Indian, Pakistani students call for peace and love By Khalid Khattak
LAHORE: Let us sow seeds of peace and love by shunning biases and prejudices and work together to share brotherhood and humanity. This was the message of a meeting between Pakistani and Indian students held here on Sunday.

The Indian delegation is currently visiting the provincial metropolis under the Indo-Pak Peace Project for Education between Sanjan Nagar Public Education Trust, Pakistan, and The Millennium School, Amritsar, India. It is also linked to Aman Ki Asha, a joint peace initiative of two media groups, the Jang Group of Pakistan and the Times of India.

The students from both the sides met at 1st Indian Mock Parliament organised by the Seeds of Peace Pakistan at the FC College (A Chartered University) on Sunday. Pakistani students from different education institutions of the city participated in various sessions and replicated the Indian parliament and earned great applause from their counterparts from other side of the border.

Millennium Education for Sustainable Development Programme's Manager Shankar Musafir, speaking on the occasion, said the mock session of Indian parliament was a great effort on part of Pakistani students.

Seeds of Peace Pakistan's President Sajjad Ahmad said that the aim of organising the mock session of the Indian parliament was to sensitise Pakistani students to political reality in India, adding that similarly, Indian chapter of the organisation had recently organised a mock session of Pakistani parliament which was enacted by the Indian students in India.

Pakistani students who took part in the mock session of Indian parliament said that the event had changed their perception of India and Indians. They were of the view that there was a need to go beyond prejudice and accept each other as peaceful neighbours. "e need to see ourselves to achieve reconciliation," aid a student who performed the role of the Opposition Leader in Indian parliament. Another participant said, "he time has come to forget, forgive and move on."

Adviser of the Formanites Debating Society of the FC College ( Charted University) Alvina Waseem, said that there was a need to share brotherhood and humanity.A prize distribution ceremony was also held in which the Indian guest Shankar Musafir distributed certificates among the participants of the mock parliament.

Earlier, the Indian delegation spent a festive day in the provincial metropolis, visited various historical places and enjoyed local foods. Starting from the Delhi Gate, the delegates visited the Walled City and a guide from UNESCO also briefed them on the history of the places. They also visited tombs of Emperor Jahangir and Asif Jah.

Gurdwara Dera Sahib, situated opposite to the Lahore Fort, was also one of the destinations of the Indian delegates while they also tasted traditional foods of Lahore, including Siri Paye, Halwa Puri, Lasi, etc. In the evening, the delegates went to the Liberty Market, Gulberg, for shopping. Seema Gupta, a teacher, and three students, namely Samash, Gurupdesh Singh and Saru Kundra, from The Millennium School, Amritsar, were part of the Indian delegation.

Monday, October 25, 2010

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