4th Indo-Pak Peace Calendar Launched in Ayodhya-Faizabad (India)

A discussion on ‘Terrorism is the biggest threat to humanity’ was organized at Press Club Faizabad by Manav Ekta Manch, Faizabad on 30 January in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi. Speakers who participated included Prof (Retd) Chauthiram Yadav (Hindi Dept, BHU), Ravi Nitesh (Founder-Mission Bhartiyam), Yugal Kishore Shahstri (Social Activist), Hazi Afaaq (Social Activist) and others. During the talk, Indo-Pak Peace Calendar of Aaghaz-e-Dosti was released by guests as a message to spread peace and friendship among two countries. This peace calendar is initiative of Aaghaz-e-Dosti, an Indo Pak Friendship Campaign and includes 12 paintings from school students of India and Pakistan on ‘Indo Pak Peace’. This is 4^th year of Peace calendar. A delegation of activists including Ravi Nitesh, Yugal Kishore Shahstri and Gufran Khan later met with Chief Priest of Ram Janam Bhoomi, Acharya Satyendra and also presented this Peace calendar to him and received his message for Peace.  

Many people participated in seminar and talked about terrorism. Program was organized by Manav Ekta Manch that is a group of citizens working for social awareness on issues of countering communalism and spreading message of unity and fraternity among citizens through dialogues.

Prof Chauthiram Yadav, who authored many books and known figure in Hindi academicians, talked about how citizens have always been made divided and deprived by those who are powerful. He talked about caste and sub caste system, feminist revolutions and dalit atrocities. He talked about how western powers are trying to damage the real concept of development. In an example, he talked that how cities like Banglaore and Hyderabad have become identity of development, but in the same states , thousands of farmers are deprived and even committing suicides. He described that how the terrorism in its various forms is affecting minds of people and those who are trying to speaking against the powerful have been made silent. He told about examples of Rohit suicide of Hyderabad and of kalburgi and Pansare where the voice of dissents have been made silent and it is nothing but an act of terrorism.

Ravi Nitesh, founder of Mission Bhartiyam and Aaghaz-e-Dosti told that terrorism is in various forms and at various levels.  He talked that how terror is spreading not only physically, but ideologically too and even by state. He talked about global terrorism that is war for natural resources and economy, to regional cases of religious extremism, oil politics and disputes of land and borders and to local acts of terrorism through ideological spread of falsehood and ideas of dividing people by certain groups and spreading fear in to them for vote benefits. He talked that how the freedom struggle was fought by all caste and religions together for all, but later we are creating differences and making these identities as a basis of fighting with each other. He suggested that how we, as people must play a role in countering any of such acts, whether from state or non state actors and we must allow ourselves to get divided and fight with each other on the name of caste, religion, region etc. He also narrated that how many organizations, campaigns and movements have become voice of dissents and coming forward to advocate peace and harmony through various ways and how citizens have greater role in this.

Yugal Kishore Shahstri , a renowned social activist , who is also 16^th witness of CBI in Babri demolition case and had extensively worked for communal harmony, talked about how people are continuously struggling against communal politics. He talked about how it is very shameful for us, as a secular country that we fight on the name of religion and even we killed people on the name of religion. He also expressed his concern over how in the present time there are sympathizer of Godse who are flourishing their business without facing any action from government.  

Hazi Afaaq, who is a social activist talked about how terrorism is a threat and it should be condemned and countered by all. He talked about how no religion and how it is just based upon getting benefits out of it. He talked about how the business of arms supporting these acts in many countries.

Makrandee Bhartiya of Manav Ekta Manch conveyed his thanks to all guests and participants and expressed that they will continue their work for communal harmony.

Muzammil Fida, a shayar of Faizabad moderated the session. Other activists like Anil Verma, Gufran, Afaaq and Pappu Bhai also participated and spoke about the topic.

Later a delegation of activists that included Ravi Nitesh (Aaghaz-e-Dosti), Yugal Kishore Shahstri, Gufran and members of Manav Ekta Manch , met with Chief Priest of Ram Janam Bhoomi Acharya Satyendra and presented him peace calendar. In this meeting they discussed over issues of communalism and terrorism and also received message of Indo-Pak Peace from priest. 

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