Amid all the politics on India-Pakistan issues, there are voices who see the solution of the conflict in dialogue instead of in war or hatred. Many people including army veterans, common youths and school students gathered in Delhi to release a Peace Calendar for sending out message of peace and friendship. This peace calendar is an initiative of Aaghaz-e-Dosti that works to foster people to people relations between India and Pakistan through its voluntary network of youths in both countries. This peace calendar includes paintings of school students from Pakistan and India on the theme of Peace and six paintings from each country gets selected for being published in the form of calendar as a message of 365 days of peace. Running this unique concept since last seven years, Aaghaz-e-Dosti receive entries every year and many schools and students take part in the program.
While releasing the seventh peace calendar along with a seminar titled ‘Sharing of Hopes for Peaceful Co-existence’ , the renowned scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan told that students in both countries have done a great work and they must understand that their efforts for peace would make our societies more humane.
7th Indo-Pak Peace Calendar launched at Indian International Centre
Sudheendra Kulkarni, a renowned writer, former aide to Late PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee told that young generation is the hope for both countries. He remembered how the initiatives like start of bus, train and trade services across borders bring happiness to local people and hence more such steps should be taken. Major General TK Kaul who has been recipient of Ati Vishisht Seva Medal talked about how there are veterans in both countries who advocate peace. He told that we are the same people , separated by geography and man made border. He told that war and conflict must not come on the way of peace and brotherhood. He also read message of Pakistani Lt. General Humayun Bangash about need of peace and focus on development. Another Major General M.A. Naik told that the real importance of peace can be well understood by a soldier. He insisted that peace building and developing a culture of peace is much required. Senior Journalist Rezaul Hasan Laskar who has been in Pakistan as an Indian correspondent talked about his experiences in Pakistan and that common people desire peace and friendship. Brig. Anil Malhotra also applaud efforts of students who are responsible future citizens of these countries and hence need to think about peace.
Peace calendar also includes messages from 12 renowned persons from both countries who favor Indo-Pak Peace. This year, the peace calendar carrying messages of people like Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Nandita Das, Major General (Retd) TK Kaul, Prof. Happymon Jacob , Rana Safvi and Rajagopal PV from India and of Mehmal Sarfaraz, Husain Naqi, Amarnath Randhawa, Dr Ashok Kumar, Dr. Ruksana David and Prof Ayesha Jalal from Pakistan.
Aaghaz-e-Dosti aims to create unwavering bonds of peace and friendship between India and Pakistan and seeks to become the medium to discover and recognise the misrepresented reality on the other side of the border. It is focused on citizen diplomacy and works primarily through peace education aimed at familiarising the people about the ‘other’, countering stereotypes, homogenised and negative image of the other, educating them about the issues of conflict, the existence of diverse views and developing critical thinking and developing confidence in dialogue and peace building for conflict resolution.
Devika Mittal, Convener of Aaghaz-e-Dosti in India told that the importance of the calendar is that it is a collection of shared dreams and hopes for friendship which we will be reminded of every day. This calendar is one of our peace education activities in schools and colleges. The purpose of these activities is to enable the future leaders to forge the path to a better world by engaging them with aspects of critical thinking, civic engagement and dialogue as solution. She told that this year again Aaghaz-e-Dosti received many paintings from many schools of Pakistan and India. In these six years, Aaghaz-e-Dosti has been received paintings from school students from almost all states and provinces of India and Pakistan.
Talking more about Aaghaz-e-Dosti, Ravi Nitesh informed that Aaghaz-e-Dosti has given peace trainings to more than 7000 students and youngsters through 25 Aman Chaupals (peace session) across India and Pakistan and also uses video conferencing to connect classrooms of India and Pakistan in sessions called Indo-Pak Classroom Connect that facilitates interaction between students of India and Pakistan. Aaghaz-e-Dosti conducts regular Exchange of letters and cards between students of India and Pakistan and has exhibited these letters at the renowned Faiz Ghar (house of Faiz Ahmed Faiz) in Lahore.
Published in Daily Times, January 21st 2019.
