South Asia Peace Wire

Australia risks contributing to the India-Pakistan nuclear arms race

sapw — 2011-11-21T06:03:26Z

Gillard's uranium-to-India play is a dangerous sellout

Gavin Marshall

November 21, 2011

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/gillards-uraniumtoindia-play-is-a-dangerous-sellout-20111120-1np95.html#ixzz1eJjZvHX0

Pakistan delegation pleads for release of imprisonned fishermen from both India and Pakistan

sapw — 2011-09-20T18:37:23Z

source URL: http://tinyurl.com/4y2v35d

From: The Hindu
MUMBAI, September 20, 2011

Pakistan delegation pleads for release of fishermen from both nations

Special Correspondent

It calls for South Asian agreement on fishing

For the first time, a Pakistani delegation travelled to Gujarat and Diu to interact with the families of the fishermen arrested and jailed for violating territorial waters. The team members appealed to both the Indian and Pakistan governments to immediately release the fisherfolk, demarcate the maritime boundaries and offer compensation to the families of those who have lost their livelihood.

The delegation called for a South Asian agreement on fishing so that there could be a system of registering fishermen from these countries and giving them licences.

Justice (retd.) Nasir Aslam Zahid, former judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and member of India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners; Iqbal Haider, former Law Minister; Karamat Ali, trade union leader and peace activist; and Jatin Desai activist from India, travelled over 1,000 km to Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Veraval, Mangrol and Porbandar to meet the families whose sons or husbands are in Pakistani jails.

Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, Justice Zahid said the fishermen were arrested under the Foreigners Act of 1947 and the maximum punishment was six months. By the time the sentences were handed out they had languished in jail for that period. The fishermen should be sent back by boat and not released at the Wagah border. There were some 512 seized Pakistan boats and after meeting the families, he said, he found out that these boats cost Rs. 35-40 lakh each. In addition, the families borrowed heavily to fund the boats and they were in dire straits after the bread winners were caught. In India, there were some 200 trawlers belonging to Pakistani fishermen.

In April, the India Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners, formed in 2007, issued a statement, demanding that all fishermen be released since they had not committed any crime, were not terrorists and they had not intentionally trespassed into the waters of the other country. The boundaries near Sir Creek too were not defined and as a result of lack of political will these poor fisherfolk continued to suffer, he said.

The delegation said they were impressed by the quiet docile community that was very disciplined.

While some 442 fishermen were released last year, some 240 odd continue to languish in each country.

Mr. Karamat Ali said the two governments must lay the basis for dealing with the problem by alerting people who strayed into foreign waters and devising a humane system of repatriation. Failure to demarcate boundaries was a result of the ‘incompetence' shown by the two governments.

The fishermen were treated as prisoners of war and they did not get much sympathy. “They are poor and they don't have a voice and no one is elected from their areas. They are a voiceless people and an avoidable misery is heaped on the citizens of both countries,” he pointed out. The boats seized must also be returned and adequate compensation paid to the suffering families.

Mr. Haider said Pakistan Commerce minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim would visit India soon and the government must take up the issue of fishermen with him. There have been seven rounds of negotiations between the two countries on various issues but it was disappointing that it had not resulted in a better visa regime, improved people-to-people access or trade.

Public meeting on Indo-Pak Relations at Press Club, Mumbai on 20 September 2011

sapw — 2011-09-19T17:02:04Z

Dear All,

This is to invite you to attend a meeting on the issue of India-Pakistan Relations at Press Club, Mumbai on Tuesday (20th September) at 4.00 pm. The speakers will include Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid (Retd.Supreme Court of Pakistan Judge & Member of India-Pakistan Judicial Committee on Prisoners), Iqbal Haider (former Law Minister, Pakistan), Karamat Ali (Trade Union leader & Peace activist), Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar (Member Rajya Sabha).

Mr. Nasir Aslam Zahid, Iqbal Haider & Karamat Ali will be speaking after their visit to the state of Gujarat & Diu where they visited Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Veraval, Mangrol & Porbandar. They met fishermen and their families. They spoke to the women whose husbands, sons are languishing in the Pakistani jails. Every where large number of fishermen turned to speak to them & how the plight of Indian and Pakistani fishermen & their families can be stopped. For the first time in the history of India and Pakistan such kind of a delegation visited Indian fishing communities and heard their sufferings.

