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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

WANTED

Peace panchayats,
not khap panchayats

eace deserves a chance.

So why not utilise the
potential of social
media to expand and
usher in networks of
peace? Social media
by their very nature
are interactive, feedback-oriented and userfriendly. These characteristics of social media forums make
them attractive to peace-builders
who can engage in discussions,
commentaries and debates with
the other (the other being just
about anybody with whom there
is a conflicting relationship).
Such extensive and diverse interactions may not be possible in
the realm of the mainstream
media, that are inclined towards
homogenous content and mass
production. Mainstream media
are also increasing alienated from
alternative views. Especially in
the case of deep-rooted conflicts
(for example India and Pakistan),
social media forums possess immense potential for one-on-one
interactions on a wide range of
issues.
Clearly, the potential of social
media in translating peace-oriented discussions to peace- oriented action needs to be tapped.
What is required is the localization of such peace initiatives by
building a group of volunteers
equipped to carry out peace activism. The power of connections
and interactions developed in the
virtual world needs to be proactively transferred to the real one
in order to build a sustainable
peace closer to the grassroots
and connected to the people.

By Nidhi
Shendurnikar Tere

How to localise
peaceinitiatives,
using social media
as a start-up
platform to engage
different people in
the same cause

B R I E F S

Theatre fest, Karachi

he National Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) International Theatre Festival 2014 kicked off on March 4 in
Karachi, heralding a month long extravaganza of theatrical activity.
The exciting line-up includes the productions of three
short stories by Ismat Chughtai Chhui Mui, Gharwali and
Mughal Bachcha billed as Ismat Apa Ke Naam on March
5 and 6, by the Motley Theatre Group of Mumbai, formed by
Naseeruddin Shah in 1977.
Shah, who is in Karachi for the festival, addressed an invite-only audience on Saturday at a session moderated by
Zinda Bhaag producer Mazhar Zaidi, at the Arts Council
Karachi.

Peace
narratives
must address
the aspirations of the
masses, which can be done
through social media. The answer
to dominant conflict narratives in
South Asia can be found in localising peace efforts, disseminating
them in every nook and corner of
the region. This should also involve people who may not already be a part of such initiatives
on social media.
Presently, there is an array of
well-meaning initiatives singing
the Indo-Pak peace song -- Aman
ki Asha, Aaghaz-e-Dosti, Indo-Pak
heart to heart, India Pakistan

Indo-Pak Express rules again

he tennis doubles
team of Aisam-ulHaq Qureshi of Pakistan and Rohan Bopanna
of India proved to be a
winning
combination
again when they beat
Daniel Nestor and Nenad
Zimonjic in the doubles
final of the Dubai Duty
Free Tennis Championships on Saturday. This
was their first ATP title after re-union as they beat.
The second seeded 'Indo-Pak Express' duo beat their top
seeded opponents Nestor of Canada and Zimonjic (Serbia) 64, 6-3 in the summit clash lasting an hour and eight minutes.
This was the five title overall for Bopanna and Qureshi together and first after they re-united at the beginning of the
season, having played with different partners for two seasons.

tion of content on
selected social media
pages/group/blog posts
is a revealing exercise in
itself. With no constraints of
space and time, and the added
tool of technology, there is a wide
range of personally expressive
content. Many question state (official) narratives, which leads to
the official and ideological apparatus feeling threatened by this
sudden surge of alternative
views. A recent example is Indian
Union Home Sushil Kumar
Shindes remarks about crushing
the media; he later clarified that

for peace initiatives, and generate a questioning of attitudes

hardened over the years. Social
media can thus serve as a startup platform for different people
to be engaged in the same cause
i.e. peace.
The discourse on Indo-Pak
peace today remains relegated to
the margins as those who want to
disrupt the peace process make
their voices heard loud and clear,
overwhelming the others. To enable young people on both sides
to be significant stake-holders in
peace, the social media experiment needs to be replicated at
the ground level. Even those who
are no on social media can contribute meaningfully to the process if sensitised about the benefits of peaceful engagement.
Peace is inclusive and accommodative. It cannot be limited to
the centre it should be lapped
up by the margins as well. Knowledge is indeed power as Foucault
said. Disseminating information
about peace will reap fruitful dividends if more people are involved in creating it. Let each individual
be
engaged
in
questioning, knowing the possibility of multiple truths, and devise their own way to achieve
peace let everybody talk and
act peace.
With increasing numbers of
people hooked to social media,
lets seize the opportunities to expand and localise peace narratives. Let the political masters
know that everybody is interested
in peace that peace voices are
raging from every quarter, impossible to ignore and suppress. In
the future, I envision peace communities in every city and village
of the subcontinent (like we have
gram sabhas/village committees)
to counter the hate being
spread. Such fora may also borrow practices and interact with
their counterparts.
We do not need Khap Panchayats, we need Peace Panchayats! This way peace will not be
restricted to political capitals and
intellectual elites after all, in
peace every voice matters.
The writer is a Doctoral
Candidate in Political Science
at the Maharaja Sayajirao
University of Baroda, Gujarat
email mailtonidhi@sify.com

