliament from India who had joined us that evening, Nilotpal Basu and Hannan Mollah, both of CPM, why India was still following the path of BJP Government in defence spending. Riaz Fatyana, another MNA, hosted high tea for us at the Lahore Gymkhana and he too supported our campaign. These people’s representatives compensated to some extent for the negative attitude shown by the Pakistani Government towards the Peace March. But it is clear that movement for democracy in Pakistan will have to be strengthened if pro-people’s initiatives are allowed to take place freely here. Even at the risk of appearing to interfere in the internal matters of our neighbouring country, we would like to see our peace movement also strengthen the democratization process in Pakistan, just as various people’s struggles are aiming to do exactly the same in India.

Hence we will continue to push forward the agenda for peace and friendship between the two countries. At the common people’s level it is the most important democratic issue in the context of bilateral relationship. We had planned to organize a joint peace march of activists from both countries. But that remains unfinished. The two Governments, even though they have used the language, hitherto used by peace activists, in the meeting between Pervez Musharraf and Manmohan Singh, did not cooperate fully in facilitating the Peace March. We will return to finish this march next year. We hope, by then, the Governments will realize that it is in the interest of the people to allow such a march to take place.

By Dr Sandeep Pandey
ashaashram@yahoo.com

(Author is a senior social activist and recepient of Ramon Magsaysay Award for the year 2002. He has been the faculty member of Engineering depts. of IIT Kanpur and Princeton University and founded ASHA For Education Trust in 1991.)

We will return to finish the march

We will return to finish the march

Dr Sandeep Pandey


The India Pakistan Peace March from Delhi to Multan is symbolically over but we are leaving Pakistan with a sense of unsatisfaction. We were not allowed to march within Pakistan. It was quite an embarrassment for us to be talking about disarmament but moving around under heavy armed security cover. A Police jeep was always accompanying us wherever we went.

Some of our hosts within Pakistan were also uncomfortable with this. We do realize that probably under the given circumstances in Pakistan this was the best possible thing that we could have done. This was the only reason we decided to come to Pakistan in what eventually was a curtailed and restrained visit for us. In my opinion in the end it was ultimately the difference of democracy between the two countries which resulted in different response from the two Sates, although it was only marginally better in India. The marchers from both countries had difficulty in crossing over into the other country to participate in the March.

Both Governments delayed giving visas to the marchers from the other side but whereas the Indian Government did give visas for all the 12 Districts that fell on the route to the Pakistani citizens the Pakistani Government granted visas to the Indian citizens only for the cities of Lahore and Multan. It is a different matter that the Pakistani marchers could not use their visas for all places as by the time they were in India, because of further delay by the Pakistani Government in granting them permission to cross the Wagha border on foot, the March was in the last District of Amritsar. However, while the Pakistani marchers were walking on the road for five days in India there was no Police accompanying us. We consider it an achievement of the March.

We find it an affront that whereas hurdles were created in the path of peace lovers from both countries to participate in this peace march by both the Governments, soon Lal Krishan Advani, the master mind behind the uprise of communal politics in India, is soon going to be a State Guest of the Government of Pakistan when he comes here to inaugurate a temple and visit the school that he studied in at Hyderabad, Sind. It reflects the misplaced priorities of the Governments. The peace activists who labour to bring about a change in the relationship of animosity between the two Nations over the last 57 years and are mobilizing public support in favour of a friendly and peaceful relation between India and Pakistan are discouraged at every step, whereas the man whose party almost brought the two Nations to the brink of a nuclear war and whose partymen indulged in the worst carnage in independent India in Gujarat, is going to enjoy Government hospitality in Pakistan. We in India are fighting a battle to free Indian politics of the forces which are a threat to our democratic polity and our neighbouring Nation chooses to honour their leader. Although, we are no admirers of the US policy, but a step to deny visa to Narendra Modi, definitely discredits these forces. We admire Pervez Musharraf for having taken steps to check fundamentalist forces in Pakistan but we also expect him to help Indian people in controlling such forces in India.