The Pakistani friends and Dr. Bhalchandra Mungekar will speak on how relations between India and Pakistan can be improved.

Do attend and spread the word.

Regards,

Jatin Desai [Bombay]

India’s spending spree on defence

sapw — 2011-07-20T09:40:18Z

Source: The Independent, 20 July 2011

Peace-loving India, the world's largest arms importer

Defence spending has leapt since the Mumbai attacks of 2008 as Delhi steps up security and deterrence

By Andrew Buncombe

Wednesday, 20 July 2011

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An Agni-III nuclear capable missile on show during a Republic Day parade in Delhi

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The Great Indian Arms Bazaar

sapw — 2011-04-16T10:00:06Z

(From The Economic and Political Weekly, 9 April 2011)

by Pavan Nair

According to the latest estimates of the independent Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, India was the world’s largest importer of arms during the five-year-period 2006-10. These imports are only likely to grow manifold in the years ahead. India has this dubious achievement to its credit even as it has some of the most dismal indicators of human development in the world.

FULL TEXT AT: http://epw.in/epw/uploads/articles/15924.pdf

Partners in Victory! Flags for Peace!!

sapw — 2011-03-28T21:00:13Z

India and Pakistan will play the semifinal of the World Cup on 30^th March 2011. That the match can be played in Mohali, India is a gift of the peace process that was started in 2004. Prior to 2004, with Indian and Pakistani armies locked in eye ball to eye ball confrontation on the borders, every cricketing encounter was played less like a game and more like war. Unfortunately, Indo-Pak cricket had become the ultimate war game.

It is never cricket if the prevailing sentiment on the ground is anything other than cricket. So the challenge is to defeat war and win back the game. Wars and flags have historic associations – Every war in history is fought under a flag and most wars are fought for flags. But if flags have flagged off so many wars, flags could also flag in peace. However, there seems to be a caveat here. While any one single flag can start a war, it takes atleast two flags to cement peace.

And the two flags that could flag in peace and set a new trend in togetherness and friendship for the whole world are the flags of India and Pakistan - if we bring them together!

And bringing them together was so simple!

In 2004 Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Prime Minister of India announced cricket matches between India and Pakistan after his historic bus trip that disengaged armies of both the countries and was recreating an atmosphere of peace in the sub continent. For 16 years both the countries had not played any cricket matches in each other’s countries. There were apprehensions that a cricketing engagement between the old adversaries could reignite hostile sentiments amongst the people and vitiate the just emerging peace process.

To prevent the cricket matches from regenerating old hostilities and instead use them to further the sentiments of friendship and cause of peace, COVA had proposed the “Partners in Victory – Flags for Peace Campaign” where people were urged to wave and display flags of both the countries together!! Pakistan Peace Coalition, PILER, SAP and many other organizations in Pakistan and India partnered in this Campaign to make the India Pakistan cricket matches a paradigm of friendship!

Pakistan India matches were on in different cities in Pakistan. The stadia were packed to capacity. Millions in the subcontinent and around the globe were glued to the spectacle. A daring shot by the batsman, the crowd roared and waved flags. A brilliant delivery by the bowler- more flags waving and crowds were in frenzy. But the flags that were waved by people all around were the flags of both Pakistan and India!! Each one had two flags in hand- the Indian flag and the Pakistani flag!! Many people had flags plastered on their checks- Indian flag on one and Pakistani on the other. People still remember the spectacle of large Indian and Pakistani flags stitched together and displayed all over the stadia. People’s love had once again defeated hate and created history!!

Pakistan and India played cricket. And irrespective of which team won or lost, every game played made both the countries Partners in Victory!

Partners in Victory- Flags for Peace Campaign in World Cup Semi Final- Mohali

Let’s recreate the spirit and magic of the 2004 Pakistan India Cricket Series in Mohali!!

COVA and YUVASATTA of India and member organizations of Pakistan Peace Coalition will arrange to make available flags of both the countries to the spectators in Mohali for the Semi Final with the hope that every ball bowled and every shot play would be a joint celebration and irrespective of who wins and who loses, both countries will be Partners in Victory!!!

Pakistan Peace Coalition, PILER, SAP, AJOKA and many other organization will facilitate hundreds of spectators from Pakistan to cross over from the Wagah Border on 29^th March 2011 waving flags of both India and Pakistan and COVA, Folk Research Academy and many other organization on the Indian side will receive them and escort them to Mohali singing songs of peace and friendship!!!

