Then Peshawar ... Now Charlie Hebdo

Dear Sehr,

Happy New Year! As I wish you lots of prosperity and happiness for the new year 2015, I am amazed by the contradictions in my wish. I am wishing for you to be happy but am quite well aware that the circumstances around us are so gloomy that happiness is a distant reality. Events in December last year and now in the beginning of the new year are not at all 'happy'. I was quite moved by the letter that you wrote to me after the attack in Peshawar. On the day of the attack, I had just landed in Delhi from a multi-cultural experience in Nepal where me and my South Asian friends promised to work in solidarity for peace. What an irony, right? At first I could not comprehend the magnitude of what at happened, I turned numb as I saw images of the massacre in the news. What kind of a world do we live in? Violence, killings, massacres and murders have become news - sometimes it moves and sometimes it doesn't, depending on who was affected. At that point of time, when I saw images of children and their parents, pictures of blood in the school and the sense of chaos in Pakistan, I did not know how to react. I had come back from experiencing something totally different. For the past two weeks in Nepal, I was busy bonding with my South Asian friends, living in an ideal, peaceful and cooperative world I guess (that does not exist in reality). The attack was a bolt from the blue. It shook me from the inside core of my heart. When I saw the news on television, I felt as if the dreams, ideas and seeds that we had built and sowed over the past two weeks were shattered. This was a blow to our dreams and all that we stood for. Then, there was an outpour of solidarity notes and messages not just from Indian and Pakistani friends but also from other South Asian counterparts. Even the director of the program sent across a solidarity note. This was healing and reassuring. We were no more together but surely we were bonded by commonality of ideas and goals in the sub-continent. What was also peculiar was that on the last day of the programme, we watched the Nobel Peace prize award ceremony and heard both Malala and Satyarthi speak about the importance of education and child rights. Peshawar was a gruesome reminder that education and rights of children in both India and Pakistan are matters that should be given utmost attention by both people and governments in power. It was heartening to see Pakistanis cheer for Satyarthi and Indians cheer for Malala. Bright moment that I remember from the amazing time I had at the programme.

Salute to the brave children of Army Public School, Peshawar

The world had not even recovered from the Peshawar attack and the images of innocent school children were still afresh, when 12 people were killed at the office of French magazine Charlie Hebdo. And what was their crime? Their crime was offending few people by drawing cartoons! Like Peshawar, I saw images of the Charlie Hebdo attack on TV and again was struck at what actually was happening to this place called 'earth' where we are living??? I mean it has become so easy to kill, to take a gun and shoot, and murder and go on a rampage and then proudly claim that this was done for protecting 'our' God!!! Is God so weak that he needs protection? And that too through the use of violence and murder? God surely doesn't need the kind of a protection, honour and respect in which innocent children and brave journalists are killed. He would despise it for sure. I got so curious about the work of this magazine that I read many articles on its work. I found them to be quite brave and forthcoming since they lampooned all religions. Their ideas were against extremism in religion, and not religion itself. I wonder what offended the attackers? There is a raging debate going on about freedom of express and its limits in context of the attack on Charlie Hebdo. But I am convinced that though freedom of expression does come with limits and responsibilities, you do not have the license to kill someone if you don't agree with their views or feel hurt by them. There is always a possibility for rationale debate and argument. Are we losing out on it gradually by giving way to 'action and reaction' formula. I would love to have your response on this, especially in the case of both Peshawar and Charlie Hebdo.

I loved the poem that you wrote in the last post. It was written with all your heart, and trust me, I could sense your pain, the anguish that you felt. I have shared it across my network and I feel compelled now to write something creative in response to the violence that has plagued the world. Words, are after all, an outlet for one's emotions. I want to experience a sense of release and relief and feel that at this point in time, only writing can offer me that. Every time a heinous incident happens, we see hashtags like #IndiawithPakistan, #JeSuisCharlie trending. This is a good way to show solidarity and I am all for it. But now we have to move beyond these hashtags and come out more vocally against extremism in all religions. Though the nature of both the events was different, the roots are the same i.e. a sense of superiority, a feeling that my God is better than yours and you have no right to insult my God, if you don't accept my God ... you are not worthy to live in this world. These kind of associations with religion are a reason why religion has become a 'soft tool' for terrorists around the world. We have to reclaim our religions from anybody who is misusing and maligning them. If we as moderates cannot stand up for our own faith, then we have no right to blame extremists for the misuse of religious ideology. I believe that time has also come for us moderates to bring religious teachings into the mainstream and let the young generation learn the true message of religion. Religion is an inseparable part of our life and we have to live with this fact. We must not let a handful of people take our religion hostage to extremist ideologies and actions. I hope that through this peace project we have taken baby steps towards this path and will continue even after the project formally ends because our commitment to peace is what brought us together in the first place.

Is the pen mightier than the sword? Long live freedom of expression

This year has not started on a good and hopeful note, but we can only wish and work for peaceful times ahead. This is our lifetime endeavour and any Peshawar and Charlie Hebdo cannot stop us from surging ahead in what is our life ... Our life is peace, it will be peace.

