Chowrangi

Aman Ki Asha- Destination Peace

The two leading media houses of India and Pakistan – The Times of India and the Jang Group – have come together to develop a stronger Track 2 in the diplomatic and cultural relations between the people. “Aman ki Asha- Destination Peace” the compound Urdu Hindi title of this peace project is grasping attention across borders these days. The campaign aims to mobilizing popular support for peace.

Aman Ki Asha Aman ki Asha came as a surprise and left many in Pakistan gaping in wonder as to what to believe and what not to believe. The campaign itself is not a small breakthrough, given the hardening of positions after the Mumbai massacre and particularly the anti-Pakistan tone of the Indian media, a call for peace by the largest Indian media group is in itself a significant development. Opinion polls have convincingly established that a large majority of the people in both countries support peace. The hope for peace can only prevail and would have a meaning if the governments of both the countries decide the same.

The campaign has all its updates on its Facebook page. An anthem, written by Gulzar and sung by Shankar Mahadevan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is also a part of Aman ki Asha.[ev type=”youtube” data=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfZlpcS1Elg”][/ev]

Times of India is hosting country wide concerts and programs featuring Pakistani artists likewise Geo and Jang group is active in Indian films and Award shows projection. This will surely create a lot of revenue for both. One can just hope that this will not be a commercial gimmick but a sincere effort to let the establishment of both the countries embark on peace and respect each others sovereignty and Independence.

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Hina Safdar

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26 responses to “Aman Ki Asha- Destination Peace”

  1. Shakir Lakhani Avatar
    Shakir Lakhani

    Hend: “rabid dogs of TOI”? I used to read TOI when I was a boy of 10 (my father loved it). It stopped coming to Pakistan after the 1965 war, but for the past 10 years I’ve been reading the internet edition.

    Reply
  2. Hend Avatar
    Hend

    by the way, jung is a respected news paper in pakistan, tell them not get mixed up with the rabid dogs of TOI, keep it away…before that prostitutional tabloid passes on some STDs

    Reply
  3. Lt. General Ayub Khan Avatar
    Lt. General Ayub Khan

    What a stupid, lame and pointless initiative.

    How can you have peace when there are un-resolved issues….Nevertheless, a few slogans wont change anything.

    I dont know about others here. But to me, india is my enemy. I will never be friend with indian. We can respect eachother, do occasional business together, have movement of citizens (though none of these will happen anytime soon)……but indian will never be my friend, and i dont care about them

    we have big issues to tackle right now, geo-political; social; economic……..we shouldnt waste our time with this gay campaign which wont even change anything

    Reply
  4. Hend Avatar
    Hend

    SL

    You proved my point by inserting the last statement in your post.

    So let me repeat just in case I was not clear.

    NO matter how many direct contacts you open, no matter how many peace ghazals you sing, finally it will still boil down to the core issues on which the perceptions and positions of the people in the two countries are OPPOSITE.

    To give an example, after the 26/11 attacks on Mumbai, the main reason why Pakistani government was reluctant to act against LeT was the fear that Pakistani public will see it as a CAPITULATION.

    This is our situation. Even in doing what is right and just is seen through the prism of politics and perceptions of hegemony and capitulation are quickly brought in.

    I am not against these Aman jokers though I must admit I don’t care about them. My problem is, these people act as if the problem is that of ideology between the people of India and Pakistan, which it is not. They claim to be addressing a problem which in reality is not the core issue at all.

    Go and make them stand side by side and ask what the two countries should do about the each of the core issues, one by one. Then you will get the real answer. Either they will evade by giving some silly poetic delusional or evasive answers or they will prove exactly what I am saying here by giving completely opposite answers.

    These people have no solutions because they refuse to acknowledge the problems. To them, anyone talking about these problems appears to be an opponent of peace…which is utter rubbish. No one is against peace, people are not against peace but people do not need a shallow peace which slips into the situation like present at every small incident.

    If these bums are genuinely interested in bringing the countries together, let them come up with their joint position on every issue and try to convince people. I am least bothered about childish initiatives.

    Reply
  5. Sadia Hussain Avatar
    Sadia Hussain

    Any initiative of peace should be welcomed whole heartedly by all quarters; we face a common enemy i.e. extremist who want war and insanity to prevail so that these forces can further breed and foster

    Reply
  6. Eraj Danish Avatar
    Eraj Danish

    Guys peace destination will only prevail when peace exists in Pakistan. We want every corner of Pakistan to condemn militancy and be free of a suicide blast. If we have to we will take our rally, campaigns and anything it takes to defeat terrorism.

    Reply
  7. Shakir Lakhani Avatar
    Shakir Lakhani

    Hend: although most Pakistanis and Indians get along well when they work together in the U.A.E., U.K. or the U.S., it’s those who live in Pakistan and India that are against peace, particularly if it means capitulation. My daughter (who lives in the U.K.) now finds herself working with Indian Hindu girls. At first she was reluctant to get too friendly with them but now she and her husband are on visiting terms with many Indian Hindu couples (even though they can’t understand why even educated Hindus are so terribly superstitious). Once direct contact between the two peoples is allowed (by issuing more visas, for instance), there is a chance that the two countries will finally be able to live like good neighbours. Of course, India will have to give up its hegemonistic thinking before peace is achieved.

    Reply
  8. James Killian Spratt Avatar
    James Killian Spratt

    Is your enemy half evil or half good? Is your waterglass half empty or half full?

    Empathy is everything. Can you walk a mile in your enemy’s shoes, and see yourself?

    Reply
  9. Hina Safdar Avatar
    Hina Safdar

    @Hend
    I second u on this.

    It is ok to try for peace but it is not ok to pretend as if there is no problem at all by simply avoiding the mention of core issues.

    Reply
  10. Hend Avatar
    Hend

    I don’t think anyone cares about these delusional programs undertaken by some publicity seeking individuals in music industry.

    Have the same media groups which till yesterday were sending provoking and blatant healines to print suddenly undergone a change of heart.

    It is not as if the two countries had some arguments and misunderstandings and which can be resolved by singing peace gazals.

    The problems between the two countries are fundamental: Terrorism, Kashmir, border disputes, fundamentalism. No matter how many gazals you sing, at the end of the day, people of either country are against making compromise on these issues.

    It is ok to try for peace but it is not ok to pretend as if there is no problem at all by simply avoiding the mention of these issues. I would ask people to go ask these jokers for their views on these issues and see what kind of replies they give.

    Reply
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