Organizations and groups from India, Pakistan and the world over who want to collaborate or endorse this Partners in Victory- Flags for Peace Campaign are requested to send their consent so that their names could be included as Partner Organizations.

Let’s hope and pray that the World Cup comes to South Asia!!!

Jai Hind Pakistan Zindabad

For Information Please Contact:

India

Mazher Hussain

COVA,

Hyderabad, India

Ph: 0091-9849178111, 9394544244

Telefax: 0091-40-24574527

Email: mazherhussain11[at]gmail.com

Promod Sharma

Yuva Satta

3362 Sector 35 D

Chandigarg, India

Ph; 0091- 9872609816

Email: yuvsattaa[at]yahoo.com

Pakistan

B.M. Kutty
Secretary General

Pakistan Peace Coalition
Secretariat: PILER

Gulshan E Maymar,

Karachi, Pakistan

Ph:0092- 3008227912

Email: beeyemkey[at]yahoo.com

Folly of continued animosity between Pakistan and India

sapw — 2011-02-08T08:03:42Z

Daily Times
08 February, 2011

EDITORIAL: All talk, no play

The foreign secretaries of both India and Pakistan, Nirupama Rao and Salman Bashir, whilst meeting on the sidelines of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) conference in Thimpu, Bhutan have, this time round, ventured something old, something borrowed, and something slightly new. Borrowing from rhetoric that has been around in the past, both foreign secretaries agreed that India and Pakistan need to resume constructive dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues between these decades-long rivals. This is something we have all heard before, and have also seen no real headway being made in any constructive talks between the two countries. Therefore, it comes as little surprise that no date has been set for the resumption of the dialogue. This reiteration of continuing communication should be recognised for being just what it is: a small step forward.

This is the first time both countries have once again raised the possibility of a dialogue resumption after the meeting between Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna in Islamabad in July last year. However, it cannot be overstated just how important this dialogue is. When two nuclear-armed neighbours co-exist uneasily under an umbrella of suspicion and mistrust, it is indeed dangerous to stay away from talks. That was the situation that existed after the Mumbai attacks in 2008. India and Pakistan developed a stone cold silence, which was not breached till they met again in Sharm el-Sheikh in July 2009. Dialogue was once again given key importance in Thimpu last year on the sidelines of the SAARC summit, in the same vein as seen on Sunday. However, history and evidence suggest that both countries are merely fulfilling procedural requirements when they speak of speaking.

Nevertheless, there is something new in the equation now. The fact remains that both countries face the unrelenting threat of terrorism, one that is afflicting both from within. Not only that, there is a real threat of cross-border terrorism. Pakistan has the Taliban militants that it must contain and India has its own garden variety of Hindu extremists. The Samjhauta Express bombing, which killed some 68 people, including 42 Pakistani nationals, was initially being pinned on extremists from Pakistan. However, it has now come to light that the bombing was the work of Hindu extremist Swami Aseemanand, a leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), who confessed to this and other terror activities. This revelation has put Pakistan and India on a somewhat even keel morally, with both suffering the same problems and looking for the same solutions. Cross-border terrorism cannot be ruled out, as extremists do not care about borders. It is probably this realisation, amongst other factors, that has brought India back to the negotiation table.

India’s stonewalling was also giving it a bad image, at home and abroad. By not moving forward with talks, India was beginning to look like an intransigent neighbour — not willing to solve the problem of terrorism with Pakistan — a stance that was giving it increasingly diminishing returns.

All in all, this reiteration of resuming dialogue is, once again, an encouraging step. India wants an all out strategy from Pakistan to curb the terror threat that haunts the entire region and Pakistan is looking for an end to the Kashmir quagmire. Kashmir is a stalemate issue and with militancy so far spread out, it is also not an easily solvable problem. It looks like both countries have once again met each other halfway. We wait to see if they can go the distance.

