From: Stephen E Philion <philion at hawaii.edu> Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2000 15:18:40 -1000
Folks, Can anyone help me get a handle on the class politics of the folks who put this out? Aside from having read Ahmad's Classes, Literature, and Nations...My acquanitance with Indian politics is far from strong enough. I would greatly appreciate any informed left critiques of this article below. I'd be especially interested in more info on the class politics of the organization that sponsored this event. The whole thing sounds kind of peacenikingly patronizing...former navy chief going to the people and telling them to give up violence... Any left analysis would be helpful to me, I'd like to respond to the person who sent this to me....
Thanks, Steve
fyi:
we need more stories like this one!
rs
---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2000 09:44:07 -1000 From: Gouri HAP99 <gourihap99 at igc.org> To: Hague Appeal for Peace <hapnews-list at igc.com> Subject: A beautiful story for the new year
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LIGHTING CANDLES ON THE TANK BUND
- a vigil for peace in the millennium
Hyderabad - Sunday January 2 2000
- a personal account from Lalita Ramdas
For those of us who continue to believe that `people to people' contact is the only way of building bridges between nations born out of complex political and religious compulsions such as India and Pakistan - the year end brought little cheer. As we watched the drama of the hi-jack unfold from minute to minute over the television screens, it was apparent that the tentative efforts to build towards friendship, peace and democracy through groups like the Pak-India Peoples' Forum for Peace and Democracy, had received a severe blow thanks to the systematic targeting of the `Pakistani hand' in the planning and implementation and the final denouement of the hijack episode. Media and officialdom alike never attempted to make a separation between the Pakistani state and the people. Xmas, Ramzan, New Year notwithstanding - the accusations became shriller with each passing day - and there seemed to be little that any of us could do to counter the massive information and evidence that pointed to the complicity of our neighbour in this heartless exercise.
We drove up from Alibag on Xmas Eve - the hijack took place that same day. It was impossible to think about much else in the days that followed. We had hoped that we would kick off the millennium with a large joint convention of concerned citizens from India and Pakistan to raise our voice for peace and sanity in our region. But the growing climate of anger and outrage that was developing made such fond hopes recede into an increasingly distant future.
A few of us spoke informally here in Secunderabad soon after Christmas to share our concerns, and our hopes about creating a constructive climate for the mobilisation of voices of reason and balance. Over a post Iftar late night dialogue, was born the idea of a candle-light vigil in a popular public thoroughfare joining the twin cities, on the Sunday after the New Year. The notice was impossibly short - the timing scarcely opportune - [a day after the release of hostages], with government leading the hysterical denunciation of Pakistan's role and demanding their being named a `terrorist state' - and a weekend when people might be too tired to stir out after new year and millennium revelries. But an intrepid local group decided it was worth the effort and we agreed to meet at the statue of one of Andhra's revolutionary poets on the Tank Bund, appropriately opposite the towering and benign presence of the Buddha in the middle of the Hussain Sagar Lake . One retired Admiral and former Chief of the Naval Staff, our son-in-law and I were the first three to arrive - and we looked around sheepishly wondering whether anybody would actually be as naively optimistic as to join us.
Gradually people began to roll up in twos and threes - one carrying a newly painted banner of the Pak India Forum - others placards and postcards in Telugu, Urdu and English urging people to vote for peace - and candles and more candles which we were doubtful of using up.
And then a miracle slowly began to unfold before our eyes - as the first gang of about twenty of us old and young, men, women and children lit our candles and stood under the banner for a photograph around dusk: inexplicably, people on this the busiest road in a busy city slowed down, stopped to peer at the candle-holders - and then more closely at the banner which began with the words PAKISTAN - INDIA FORUM ........Intuitively a small group of us began to solicit passers by - beckoning with candles and an invitation " would you like to light a candle for peace? Stop a minute and join us if you believe that violence and war serve no purpose?"