Focus on the commonalities

Cricket, yaar!
ust before India
and Pakistan
faced off at the
thrilling one-day international cricket
Asia Cup 2014 in
Dhaka on Sunday,
Lahore-based
peace-mongering
musician Shahvaar
Ali Khan released a
chakka - the
catchy song Cricket, Pyaar, Jigar, Yaar, that he wrote, sang,
and composed.
All desis love cricket. Cricket is Pakistan's first love and a
religion in India. We may win some, we may lose some, but
let's celebrate our love for cricket, says Shahvaar. Hear the
song at this link: http://bit.ly/1fCvlgh ?
His non-commercial work includes Azad ki dua a rendition of the poem Aye Sar-zameen-Pak, written in August
1947 by the late great Urdu poet Jagan Nath Azad, and
Peace, not Pieces, featuring Jinnah and Gandhis voices.
Shahvaar also sang the nostalgia-laden Filmein Shilmein
for the Bollywood film Desi Boyz.

Families Solidarity Association

(IPFSA), Friendships Across Borders: Aao Dosti Karein -- to name
a few. These initiatives facilitate a
democratic space where people
can deliberate on complex issues
of identity, politics and conflict.
With sustained and rigorous interaction, these forums also work
well to shatter many myths and
stereotypes about the other.
The participatory nature of
social media allows freedom of
thought and direct access to people who have long been labelled
as enemies. A cursory examina-

he was talking in the context of

social media (Feb 24, 2014).
Although these forums are a
welcome and refreshing change
in a scenario dominated by hatemongers, I envision two major
drawbacks that they must address in the future.
A large section of the populations in India and Pakistan have
no access to internet, so their experiences and narratives are not
accommodated on these forums.
The possibility of discourse
on these forums becoming elitist
and selective to few.
This needs to be addressed in
order to democratise the peace
discourse and reach those who
are not active on social networks.
Localing such initiatives can
help bridge bridge the gap between the social media and the
masses. This would involve collaborating
with
local
NGOs, civil
society organisations,
m e d i a
houses,
universities, students
groups,
schools,
cultural
groups or
other stakeholders spearheading a
socio-political cause to build
a team of volunteers.
The current graph of conflict between India and Pakistan is a complex one. We
need to question who produces information about
the conflict, from where
and why. Social networking
forums may initially act as
mobilising forces for people
to unite for a cause and become the basis on which realtime action for peace is positioned. A parent social network
forum can be the basis of a model
for other such fora to be replicated in other parts of each country. This will enable each city/village to formulate its own
mechanisms and chart its own
course for peace.
This may seem too ambitious
and unviable at present, but it is a
goal to work towards and ensure
maximum possible participation

By Laaleen Khan

A cross-border
Kashmiri
couple talks
about how they
crossed the
hurdles

Saba and Mujtaba in Pehlgam,

Kashmir, with their daughters

f Kashmiri descent from

both sides of the border, Saba and Mujtaba
crossed
paths twelve years
ago in San Francisco as postgraduate
students. They were
married after a
long-distance romance and initially
lived together in
Delhi. They are currently based in Dubai with
their two daughters.
Saba Qizilbash is a successful artist who exhibits internationally. She has a Masters degree from the Rhode Island
School of Design (RISD) and a
BFA (Distinction) from the National College of Arts in Lahore. She is also an Adjunct
Professor at the American University in Dubai and a Visiting
Professor at Beaconhouse National University, Lahore. A
philanthropist at heart, she
runs the Mums Who Share
community initiative, providing free meals to South Asian
construction workers in
Dubai.
Born in Srinagar, Syed Mujtaba Hussain hails from a
family of lawyers and judges.
He was Indias first Kashmiri
and Muslim graduate from the
National Law School of India
University, Bangalore. He
holds LLM degrees from the
University of California at
Berkeley and the University of
Essex, a postgraduate degree
from Stanford University, and