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Kashmir Times, 8 February 2011

Editorial

Another barren engagement
India & Pakistan lack decisive leadership to grapple with hard issues hindering bilateral relationship

Perhaps nothing could explain better the net productivity of periodic bilateral diplomatic engagement between India and Pakistan than parrot-like repetition that both the countries agreed upon the ‘need for exploring’ further engagement to resolve outstanding issues between them. Its latest edition came after the two foreign secretaries, Nirupama Rao and Salman Bashir, met at Thimpu, capital of Bhutan, on the sidelines of the meeting of the standing committee of the South Asian Association of Regional Co-operation (SAARC) on Sunday. It was in April, 2010 that Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had met, apparently, to agree upon continuation of the dialogue process. Foreign ministers SM Krishna and Shah Mehmood Qureshi then met in Islamabad in July last year but only to cause more bitterness as a result of the latter’s undiplomatic statement after the meeting. Quite evidently, nothing tangible was discussed and all that was agreed upon was that Qureshi would be visiting New Delhi some time by January 2011. More or less same is true of the meeting held by the foreign secretaries at Thimpu on Sunday. Ironically, both sides made identical noise about their shared desire to keep talking in pursuit of finding solution to the host of mutual problems affecting their bilateral relationship.

Even so, it was relatively less abrasive tone of their statements which indicated possibility of early resumption of regular process of dialogue. This process, snapped abruptly after the Mumbai attacks in November 2008, continues to remain in the limbo. India’s flat refusal to re-engage on the ground that Pakistan was not doing enough to punish those accused in the Mumbai attacks posed the biggest hurdle towards resuming the composite dialogue. That format appears to have been all but given up. Instead, the officials on the two sides have been working an alternate road map to resumption of the dialogue process. Meanwhile, Pakistan discovered a useful tactical weapon to replicate India’s negative approach. Pakistan quickly pounced upon the leeway offered by unearthing of organised ‘saffron’ terror network within India in relation to various incidents including the dastardly attack on the Samjhuta Express train. Since then it has been more or less hurling back each and every demand made by India in connection with 26/11. On both sides there appears to be almost equal resistance to breaking any new ground. Net result is that the resumption of purposeful substantive dialogue has become a hostage to this one-upmanship.

To what extent this course is determined or influenced by compulsions of domestic politics in India and Pakistan is not so easy to determine although the fact remains that this has always been and is likely to remain as a major stumbling block. Observance of ‘Kashmir solidarity day’ on February 5 across Pakistan-administered Kashmir, not so long after BJP’s Ekta Yatra (to Lal Chowk) on January 26, provides a measure of the rising political temperature over ‘Kashmir’ as well as over the larger issue of India-Pakistan relationship. Political and numerical fragility of the regimes in New Delhi and Islamabad tends to aggravate this phenomenon. That is the main reason why the decision taken by the two prime ministers in April last year to resume substantive dialogue has vanished into the thin air. Back channel engagements held in the intervening period have so far not helped either.

India-Pakistan engagement has become absolutely imperative in the context of the tenuous situation prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi appears to be convinced that status quo can no longer serve its purpose and that some fresh initiative was called for to assuage anger and alienation in J&K. But its attempt at going solo and seeking a way out does not seem to be making any headway because Pakistan happens to be a key factor in achieving even a minimum level of stability and normalcy. On the other side too the PPP regime has been piling up its load of problems many of which could be tackled by engaging with India. Significantly, though the present regime has disowned Musharraf legacy it has chosen not to jettison all that was achieved as a result of that between 2004 and 2008.

Until and unless both the countries realise the folly of continued animosity and appreciate need for purposeful engagement meetings like the one held at Thimpu on Sunday are unlikely to produce any result.

Dialogue only way to resolve disputes between India and Pakistan

sapw — 2011-01-12T10:16:37Z

(Editorial, Kashmir Times, 12 January 2011)

