Report from 2nd Visa-free and Peaceful South Asia Convention
FAST FOR A VISA FREE AND PEACEFUL SOUTH ASIA
- Report from 2nd Visa-free and Peaceful South Asia Convention,
Lahore, Pakistan (September 17-18, 2006)
Today activists of Pakistan and India, for the first time in
the history of Pakistan will jointly fast (sit on hunger strike) at
Lahore Press Club to demand for a South Asia in which citizens are
allowed to freely move across borders of countries without any
requirement of passports or visas and in which there are no dangerous
weapons like nuclear weapons and land mines. We feel that only under
such circumstances South Asia will get an opportunity to develop into
a strong economic union which will pave the way for betterment of
citizens of all countries. The precious resources now going into arms
race will be spent on useful and necessary services like education
and health care for all.
History proves that arms do not provide any security at all.
On the other hand they increase our insecurity, further fuelling
another round of arms race. True security can be derived only from a
relationship based on complete mutual trust. Such is the kind of
security atmosphere that we would like to create in South Asia. Be
creating hurdles in the way of citizens desiring to travel between
Pakistan and India we violate the basic human rights of people.
People have a right to travel across borders to see friends,
relatives, religious places and attend events. But a meaningless set
of rules, some beyond comprehension of ordinary human beings, and
arbitrary manner of decision taking subjects citizens to humiliation
and harassment. This time a 12 year old girl from India Sara Jamal
was given visa without her mother being given clearance to travel to
Pakistan. How do we expect a 12 year old girl to travel on her own?
Is there any meaning in subjecting out citizens to this mindless
bureaucracy? It is time we remove all travel restrictions and allow
citizens of Pakistan and India a porous border, which happens to be
the most popular demand of people on both sides.
This is the second such fast in the history of the sub-
continent. Last year on 9th August, Nagasaki Day, 40 citizens from
Pakistan joined their Indian counterparts to observe a one day fast
at Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's samadhi in New Delhi, for a visa free
and peaceful South Asia. This followed the Delhi to Multan Peace
March from 23rd March to 11th May, 2005, the first time in the
history of sub-continent when Indians and Pakistanis walked together
on streets of both countries to demand peace and friendship between
the two countries.
On this occasion, popular singer from Hyderabad, Andhra
Pradesh, Ghazal Srinivas has brought with him a musical album
prepared by him during the India Pakistan Peace March last year. This
CD called `Shanti Yatra' is also being released today. We are also
honoured to have amongst us today another prominent singer Seema
Sehgal, originally from Jammu & Kashmir, who has produced albums on
the poetry of Ali Sardar Jafri and Alama Iqbal dedicated to India
Pakistan peace and friendship. We hope that musical contributions
today by Seema Sehgal and Ghazal Srinivas will cement the relations
between people of the two countries so that we will never go back on
the path to peace.
We appeal to common citizens of the sub-continent to join and
strengthen the movement for a visa free and peaceful South Asia.
Dated: 17th September, 2005
Saeeda Diep & Sandeep Pandey
- Report from 2nd Visa-free and Peaceful South Asia Convention,
Lahore, Pakistan (September 17-18, 2006)
Today activists of Pakistan and India, for the first time in
the history of Pakistan will jointly fast (sit on hunger strike) at
Lahore Press Club to demand for a South Asia in which citizens are
allowed to freely move across borders of countries without any
requirement of passports or visas and in which there are no dangerous
weapons like nuclear weapons and land mines. We feel that only under
such circumstances South Asia will get an opportunity to develop into
a strong economic union which will pave the way for betterment of
citizens of all countries. The precious resources now going into arms
race will be spent on useful and necessary services like education
and health care for all.
History proves that arms do not provide any security at all.
On the other hand they increase our insecurity, further fuelling
another round of arms race. True security can be derived only from a
relationship based on complete mutual trust. Such is the kind of
security atmosphere that we would like to create in South Asia. Be
creating hurdles in the way of citizens desiring to travel between
Pakistan and India we violate the basic human rights of people.
People have a right to travel across borders to see friends,
relatives, religious places and attend events. But a meaningless set
of rules, some beyond comprehension of ordinary human beings, and
arbitrary manner of decision taking subjects citizens to humiliation
and harassment. This time a 12 year old girl from India Sara Jamal
was given visa without her mother being given clearance to travel to
Pakistan. How do we expect a 12 year old girl to travel on her own?
Is there any meaning in subjecting out citizens to this mindless
bureaucracy? It is time we remove all travel restrictions and allow
citizens of Pakistan and India a porous border, which happens to be
the most popular demand of people on both sides.
This is the second such fast in the history of the sub-
continent. Last year on 9th August, Nagasaki Day, 40 citizens from
Pakistan joined their Indian counterparts to observe a one day fast
at Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's samadhi in New Delhi, for a visa free
and peaceful South Asia. This followed the Delhi to Multan Peace
March from 23rd March to 11th May, 2005, the first time in the
history of sub-continent when Indians and Pakistanis walked together
on streets of both countries to demand peace and friendship between
the two countries.
On this occasion, popular singer from Hyderabad, Andhra
Pradesh, Ghazal Srinivas has brought with him a musical album
prepared by him during the India Pakistan Peace March last year. This
CD called `Shanti Yatra' is also being released today. We are also
honoured to have amongst us today another prominent singer Seema
Sehgal, originally from Jammu & Kashmir, who has produced albums on
the poetry of Ali Sardar Jafri and Alama Iqbal dedicated to India
Pakistan peace and friendship. We hope that musical contributions
today by Seema Sehgal and Ghazal Srinivas will cement the relations
between people of the two countries so that we will never go back on
the path to peace.
We appeal to common citizens of the sub-continent to join and
strengthen the movement for a visa free and peaceful South Asia.
Dated: 17th September, 2005
Saeeda Diep & Sandeep Pandey
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