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Indo-Pak Girl Students Show The Way To Peace
Bobby Ramakant

        "CHILDREN OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN COME TOGETHER" read The Times of India, "CHILDREN OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN WILL JOINTLY EDIT A BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE SACHCHI - MUCHCHI" read The Hindustan Times and The Pioneer stated "GIRL STUDENTS OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN TO OPEN NEW VISTAS OF FRIENDSHIP" when a team of 10 girl students and three teachers, including the Principal Hajra Ahmed, of Khaldunia College, Islamabad, Pakistan, came to India on July 10, 2001 evening.

         In stark contrast to diplomatic interactions amidst country heads, which incidently (not intentionally) went parallel in Agra, children of India and Pakistan have come together to open up new vistas of people to people’s interaction without interference of their adult counterparts, who are more driven with violent and aggressive factors. The diplomatic processes came to a dead end, but children's interaction between two countries, have doubtlessly cut through the ice which was frozen in-between the people of India nad Pakistan.

         An ALL GIRLS Editorial team of 12 Students each, from schools in LUCKNOW, INDIA and of KHALDUNIYA COLLEGE, ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN, was constituted during the interaction for an already in-circulation bi-monthly magazine ‘Sachchi Muchchi’.

         July-August Edition of ‘Sachchi Muchchi’, was brought out by this newly constituted team of Sachchi Muchchi on July 13, 2001, on global peace and nuclear disarmament issue in the campus premises of Navayuga Radiance Senior Secondary School.

THE VISIT : A report :

         The Delhi organizing committee led by Kamala Menon, had warmly received them when the Bus "DOSTI BUS" arrived from across the border at India Gate, New Delhi on the evening of July 10.

         These friends from Pakistan alongwith their host Mahesh and Kusum, reached Lucknow at 10:30 pm on July 11. Hardly there is any media at local or national level, which failed to join us in welcoming them at Railway Station near the midnight. Senior Narmada Bachao Andolan activist ARUNDHATI DHURU, former OXFAM activist Praneeta Kapoor, Senior school teacher SHOBHA SHUKLA of Loreto Convent, All India Radio Program Producer ANUPAM PATHAK WHO WAS DENIED OFFICIAL PERMISSION TO COME BECAUSE FORMAL CLEARANCE FROM FOREIGN AFFAIRS MINISTRY IS NEEDED FOR A.I.R. people TO COVER THIS EVENT, had also come in personal capacity with his family to welcome these guests from pakistan, 'ASHA' family of Lucknow including Ashish, Indu, Paramita, and many others created an ambience full of love, warmth and overflowing enthusiasm in BREAKING THE CHILLING SILENCE since nearly 54 years between people of two nations.

         They were put up at BD Guest House since it was quite late in the night (post- midnight) for them to go to host families.

         Later, the next day, they were introduced to the host families and put up in homes where there were members of the same age group.

July 12, 2001. Morning

         Leading national daily THE HINDUSTAN TIMES, hosted a breakfast for these friends from pakistan, and senior Editors of English and Hindi editions including SUNITA ARON, Resident Editor of The Hindustan Times English edition and Mr.Sunil Dubey, Resident Editor of Hindustan Hindi daily, were present to welcome them. Arundhati Dhuru, led the delegation to the HT premises and they interacted with HT staff and took a round of the press compound.

         Later in the noon, they were welcomed at NAVAYUGA RADIANCE SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, which is a leading middle class girls school with about 12,000 students in the same complex (but different units).

         Students of Navayuga radiance introduced their friends from across the borders, with the rich cultural traditional heritage, which has still SURVIVED despite of multi-throng invasion of western influences. Classical dances and recitations reverberated all over. The hall mark was the cultural dance which the girls performed with burning lamps in their hands - i have no words to recreate the magic spell of those moments.

         Senior Teacher of Khalduniya School, Islamabad, Pakistan, Shri JAMAL bhai, WAS TRYING TO moderate the session (many dominating and over-riding adults were trying to intervene and do it in a second) with 10 Navayuga girls and 10 pakistani girls, with 3 teachers from both the countries, to draft a resolution which was supposed to be submitted by DR.SANDEEP PANDEY at UN office the same day at 3 pm local time (New York, USA).

         In the evening, India Pakistan People's forum for peace and democracy hosted a reception at Rai Uma nath bali auditorium.

JULY 13.

        Friends from Pakistan visited Asmita, a center supported by Asha, for 'slow learners'. They were aghast to see the lives of these mentally deranged children and how activists and Asmita NGO people are trying to work to provide them with education and best possible development.

        Later at 12 noon, these students from pakistan reached LORETO CONVENT, (coordinated by Senior teacher SHOBHA SHUKLA) where they took a round of the school, and then, proceeded for another FORMAL RECEPTION. Loreto students too, came up with classical dances, and a steam of welcome addresses, followed by a lunch arranged for all the participants.

Senior educationist and social activist, LALITHA RAMDAS, joined them at Loreto Convent.

        Then the students proceeded to SEWA (Self Employeed Women's Association) and got a chance to see Chikan embroidery work of Lucknow, and meet the women and talk to them.

JULY 14

        Friends from Pakistan moved to KANPUR - a district 80 km from Lucknow. They were welcomed by Kanpur organizing committee led by NEELAM CHATURVEDI, at the very onset of Kanpur district (GANGA PUL/BRIDGE). Later, the students attended a stream of programmes arranged in different schools which actually were essentially reception/ welcome events, at Virendra Swarup Inter College Cantt.branch, St.Mary's High School, and Haleem Inter College. They had a lunch too at the last school. After visiting some organizations and meeting social activists in Kanpur, and MEDIA ofcourse, they came back to Lucknow in the night.