Dialogue must go on

The only way to resolve all outstanding disputes between India and Pakistan

The proposed meeting between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan at Thimphu in Bhutan on the sidelines of the SAARC standing committee meeting on February 6-7 raises hopes of the two countries abandoning their blame game and march forward on the road to peace. According to reports the two foreign secretaries will prepare ground for the proposed meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries likely to be held in New Delhi soon. Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has responded favourable to the invitation from his Indian counterpart S.M.Krishna to visit New Delhi for resuming the composite dialogue. Qureshi wanted the two foreign secretaries to prepare a comprehensive agenda for the ministerial level meeting. Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Geelani too has expressed the hope for the resumption of meaningful dialogue process at different levels soon. The leaders in both the countries must demonstrate their will and ability to rise above petty considerations to not only renew the process of composite dialogue but also to carry it forward to its logical end. For this purpose they must abandon the blame game, which can only add to the tensions and prolong the conflict which can not be in the interest of the people of the two countries. There is no doubt that the people in both the countries desire peace and expect their respective leadership to shun rigidity and carry forward the dialogue process for resolving all the outstanding disputes. The dialogue has to be meaningful, sustained and uninterrupted. There are strong vested interests in the two countries who would make all efforts to subvert any move for the resumption of dialogue. The hawks in the two countries have to be isolated for ensuring early negotiated solutions of all the issues that have remained unresolved for the past several decades. Most of the problems which the two countries are facing are common and call for peace and mutual cooperation between the two neighbouring countries for their solution. The question of terrorism, which New Delhi has been raising off and on, blaming Islamabad for its failure to honour its assurances that its territory will not be allowed to be used for terrorist activities against India, too can be taken up during the meetings at different levels. In fact both the countries are facing the menace of terrorism in one way or the other and in varying degrees and they need to evolve common mechanism in fighting out this menace.

The foremost thing is to overcome the trust deficit that has always hindered the dialogue process or had created roadblocks on the way to peace. For creating a congenial climate for an uninterrupted and uninterruptable dialogue process it is important to open and strengthen all channels of dialogue, not restricting them to the official level. Of these the people-to-people contacts between the two countries is undoubtedly the most important confidence-building measure that had helped in the past to build bridges of understandings and strengthening the peace lobbies in the two countries. Unfortunately the restrictive visa regimes in the two countries has only resulted in subverting this meaningful process for restoring mutual trust. Instead of obstructing the exchange of visits by different professional groups there is need to encourage this process by removing the curbs on the movements of the people from one country to the other. Such exchanges have helped in the past to build the peace lobbies in the two countries which were able to influence their respective governments to initiate the dialogue process at official level. While composite dialogue has to cover all the outstanding issues which have remained unresolved it needs to be understood that without resolving the Kashmir problem no tangible progress is possible in finding a mutually acceptable solution of other issues. For Kashmir solution it is important to provide their due space to the people of Kashmir at the dialogue table. The two governments should take steps for facilitating the hassle-free movements of the political leaders and the people at large across the Line of Control providing an opportunity for intra-Jammu and Kashmir dialogue for evolving a consensus by reconciling the divergent aspirations and views of the people living in different regions and areas of the State. For creating a conducive climate for the peace process some CBMs like the end to violence and all human rights abuses, probe into all cases of such abuses, release of political prisoners, scrapping of draconian laws and restoring people's democratic rights are imperative.

As India gets rich, it's trading Gandhi for guns

sapw — 2010-12-21T18:59:21Z

Source URL: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/india/101214/india-gun-culture-violence?page=0,1

Global Post, 20 December 2010

India: gun culture - and gun violence - on the rise

By Jason Overdorf and Poh Si Teng

"Everyone in our family has one. Our family has the largest number of guns in Gurgaon," said Rajje Yadav, a real estate developer who also owns a liquor store.

Yadav is a representative of north India's new rich. Over the past several years, the rapid economic growth of the “National Capital Region” (NCR) that surrounds New Delhi — and an accompanying real estate boom — has brought radical social change to the traditionally macho, honor-obsessed communities of rural Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

Agrarian castes like the Jats and Yadavs have been propelled to fantastic wealth through the sale of their farms to real estate developers. But many have failed to integrate into the new urban society that surrounds them. For every new rich man there's a poor one who covets what he has.

And social tensions have been exacerbated as the educated members of the lower castes who once worked as bonded labor now leverage social programs to uplift themselves and overtake their one-time landlords. Throw in an obsession with izzat, or honor, and a fascination with guns, and you have the perfect recipe for violence.

"We and our relatives who are in the land and wine business have to handle enormous amounts of cash every day, so in order to protect ourselves we have to carry guns," said Yadav. But he admits that there's more to the phenomenon. "Guns have become a sort of status symbol," he says. "Possessing a gun takes a person to great heights."

Accidental deaths at NCR weddings — where revelers show off by shooting into the air — have become so commonplace that a council of leaders from some 40 villages in Delhi's hinterlands banned firearms from marriage ceremonies earlier this year. In a recent incident, for instance, bridegroom Pankaj Kumar was killed by a stray bullet at his wedding celebration when his father couldn't resist discharging his pistol into the air to show his status. No doubt today he feels much the same pain as Rajinder Tyagi.