We are glad that we received a very positive response from the various people’s representatives that we met during our tour in Pakistan. The Nazim of Lahore, Mian Amir Mehmood granted us permission to take out a peace march within the city of Lahore and allowed us to plant a sapling that Professor Rameek Mohan, one of the marchers from India, had brought from Rohtak, as a symbol of peace and friendship. Rana Tariq Javed, Member of National Assembly was present to welcome us at a small function in Sahiwal on our way to Multan. The local Nazim and SSP, Khuda Bux Malik were also present here. In Chinchawatani the local Nazim welcomed us. In Multan, MNA Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi, who also happened to be the Sajjada Nashin of Dargah of Bahauddin Zakaria, almost echoed our setiments in his speech and granted us permission to move about freely in Multan. We planted another sapling at the City Council Hall in Multan that we had brought from India. Member of Provincial Assembly from Okara hosted dinner for us when we were returning from Multan. Back in Lahore we were hosted in the Punjab Provincial Assembly by the Opposition Leader Qasim Zia, a former Pakistani Hockey player. MNA, Chaudhary Manzoor Ahmad of the PPP was quite harsh on the two Governments especially for engaging in arms race. He questioned the two Members of Parliament from India who had joined us that evening, Nilotpal Basu and Hannan Mollah, both of CPM, why India was still following the path of BJP Government in defence spending. Riaz Fatyana, another MNA, hosted high tea for us at the Lahore Gymkhana and he too supported our campaign. These people’s representatives compensated to some extent for the negative attitude shown by the Pakistani Government towards the Peace March. But it is clear that movement for democracy in Pakistan will have to be strengthened if pro-people’s initiatives are allowed to take place freely here. Even at the risk of appearing to interfere in the internal matters of our neighbouring country, we would like to see our peace movement also strengthen the democratization process in Pakistan, just as various people’s struggles are aiming to do exactly the same in India.

Hence we will continue to push forward the agenda for peace and friendship between the two countries. At the common people’s level it is the most important democratic issue in the context of bilateral relationship. We had planned to organize a joint peace march of activists from both countries. But that remains unfinished. The two Governments, even though they have used the language, hitherto used by peace activists, in the meeting between Pervez Musharraf and Manmohan Singh, did not cooperate fully in facilitating the Peace March. We will return to finish this march next year. We hope, by then, the Governments will realize that it is in the interest of the people to allow such a march to take place.

By Dr Sandeep Pandey
ashaashram@yahoo.com

(Author is a senior social activist and recepient of Ramon Magsaysay Award for the year 2002. He has been the faculty member of Engineering depts. of IIT Kanpur and Princeton University and founded ASHA For Education Trust in 1991.)

GRANT DUAL CITIZENSHIP TO PEOPLE OF OTHER COUNTRY BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN

GRANT DUAL CITIZENSHIP TO PEOPLE OF OTHER COUNTRY BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN


Dr Sandeep Pandey


(from Lahore, Pakistan, returning on May 19, 2005)



We are grateful to the Pakistani Government for allowing us to enter Pakistan and symbolically complete the India Pakistan Peace March scheduled from Delhi to Multan between 23rd March and 11th May, 2005, but regret that we were not given permission to walk within Pakistan. The only consolation is that we reached Multan on the scheduled date, which was not looking possible at one point because of bureaucratic hurdles. The highlight of the Multan event was the presence of both Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi, the Sajjada Nashin of the Dargah of Bahauddin Zakaria in Multan where our March ended and Nazim Syed Ali Shah Nizami, the Gaddi Nashin of the Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi from where the March began. The March was meant to carry the message of Sufi saints and we accomplished our objective to a large extent. The response from people on both sides of the border was overwhelming. The signs are very clear. The people of India and Pakistan are for peace and friendship and they blame their governments for not giving it to them.

The people of India and Pakistan are anxious to meet each other as no other two communities of people around the globe. The Governments of India and Pakistan have made it so difficult for the two people to meet as probably nowhere in the world. A very complicated travel restriction regime exists between India and Pakistan. Some of the restrictions are beyond the comprehension of common people. For example, why does one need the permission of one’s Home Ministry to cross the Wagha border on foot if the other country has granted a visa? This permission is not needed when you’re crossing over from one country into the other by any other means – air, rail or bus. Hence, if you cross the same border on Delhi-Lahore bus service then you don’t need the permission from the Home Ministry. There is also a rule which mandates a group of a minimum of four to cross the border on foot. Most of the common Indian and Pakistani citizens are neither terrorists nor criminals but they are required to report daily to the Police if they are in the other country. It is funny that during our stay in Pakistan a Police squad was continuously accompanying us and they had minute to minute knowledge about our movement but still our friends Saeeda Diep or Shabnam Rashid had to waste a couple of hours every day to carry our passports to the Police Headquarters. One has to use the same means to return that one used to enter the other country. There is a senseless strictness about port of entry. Most importantly, you cannot go into the other country unless you have a relative or an invitation. The Pakistani High Commission in Delhi had refused to entertain our visa applications until our names were cleared by the Interior Ministry in Islamabad, which meant that unless we had influential friends in Pakistan it was virtually impossible for us to enter Pakistan. And we had to go through all this after Pervez Musharraf’s recent trip to New Delhi where the two Governments had talked about increasing people to people contact and making the borders softer! The bureaucracy on the two sides is still not willing to acknowledge the changing realities between the two countries. It wants to maintain its hold over people and create all possible obstacles in the path of people wanting to go to the other country.