JULY 15 Sunday

        In the morning, these Pakistani friends, went around Lucknow to Imambara, and then had lunch with Irfan Ahmed, a Lucknow resident, in his house. Later, after lunch they proceeded to Ameenabad, where they went on a shopping spree with PRANEETA KAPOOR.

         Natyagraam, welcomes the students at Children's Academy and PRatibha Cinema theatre In the evening at 5 pm, these children reached CHILDREN's ACADEMY, MALL AVENUE, Lucknow where they SANG TOGETHER, DANCED TOGETHER, PLAYED TOGETHER, ATE TOGETHER, and had a free time WITHOUT ANY FORMAL STRUCTURED FORMAT. The Principal of Children's Academy, Mrs.Mishra, Head Mistress Ms.Swarna Batra, Prohibition officer of UP State, Miss SAroj Kumari, and senior ARmy officer Major PS Mishra, also joined in. The principal of Navayuga Radiance was also there (GEETA DAYAL).

         The adults interacted separately all throughout the evening, and the children intermingled with each other. STUDENTS FROM THE OTHER SCHOOLS (LORETO CONVENT AND NAVAYUGA RADIANCE) had also joined in because an opportunity to mix freely and intermingle could not be given to them when we went to their school in the preceding days.

        Later they proceeded to the blockbuster movie, LAGAAN, in PRATIBHA CINEMA THEATRE. a total of 40 people had come with us to this movie with the kids from pakistan.

         THe pratibha management gave a warm welcome to these students from pakistan, and AARTI, TIKA and garlanding was done at the very gate. The students were provided with front row seats and people cooperated and moved to back seats. The Pratibha Management kept on showing sub titles and slides in the beginning and all throughout the movie and interval, to welcome the students from pakistan and make them feel warm and well-received.

        Refreshments, were provided by the management free of cost, and the manager Shri Singh and Vijay Anand remained with us all throughout. Senior industrialist and Hotelier Shri Pratap N Sharma, mother of leading theatre personality and academician DR NISHI PANDEY, PROF.RAMA KANT, also joined in.

JULY 16, 2001

         The students from Pakistan went to a village with ALKA ADIYOG, and 'Awaaz' family and interacted with village community. It was certainly a different exposure for these students to interact with the villagers.

July 17, 2001

Modern ACademy : Gomti Nagar Lucknow.

         The Principal, Mr.Pant, the Director Mr.Rajiv Tuli, and other senior people including Dr.Roop Rekha Verma President of India-Pakistan People's forum for peace and democracy UP Chapter, Arundhati Dhuru, President of organizing committee for this indo-pak children's meet, Irfan Ahmed, another associate and host, teachers of other schools like Colvin Taluqdar College Mrs.Siddiqui, Lalitha Ramdas - a senior national peace activist, were also present.

         Children of Modern Academy read out pre-made speeches followed by their elder counterparts, who too, read out well-drafted speeches studded with high sounding words. They also presented songs, dances, adn theatre items. This was followed by a refreshment get-together for 30 min.

Spring Dale Inter College, Indira Nagar, Lucknow.

         The Principal Mrs.Khanna, The director Mrs. Sood, and principal of other branches of Spring Dale (Mrs.Mishra of LDA Colony branch of Spring Dale), received the delegation of pak children despite of heavy downpour OUTSIDE the schools with umbrellas over their heads.

        A well-prepared cultural programme with kathakali dances, bharatnatyam dances, and classical music performances, including theatre items, interspersed with speeches of very senior people like Prof.Roop Rekha Verma, ARundhati Dhuru, Admiral L Ramdas, Lalitha Ramdasji, and ofcourse, the school management people. This was followed by a large scale lunch arranged and hosted by the SPRING DALE school management.

         In the evening, a cultural show on peace and harmony was put forth by an Ahmedabad based group called Insaan Hain Hum, led by Charul and Vinay.

         Later, this was followed by a public meeting which was addressed by leading peace activists including Prof.ROOP REKHA VERMA, ARUNDHATI DHURU, ADMIRAL L RAMDAS etc. This was followed by the dinner hosted by OXFAM at Royal Cafe.

         Later in the night, Arundhati Dhuru, the hostess, led the team to Railway Station and bid them good bye on Marudhar Express. "Asha"'s Mahesh led the delegation to Agra.

         The departing shot, that froze within me, was of the little girl Aaliya - leaning on the railway train window railing, with tears trikling down her cheeks. Words fail to contain the warmth, and essence of a relationship that cuts all through the heavily guarded borders of India and Pakistan.

with kind regards from
Bobby Ramakant
Email: bobbyramakant@yahoo.com
Tel: +91 98390 7 33 55

Editor : Children and Youth WEEKLY - Circulated by Globalink - UICC
Editor : Tobacco Kills Monthly
Coordinator : I.N.G.C.A.T. Task Force (South East Asia)
Key Correspondent : Health & Development Networks (www.hdnet.org)
C-2211. C-Block Crossing, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226 016. India
Phone : +91-98390 7 33 55,. +91-522 35 82 30
Fax : +91- 522 - 35 30 20
email : bobbyramakant@yahoo.com
website : http://tambakooKILLS.globalink.org
C-2211, C-Block Crossing, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016. India.

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