"We pray to the almighty that something of this sort never happens to anyone, ever," Tyagi said. "The tragedy of losing a child is the greatest of them all."

But the rapid proliferation of guns suggests such tragedies are likely to grow more common. Already, in Meerut, another burgeoning city on the border of Delhi, guns accounted for nearly a quarter of accidental deaths in 2008.

"According to us, the reason behind this is the rapid industrialization and colonization in these areas,” an inspector general with the Meerut police recently told an Indian newspaper. “People are prospering and where there is money involved, there is always a fear of crime."

Because of that fear, it's not just rowdies, politicians and criminals who are arming themselves, and it's not only the newly rich of India's macho castes. It's doctors, lawyers and journalists, from the purportedly bookish Brahmin caste on down.

Consider Rakesh Singh, a native of Andhra Pradesh who has been a practicing doctor in Gurgaon for nearly 10 years. A few weeks ago at the private hospital he founded in 2007, located in a row of property dealers that hint at Gurgaon's red-hot real estate market, he gingerly pulled a licensed Indian-made revolver out of his desk drawer. He wasn't proud. He was angry.

"Deep down there's a sense of insecurity," he said. "Even in this city. Or as such in the NCR — Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon. Even when you're out with your wife on Saturdays with the children, or driving back [home] at 10:30, you have this insecurity."

Not long before, a car had forced him off the road while he was on his way home. Seeing a gun in one man's hand and realizing they planned to rob him, or worse, Singh threw his car in reverse as the man opened fire, shooting three times. Outside his clinic, he pointed out the place where one of the bullets hit the hood of his car. Next time, Singh plans to shoot back.

"[It's] survival of the fittest. If you want to live in Rome, you have to live like how the Romans do," he said. "I have a revolver. But I really wish I had a more sophisticated, easier-to-use weapon. Because I'm really angry about the whole thing and I wouldn't think twice about shooting back. ... Somebody needs to let them know, you're not going to take it lying down. You can't go around, get drunk and go shooting people, bully people around who are just doing their job."

Stop War, Start Tennis : Indo Pakistan Tennis Duo play for peace

sapw — 2010-09-11T16:31:53Z

BBC News, 10 September 2010 Last updated at 19:26 GMT

South Asian tennis pair rally for peace at US Open

By Salim Rizvi New York

"Stop War, Start Tennis" was the message from two players in Friday's men's doubles final at the US Open.

Rohan Bopanna of India and his partner Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan say if they can be friends, so can their countries.

Seeded 16th, the so-called "Indo-Pak Express" were up against favourites Bob and Mike Bryan of the US. In the end they lost, but their fans' enthusiasm is undimmed.

The success of the South Asians has been making headlines at home - Qureshi also made it to the mixed doubles final on Thursday, but lost.

For Pakistanis, his exploits in New York are rare good news after devastating floods, a recent cricket corruption scandal and years of militant insurgency.

'Changing minds'

"It is the beauty of sport that it's above culture, politics and religion," says Qureshi, who is from Lahore. "So by pairing together through our tennis, we are trying to give a message of peace to people of India and Pakistan.

The main thing is we trust in each other - Rohan is my best friend on the tour and we have a very good understanding ”

Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi

"It feels very good to see the Indian fans taking autographs from me and Pakistani fans taking Rohan's autographs.

"They also cheer the same team. Rohan always points out that even if we change the minds of 3% or 4% of people, it's worth it. And if we two can be friends together, then why can't other Indians and Pakistanis be friends?"

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 and their relations are marked by mistrust.

But Bopanna says: "It doesn't matter to me whether it's an Indian or a Pakistani as my doubles partner.

"We travel together on tours, we have so much in common. Even the languages we speak - Aisam speaks Urdu, I speak Hindi - are also similar. And he is my good friend. So all this makes it so easy for us to play."

Bopanna, left, says they have so much in common

The men, who met when they were 16 and are now 30, began playing as partners in 2003. They launched their bid for peace after noticing that fans from both countries supported them.

This year has been their most successful: they played in all the grand slam events and reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals.

At Wimbledon they began wearing T-shirts and sweatshirts with the message "Stop War, Start Tennis".