has worked with the United

Nations in Geneva. He
founded Emirates Legal, a
boutique law firm in Dubai,
which includes pro-bono work
for low-income South Asians.
Ethnic and spiritual
background
Saba: I belong to the Qizilbash family and grew up attending majalis, Mochi Gate
and Tazia processions, always
thrilled by visual installations,
zari fabrics and symbolism.
However, Im more inclined to
the Sufi way of life in which
many paths lead to the Ultimate Truth.
Mujtaba: Im Kashmiri
and Muslim.
How they met
Saba: We met by chance in
San Francisco when we were
graduate students. I was on
my way to RISD and he was at
Stanford on a fellowship. In
our second phone conversation, he told me that by this
time next year he would be attending UC Berkeley and
would be married to me. He
managed to accomplish both!
Mujtaba: I was struck by
the fact that Sabas grandfather had lived in Kashmir. In
fact, she was the first Pakistani
girl I ever met and I was curious to know more about her. I
spent a year calling her from a
public telephone booth and secretly Skyping from work. I
had to convince her about
marriage on three levels;
firstly, that India and Pakistan

Saba and Mujtaba: life partner before nationality

would become friends sooner
or later, as economics would
act as an adhesive to bind
these countries together. Secondly, I hadnt lived in a very
traditional Kashmiri environment and could adapt to any
situation. Thirdly, I could easily find employment outside of
India if required. I felt I had to
present my case and at the
bottom of my heart, I always
knew I would be able to convince her and her family.
The Proposal
Saba: Mujtaba came
to Lahore seek my
mothers permission to
propose to me at a time
of political chaos between
Pakistan and India. Our respective High Commissioners
had been expelled and things
were looking bleak. He
brought one of his mothers
exquisite Pashminas with him,
so I had to say yes!
Mujtaba: India and Pakistan were on the brink of war
and only my father and mother
were granted a four-day Lahore visa for the wedding. Immediately after our wedding, I
departed for UC Berkeley and
Saba went to RISD.
Misconceptions
Saba: Well-meaning people warned me that I wouldnt
be able to meet my family
again. When visiting Kashmir
for the first time last year, I
was sceptical of it being
termed the Switzerland of

South Asia. But I had to admit

it was true. We rode on horseback through picturesque Aru
while Shahrukh Khan shot
Yash Chopras last movie in
the neighbouring hotel.
Lingo
Saba: The most popular
expression that I picked up in
Srinagar is oh oh oh, used to
show empathy. Mind you, my
use of it is more cynical! I really had to introduce Mujtaba
to the Punjabi sense

of humour. Its brash, its personal and we love it.

Mujtaba: Ive learnt expressions like paindu and
zabardast, to name a few.
In retrospect
Saba: Mujtaba is passionate about human rights, has a
reservoir of ideas and an exciting determination for achieving his goals. He is supportive
of my career and tries to understand the constraints of an
artist who works from home -its often difficult to separate
the boundaries of domestic duties and zone out in the studio.
Coincidentally, hes from Srinagar, a place where Agha Jan

(my grandfather) spent many

years before Partition. My
daadi was also Kashmiri by
birth. Mujtaba and I also
shared Hussain as a family
name. When I met him, I had
to turn around and look to
check whether the spirits of
my ancestors were urging us
along! To potential couples, I
would say know what you are
getting into, understand the
visa restrictions, and discuss
in advance your future childrens nationalities.
Mujtaba: I wish I had proposed to my wife the first day
that I met her and gone to Lahore earlier to marry her. I
could have then counted one
more marital year in my life.
Sabas simplicity, intensity of
purpose and not judging me as
an Indian were qualities that
immediately attracted me to
her. As I started to understand
her philosophy of life during
our phone conversations, I realised that we had a lot in common.
We took a conscious decision to share the commonalities of our two countries and
respective cultures and traditions with our children, who
identify themselves as half-Indian and half-Pakistani. We
want our kids to look at
both countries with the
same love and respect.
Frankly, I noticed
the same differences
in Saba that I would
have noticed if I had married
a girl from Indian Punjab. My
friends in India have no clue
about the commonality I am
talking about. I only wish the
media would focus on all
other things between India
and Pakistan not related to
politics. Other than food, I
cannot think of any differences.
The
Kashmiri
Wazwan cooked only on formal occasions is the best
food in the world and even if
you do not like it, pretend
that you dothis is the one
thing that Kashmiris are very
sensitive about! My advice to
couples is to remember that
you are choosing a life partner first and their nationality
second.

Laaleen is an Islamabad based writer. She tweets @laaleen.

Email: laaleen@gmail.com. This piece is adapted from her
series When Hari Met Saleeha, Libas International, 2013

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contributing to genuine and durable peace with honour between our countries.