It was a beautiful exercise in instant communication, education and learning - and an experience that demonstrated as nothing else could have - that people from all walks of life were willing and ready to spare those few moments for peace because they were weary of the messages of anger, hatred, war and terrorism. `An unrehearsed, impromptu HAPPENING - in the best sense of that word. '
Those who came to stop and stare, were drawn in as if to a magnet - was it the magic and the unique cosmpolitan history of this city of Hyderabad captured in the black stone and granite statues of its many heroes and poets and revolutionaries? Was it the surrealistic presence of the Buddha rising out of the Hussain SAgar Lake? And there were enough of us with activism and education in our blood stream to engage several in conversations which were enlightening as they were revealing .
A young Gujerati couple - out for a stroll on a lovely evening - actually got into a lengthy discussion - "but ofcourse `we' [Indians] always want peace -it is `those' [Pakistanis] who are causing all the trouble - `But how do you know? have you met any of " those "Pakistanis? "No no - but we know it is true - ask anyone - see what the TV and press says - they are like that!" See what they did when Vajpayee went to Lahore? "Dont you think that ordinary people are like us - be they in Pakistan or anywhere else?" "No - `they' are different!" "Shall I tell you a story? My daughter is married to 'one of those Pakistanis,' and I have a little grand-daughter who is and Indo-Pak product. Believe me they are like you and me - and want to live in peace . Should we not try to speak to the ordinary people to influence both our governments?" Silence. "Yes, maybe you are right - you see we dont know any one - we only know what we are told over TV - and what we hear our friends saying."
Others in response to our question - `so what do you think is the purpose of this vigil?' "Oh yes - we know - it is to tell us that the Muslims can do what they like and get away with anything" - " Let us discuss that - but why dont you light a candle first for peace? " " Peace - certainly - we are all for that, but you must tell `them'!"
And our Tamil friend stands next to a retired Navy Chief and a burkha clad woman, lights a candle - as do his wife and son - but he is not fully convinced"
A group of young teenagers from a Church Group, rehearsing for a church social, are persuaded by one of our group to join us and strum their guitar so that all of us - by now nearly a hundred persons - can join in singing 'Hum honge Kamayab'.......Hogi Shanti Charon Aur Is Din........[We shall overcome - and there will be peace around us]
Gangs of young men out for the evening , stop, listen, light candles, and are reluctant to leave as the discussions get more and more animated - `Is peace really possible? Yes - we want to do business - but if there is violence and war, it will be impossible." "Exactly - so will each of you go and talk to five more of your friends in your workplace or colleges or homes?" Yes - we promise .......
But it was the children - already excited with balloons and other goodies - who cajoled and pulled in their somewhat embarrassed parents to join the peace brigade. Once the ice was broken - conversations were started - people found that they worked in the same institution - a librarian met a professor from his college - others found they were from the same neighbourhood. The baloon walla, (the balloon seller) the moomphalli walla (the peanut vendor), the boy selling candy floss, women in Burkhas (veils worn by Muslim women) out after Iftar(breaking the fast during Ramzan), families on scooters, the list is long and diverse. But they all took time to stop - light a candle - ask what the banner meant and why - and the message moved along in ever widening circles - which drew in over two hundred citizens in the space of the two hours we spent -
The press came too - mainly interested to interview this odd phenomenon - a former military person actually out in a peace demonstration. We asked them if they would have come if we had just been normal citizens without a celebrity in our midst?! They protested that they too were committed to waging peace - why else would they give up a Sunday evening? The questions kept coming fast and furious - what about Kashmir? Will we ever find an answer? Can there be peace without it? Is eternal conflict written in to the destinies of our two countries ?
And so we finally wound our way home after two or more hours - exhilarated by this experience - still disbelieving that in this cynical urban milieu, such a happening had actually occurred ....... OUR FIRST BATTLE FOR PEACE IN THE MILLENNIUM HAD INDEED BEEN WON - AND WE WANT TO SHARE THIS MOMENT WITH OUR FRIENDS WHEREVER YOU ARE AS WE CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY.........
for there are miles to go
before we sleep ..........R.Frost
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