FULL TEXT AT

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/11258676

o o o

Poster created by Nitish Mohanty in response to an email by Anand Patwardhan

Posted by Beena Sarwar at twitpic

http://tinyurl.com/38eqgml

o o o

The Times of India

If Rohan and I can get along so well, why can't India and Pakistan: Qureshi

by Prajwal Hegde, TNN, Sep 10, 2010, 12.16am IST

BANGALORE: Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, tennis world's Indo-Pak Express, stormed into the US Open men's doubles final early on Thursday, downing Argentina's Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zaballos 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 in the semifinals, before scores of Indians and Pakistanis who cheered in one voice. 'Indo-Pak' has never sounded sweeter.

The 16th-seed combination, who played their maiden Grand Slam semifinal before an audience that included the United Nations ambassadors of India and Pakistan, Hardeep Puri and Abdullah H Haroon, will take on the top-seeded American pair of Bob and Mike Bryan in the title round late on Friday.

"We knew, to do well in the big events was the only way to pass on that message (of peace)... Hopefully with that, and, you know, both our countries agreeing we can have that match up on that border," Bopanna told reporters after the match.

"I see Qureshi from Lahore and Bopanna from Bangalore combining like brothers," sports minister MS Gill told TOI. "I have one question for everyone. If Bopanna and Qureshi can play together, why cannot India and Pakistan."

Meanwhile, the deadly duo claimed that they are up to the challenge of taking on the best team in the business. Bopanna said: "To win a Grand Slam you have to beat the best there is. We have to go there and play our games, we beat them (Bryan twins) a few weeks ago. We are looking forward to the final."

The pair, that has come through some tight matches, the quarters and semifinal of the US Open included, said 'trust' was a big part of their partnership.

On cloud nine after making the US Open men's doubles final with his Pakistani partner Asiam-ul-Haq Qureshi, Bangalorean Rohan Bopanna explained, "The fact that we get along so well off the court makes it easier on court. Believing in each other I think is what is getting us through, every game. The way we see it, there is nobody there. It is just between him and me. We keep telling each other that it is just the two of us here to play and win."

Bopanna's parents - father Bopanna, a coffee planter in Coorg, and mother Malika - flew out to New York on Thursday along with a few cousins of the 30-year-old to catch the final. In Bangalore, the tennis fraternity and the Coorgi community are sure to catch Friday's late-night affair on TV. The networking sites too are abuzz with messages urging every Indian and Pakistani in New York to book a seat at the Arthur Ashe Stadium for the doubles final. The twosome, torchbearers of the 'Stop War, Start Tennis' international peace campaign, have brought a whole new community to tennis, the Indo-Pak family.

The Indian said, "They (Bryan brothers) will have home support, but we've played enough Davis Cup to know that pressure. We just have to block out everyone and play our game."

Against the fancied Bryans on Friday, Bopanna and Qureshi will need to play their best game on court. Qureshi, who has also made the mixed-doubles final along with Czech Kveta Peschke, will square off against top-seeds Lizel Huber and Bob Bryan in the mixed-doubles title clash late on Thursday. Doubtless then that one team will come into the men's doubles final with some extra momentum.

Qureshi said, "These two weeks have been a dream come true. I can't thank Rohan enough for being my partner. Pakistan has been going through a lot in the last two or three years - all the terrorist attacks, the floods and now the cricket scandal. I'm happy that I can send positive news back home."

Qureshi added: "I feel the western world and America have a wrong perception about Muslims and Pakistan. We do have terrorist groups, we do have extremists, but like every religion there are extremists there. It doesn't mean that the whole nation is terrorist or extremist. Pakistan is a peace-loving country. Everybody loves sports. Everybody wants peace."

Read more: If Rohan and I can get along so well, why can't India and Pakistan: Qureshi - The Times of India

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/events-tournaments/us-open/indian-challenges/If-Rohan-and-I-can-get-along-so-well-why-cant-India-and-Pakistan-Qureshi/articleshow/6527032.cms#ixzz0zEk3HaWv

o o o

Indian and Pakistani players join forces to promote peace through Wimbledon

London 21 June, 2010 - Lotto testimonials Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi, Indian and Pakistani respectively, have decided to join forces as a doubles team at Wimbledon to help promote peace.

The two players, along with Peace and Sport, the Monaco-based and neutral international organization that works towards bringing together divided communities worldwide by encouraging dialogue and reconciliation through sport, have decided to team up at this prestigious sporting event, in order to help maintain and promote peace in their neighbouring countries.

Read Full Press Release

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