Only twelve of us had got the nod of the Pakistani Interior Ministry to enter Pakistan. About ten times more people who wished to accompany this March into Pakistan were disappointed. A close friend Vinish Gupta, who left his Ph.D. programme at IIT Delhi to become a Buddhist Monk and presently lives in Sarnath, wanted to come to Pakistan to see his ancestral home in Lahore which houses Habib Bank today. His grandmother would have been most happy if he could have brought photographs of this home back with him. However, Tenzin, as he is now known, was not given the opportunity by the Pakistani Interior Ministry to fulfill even as small a wish as this. The great Gautam Buddha had said that desrire is the source of pain. Tenzin has learnt this the hard way. However, what right the bureaucracies on the two sides, who themselves are not accountable to anybody, have to deny even simple freedom to the people to travel and meet people they wish to on the other side?

Even though we’re demanding a complete doing away with of the passport-visa regime for travel between India and Pakistan, the common sentiment that was expressed by people along our route was that the two governments must grant visas on arrival at the border. The Governments of India and Pakistan can do it if they want to. They have to merely demonstrate the political will as they did when they started the Delhi-Lahore bus service, implemented the cease fire agreement, allowed over 5000 people to cross over to watch a cricket match and most importantly, against all odds, introduced the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service.

In fact, it would be a very novel idea to allow granting dual citizenship to people of the other country who wish to apply for it. There would be a number of Pakistanis willing to obtain Indian citizenship too and similarly a number of Indian citizens willing to obtain Pakistani citizenship too if given the choice. This would be the surest way to get rid of distrust between the people of two countries which exists because of sustained propaganda on both sides against the other country and its people. It would also make life easier for a number of us who wish to frequently travel to Pakistan to meet friends and attend events and have to go through the tedious process of getting approval of Interior Ministry of Pakistan every time. And till the day of our departure we’re not sure whether the Indian Home Ministry would allow us to cross the Wagha border on foot, even though we might have the visa from the Pakistani Government. No Governments possibly treat their citizens in such a disrespectful manner as the Governments of India and Pakistan when it comes to traveling between the two countries. Why should the citizens of the two countries be subjected to this shoddy treatment by their Governments?

Dr Sandeep Pandey

(Author is a senior social activist based in Lucknow, and received Ramon Magsaysay award 2002 for emergent leadership. He is also the Coordinator of INDIA PAKISTAN PEACE MARCH (March 23 – May 11, 2005) and NAPM (National Alliance of People’s Movements). He can be contacted at ashaashram@yahoo.com)

GRANT DUAL CITIZENSHIP TO PEOPLE OF OTHER COUNTRY BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN

GRANT DUAL CITIZENSHIP TO PEOPLE OF OTHER COUNTRY BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN


Dr Sandeep Pandey


(from Lahore, Pakistan, returning on May 19, 2005)



We are grateful to the Pakistani Government for allowing us to enter Pakistan and symbolically complete the India Pakistan Peace March scheduled from Delhi to Multan between 23rd March and 11th May, 2005, but regret that we were not given permission to walk within Pakistan. The only consolation is that we reached Multan on the scheduled date, which was not looking possible at one point because of bureaucratic hurdles. The highlight of the Multan event was the presence of both Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi, the Sajjada Nashin of the Dargah of Bahauddin Zakaria in Multan where our March ended and Nazim Syed Ali Shah Nizami, the Gaddi Nashin of the Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi from where the March began. The March was meant to carry the message of Sufi saints and we accomplished our objective to a large extent. The response from people on both sides of the border was overwhelming. The signs are very clear. The people of India and Pakistan are for peace and friendship and they blame their governments for not giving it to them.

