Rohila Peace Pilgrimage in Pakistan: Report
ACHA-Pritam Rohila
ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNAL HARMONY IN ASIA (ACHA)
www.asiapeace.org & www.indiapakistanpeace.org
4410 Verda Lane NE, Keizer, OR 97303, USA
December 26, 2008
Rohila Peace Pilgrimage in Pakistan: Report
After our two-week-long Peace Pilgrimage in Pakistan, Kundan and I returned to India, early on the morning of December 8.
We started our travels in Pakistan by car on November 24. We had frank and sometimes very spirited discussions with many peace and human rights activists, and civil society leaders, in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sadikabad, Multan, Toba Tek Singh, Faisalabad, Lahore and Islamabad.
We met with some students and teachers at the Karachi University, and the Federal Urdu University in Karachi, Punjab University in Lahore, a Christian high school in Toba Tek Singh, and in Sadikabad a Madrasa and a school for the military dependents.
We were interviewed in Karachi by Raja Fayyaz, a staff reporter for the Urdu daily, Ummat; Xari Jalil, a reporter for the English daily, The News; Naveen Naqvi the anchor of the “Breakfast at Dawn” television program; in Sadikabad by Shumaila Hafiz of the Sariki language FM radio station, Awaz; and in Hyderabad by the anchor of the “Na2 Sahi to” at KTN TV, a Sindhi language station. Also at Lahore Press Club, we joined a peace demonstration organized by the India-Pakistan Peace Initiatives. The demonstration was covered by several newspapers.
We met the Governors of Sindh and Punjab at their offices, and some MQM officials at their brand new Media Center.
We used the opportunity to present ACHA Star Awards. ACHA Board of Directors had earlier decided to recognize with this award in Pakistan, B. M. Kutty Sahib and Karamat Ali Sahib of Karachi (Attachment 1)“For many years of their leadership and exemplary work to promote peace in South Asia,” and Mubashir Mirza of Sadikabad (Attachment 2) “To encourage him to continue his work to promote peace and harmony among the youth of Pakistan and India.”
Prof. Dr. Moonis Ahmar of Karachi University, Dr. A. H. Nayyyar of the Pakistan Peace Coalition, Awais Seikh of the India-Pakistan Peace Initiatives, and the Governor of Punjab surprised Kundan and I by conferring awards of their own on us.
Everywhere we were received warmly, and entertained with the typical Pakistani hospitality. People listened to us patiently. Many of them assured us of their support in furthering “Peace in My Family and Harmony in My Neighborhood,” the theme for our Peace Pilgrimage.
In spite of the horrible terrorist attacks in Mumbai, their inflammatory coverage in the Indian and Pakistani media, and the bellicose statements made by some hawks on both sides of the Indo-Pak border, our Peace Pilgrimage to Pakistan was a grand success!
The credit for this goes to our local coordinators - Zulfiqar Shah in Hyderabad, Mubashir Mirza in Sadikabad, Malik Mohammad Ashiq Bhutta in Multan, Ashfaq Fateh in Toba Tek Singh, Muhammad Tahir Ali in Faisalabad, Awais Seikh in Lahore, and Dr. A.H. Nayyar in Islamabad, who faithfully and diligently made all the local arrangements in their respective areas.
But we are particularly grateful to Sharafat Ali and Syed Akif, who not only took charge of the local arrangements in Karachi, but helped us with arrangements at other places as well. We are especially indebted to Syed Akif and his family who went beyond the call of duty to make our visit to Pakistan a safe, comfortable, enjoyable and above all a memorable one!
Also with the help of Ayub Jamali, we were able to visit the Sindh Museum in Hyderabad, the Indus Valley Civilization site at Mohenjodaro, Benazir Bhutto’s grave at Garhi Khuda Baksh, and Sadhu Bela temple at Sukkur. Also he was instrumental in introducing us to rice-flour Roti and home-made vegetable preparations at his ancestral town of Dadu.
Dr. and Mrs. A.H. Nayyar very kindly took us to Punja Sahib, a Sikh Gurdwara associated with an event in the life of Guru Nanak. Awais Seikh showed us the Lahore Museum. Also we are grateful to Sayeeda Diep and many others who hosted various meals and teas for us.
We thank Kausar and Aisha Akif in Karachi, Salomi Fateh in Toba Tek Singh, M. Tahir Ali in Faislabad, Awais Seikh and Lubi in Lahore, and Naveen Nayyar in Islamabad for helping Kundan with shopping for souvenirs. Also we are grateful to Humaira Saikh and A.H. and Naveen Nayyar for their gracious hospitality in Lahore and Islamabad respectively.
Mention also must be made of Muhammad Zaman, our effable, and pleasant driver, who for two weeks chauffeured us from Karachi to Islamabad and to all our engagements in between. Always conscious of our safety, he drove cautiously and defensively. Throughout our travels he kept us entertained with his Afridi Pathan wisdom and wit.
We have kept busy since our return from Pakistan. We have attended two family weddings, and have visited friends and relatives in Gujarat and Maharashtra. Also we have done some sightseeing in Western India.
We visited Diu, a former Portuguese colony; Sommnath, a sacred Hindu site associated with Muhammad Ghazni; Uparkot, Nawab Mahabat Khan’s Mausoleum, and Jama Masjid in Juna Garh; Gondal, the capital of a former progressive kingdom; Rajkot, Kundan’s former home town; and Lothal, an Indus Valley Civilization site with a dry-dock for repairing ships.
After traveling for close to 31 hours from our home away from home in Mumbai to our home in Keizer, Oregon, on Christmas evening, we found our home covered in 10 to 12 inches thick blanket of white snow (Attachment 3). And we thought of the joyful moments Kundan and I had the good fortune of spending with you during our travels in your part of the world!
May this Christmas cover your and your family’s life with a blanket of peace; fill your hearts with joy and your minds with the dreams of new possibilities!
Best wishes,
Pritam
Pritam K. Rohila, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA)
www.asiapeace.org & www.indiapakistanpeace.org
asia...@comcast.net
