The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Delegates to attend meet in Lahore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 01, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Delegates to attend meet in Lahore

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, AUG. 31. With cricket matches between India and Pakistan having almost transformed into friendly tussles, one can now look forward to football matches between the two countries.

This is just one of the items on the agenda when five delegates from Bangalore will attend the 10th anniversary of the Pakistan-India People's Forum for Peace and Democracy to be held in Lahore from September 3 to 5.

Those going to the event from the city are office-bearers of the Karnataka chapter of the forum and include Annapoorna Ravichander (president), Altaf Ahmed (general secretary), Sudha S. (joint secretary), Ashok Mathews Phillip (member), and M.M. Nazim (national council member).

Background

The forum was formed in New Delhi in 1994 to promote a dialogue between the people of India and Pakistan and build a movement for peace and democracy in the sub-continent. The General Secretariat is in Delhi and there are State secretariats in seven States, including Karnataka.

Six successful Pakistan-India people's joint conventions on peace and democracy have been held, one of them in Bangalore.

"During the anniversary celebrations, peace marches will be organised in different places in India and Pakistan. We will participate in the peace march there and Pakistanis will join the peace marches in India," Mr. Ahmed said.

There would also be two joint music concerts next year in different cities in both the countries. The sporting events to be organised included football matches between different clubs in India and Pakistan to be played in West Bengal.

In 2005, a series of cricket matches would be played between the two countries' best teams.

Joint committees

Apart from sports and music, the forum is also into some serious activities. There are three joint committees on Kashmir, peace and reconciliation, and on minorities in both countries. The Joint Committee on Kashmir is facilitating dialogue between the people on both the sides of the line of control and will interact with other organisations working for finding a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue.

The Joint Committee on Peace and Reconciliation will prepare an immediate and short-term plan for confidence building and restoring normalcy in the region and a long-term strategy for durable peace in the sub-continent. It has planned visits to different regions in both the countries and organised discussions with various sections of society.

The Joint Committee on Minorities will deal with the protection of minorities and their rights in the two countries.

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