The people of India and Pakistan are anxious to meet each other as no other two communities of people around the globe. The Governments of India and Pakistan have made it so difficult for the two people to meet as probably nowhere in the world. A very complicated travel restriction regime exists between India and Pakistan. Some of the restrictions are beyond the comprehension of common people. For example, why does one need the permission of one’s Home Ministry to cross the Wagha border on foot if the other country has granted a visa? This permission is not needed when you’re crossing over from one country into the other by any other means – air, rail or bus. Hence, if you cross the same border on Delhi-Lahore bus service then you don’t need the permission from the Home Ministry. There is also a rule which mandates a group of a minimum of four to cross the border on foot. Most of the common Indian and Pakistani citizens are neither terrorists nor criminals but they are required to report daily to the Police if they are in the other country. It is funny that during our stay in Pakistan a Police squad was continuously accompanying us and they had minute to minute knowledge about our movement but still our friends Saeeda Diep or Shabnam Rashid had to waste a couple of hours every day to carry our passports to the Police Headquarters. One has to use the same means to return that one used to enter the other country. There is a senseless strictness about port of entry. Most importantly, you cannot go into the other country unless you have a relative or an invitation. The Pakistani High Commission in Delhi had refused to entertain our visa applications until our names were cleared by the Interior Ministry in Islamabad, which meant that unless we had influential friends in Pakistan it was virtually impossible for us to enter Pakistan. And we had to go through all this after Pervez Musharraf’s recent trip to New Delhi where the two Governments had talked about increasing people to people contact and making the borders softer! The bureaucracy on the two sides is still not willing to acknowledge the changing realities between the two countries. It wants to maintain its hold over people and create all possible obstacles in the path of people wanting to go to the other country.

Only twelve of us had got the nod of the Pakistani Interior Ministry to enter Pakistan. About ten times more people who wished to accompany this March into Pakistan were disappointed. A close friend Vinish Gupta, who left his Ph.D. programme at IIT Delhi to become a Buddhist Monk and presently lives in Sarnath, wanted to come to Pakistan to see his ancestral home in Lahore which houses Habib Bank today. His grandmother would have been most happy if he could have brought photographs of this home back with him. However, Tenzin, as he is now known, was not given the opportunity by the Pakistani Interior Ministry to fulfill even as small a wish as this. The great Gautam Buddha had said that desrire is the source of pain. Tenzin has learnt this the hard way. However, what right the bureaucracies on the two sides, who themselves are not accountable to anybody, have to deny even simple freedom to the people to travel and meet people they wish to on the other side?

Even though we’re demanding a complete doing away with of the passport-visa regime for travel between India and Pakistan, the common sentiment that was expressed by people along our route was that the two governments must grant visas on arrival at the border. The Governments of India and Pakistan can do it if they want to. They have to merely demonstrate the political will as they did when they started the Delhi-Lahore bus service, implemented the cease fire agreement, allowed over 5000 people to cross over to watch a cricket match and most importantly, against all odds, introduced the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus service.

In fact, it would be a very novel idea to allow granting dual citizenship to people of the other country who wish to apply for it. There would be a number of Pakistanis willing to obtain Indian citizenship too and similarly a number of Indian citizens willing to obtain Pakistani citizenship too if given the choice. This would be the surest way to get rid of distrust between the people of two countries which exists because of sustained propaganda on both sides against the other country and its people. It would also make life easier for a number of us who wish to frequently travel to Pakistan to meet friends and attend events and have to go through the tedious process of getting approval of Interior Ministry of Pakistan every time. And till the day of our departure we’re not sure whether the Indian Home Ministry would allow us to cross the Wagha border on foot, even though we might have the visa from the Pakistani Government. No Governments possibly treat their citizens in such a disrespectful manner as the Governments of India and Pakistan when it comes to traveling between the two countries. Why should the citizens of the two countries be subjected to this shoddy treatment by their Governments?

Dr Sandeep Pandey

(Author is a senior social activist based in Lucknow, and received Ramon Magsaysay award 2002 for emergent leadership. He is also the Coordinator of INDIA PAKISTAN PEACE MARCH (March 23 – May 11, 2005) and NAPM (National Alliance of People’s Movements). He can be contacted at ashaashram@yahoo.com)

World Cancer Day (4 February 2010): Tobacco Control most cost-effective way to prevent cancer

World Cancer Day (4 February 2010): Tobacco Control most cost-effective way to prevent cancer

by

Professor (Dr) Rama Kant

Published in: The Hindustan Times, page 4

World Cancer Day (4 February 2010): Tobacco Control most cost-effective way to prevent cancer