Chandigarh: Delegates from neighbouring country Pakistan who were in Punjab to attend the 10th edition of the Global Youth Peace Fest 2015, took back cherished memories after the celebrations ended. Twenty three year old Laraib, a youth activist from Lahore who is currently pursuing her masters in philosophy in gender studies, has always felt a special love for India as her grandparents belonged to Gurgaon. “It was like a dream to visit India,” she said. Talking about her bus journey from Amritsar to Chandigarh, she shared how she got to know that Sikhs carried a 'kirpan' as part of their 'dharam parampara'. “I figured out what my co-passenger said, thanks to my knowledge of Bollywood movies. I feel I know Hindi better than Urdu,” she said. “I feel hatred is between political parties and not among the general public. I feel I am both a Pakistani and an Indian. We are one.”
A co-ordinator of the Aaghaz-e-Dosti campaign, Islamabad's Aliya Hasir seeks to bridge the gap between both the countries and believes the lack of communication as well as miscommunication has fuelled the conflict. “It is important to empathise with each other and spread the message of peaceful co-existence. That is why I am here,” she said. Remembering her first interaction with Indians which was during an exchange programme to the USA, Aliya said, “I remember we had all gone to watch a cricket match between India and Pakistan and when India lost to Pakistan, there was an exchange of unpleasant comments and taunts. Gradually, we forgot about it and actually got along pretty well.” She fondly remembers how some Indians looked after her when she fell ill and was hospitalised. “It is then that I realised how our eating habits are similar too.”
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, children of Carmel Convent School interacted with students of KIPS School, Lahore, through video-conferencing on issues of women in India and Pakistan. This cross-border dialogue was organised by Yuvsatta as part of the ongoing activities of the 10th edition of the Global Youth Peace Festival (GYPF).