Signing off on a disillusioned note,

Yours

Nidhi Apa

CONTACT SOUTH ASIA 2014

SIT’s CONTACT Programme: Where South Asia lives and learns together

The SIT Graduate Institute’s annual CONTACT programme in Nepal is a platform for people from across South Asia to bond with and learn from each other.

It was the 16th of December when I landed in Delhi from Nepal. On seeing news about the dastardly killing of innocent school children in Peshawar, I wondered how my identity as a South Asian had undergone immense transformation during the past two weeks as a participant of The SIT Graduate Institute’s CONTACT (Conflict Transformation Across Cultures) programme in Kathmandu. I suddenly became more sensitive to my identity as a South Asian, pained at what was happening to my region.

The nature of the attack in Peshawar shook me, since it was only a day before that I parted ways with my South Asian friends, pledging to work in solidarity for peace. My arrival from Nepal and this news reaffirmed the fact that there was a long way to go before South Asia could achieve peace, harmony, development, justice, and other ideals that we had been deliberating over the past two weeks.

SIT’s (School for International Training) South Asia programme in Kathmandu, aptly titled CONTACT, was a unique opportunity for South Asians to experience and live through multiculturalism, friendships, and cross-country bonding over a period of two weeks in residence. The programme brought together over 40 participants from the South Asian region for a professional training in peace-building and conflict resolution. Since the past five years, the institute has been conducting this programme in Nepal (perceived as a neutral venue for South Asians to meet and interact with each other).

The training module this year comprised of courses in peace-building, conflict resolution, peace mediation, arts and peace-building, memories of war and the use of theatre to convey intricacies related to conflict and peace. Taught by expert faculty, participants hailed from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet.

CONTACT SOUTH ASIA 2014 participants
Picture: Julie Orfirer

After the Peshwar attack, the hashtag #IndiawithPakistan gained momentum on social media. Through this, it was heartening to witness a culmination of what I learnt over the past two weeks. That India and Pakistan along with the entire region stood united in wake of this attack was something that I personally experienced. There was an outpouring of solidarity notes and messages from friends in the region. In this tragedy, we stood more committed in our belief to combat extremist ideologies in each of our countries to realize the vision built for the region during the programme.

Year by year, CONTACT offers a unique experience for South Asians who probably have limited opportunities of connecting and communicating with each other. Students, activists, media professionals, lawyers, academics, NGO professionals, freelancers, and researchers are among those who participate in this melting pot kind of experience. For many, it is the first time that they meet someone from a country other than their own in the region. That first impression, the first meeting paves way for everlasting friendships.

This year’s CONTACT programme provided for a unique blend of arts and peace-building. With a noted theatre teacher and an artist as facilitators, participants employed their creative skills to carve expressions of peace and conflict in their respective communities and countries. Sessions on conflict mapping, conflict analysis, strategizing a non-violent advocacy movement, free whiling sharing sessions on participant’s own experiences of conflict, role play exercises in peace mediation, building art collages to symbolize conflict and peace, and showcasing documentaries and videos from conflict zones around the world were part of the programme. Guest sessions included perspective building on media’s role in conflict.

Apart from a flurry of intellectual engagements, the CONTACT programme let participants soak in cultural experiences, pursue informal discussions on relevant socio-political issues, build bonds over song, dance and cultural presentations and connect to each other as part of group activities. Perspective building emerged as an important part of the programme since there were differences, debates, discussions and several contentions put forward. The shared vision though was of peace as imperative for South Asia’s development, peace that belongs to people and is not hostage to political elites and power.

By the end of the programme, participants began questioning deeply entrenched stereotypes, narrow versions of nationalism to develop a holistic understanding of complex issues that plague the region. On the final day, participants watched a recorded version of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony with Indians cheering for Malala and Pakistanis for Satyarthi.

CONTACT was a perfect opportunity for South Asians to live and learn together, transcending barriers of nationality, language, race and religion. It foregrounded an innovative blend of theory and practice in peace and conflict studies, from which every participant could take back something meaningful to their own conflicts in their own communities. Conflicts in South Asia are complex. South Asians can unravel, simplify and learn to manage conflicts by getting to meet, know, and talk. An experiential learning process made a concept as complicated as conflict interesting for CONTACT participants. At the end of two weeks of learning, give and take, experience; participants utilized an integration day to share, reflect, capitalize and network for future prospects in the field.

In the midst of hectic sessions, participants also explored local Nepalese culture and cuisine, busy markets, landmark monuments probably knowing that meeting again and spending time like this would be a distant dream. Filled with emotional, intellectual and hands-on skills, I grew to be a more sensitive human being in those two weeks of cross cultural interaction and imbibed a completely different meaning of peace. Peace is essential, desirable and achievable. Peace is team work and collaboration. Peace is acceptance and friendship. In a region afflicted by conflicts of grave consequences, this kind of CONTACT can go a long way in strengthening South Asia’s resolve to successfully confront challenges in the region.

16/12- #IndiaWithPakistan

Dear Apa,

It always extends to be a long era since I catch up here and I apologize, I do confess that I am sometimes really bad at keeping my life at a balance. You will be surprised to know that I'm no more in Lahore while writing this post but back in my home. Our University had to announce Winter Holidays before our finals that were to happen due to prevailing security threats in the country and to the educational institutions and I had to catch up the flight of next day to return home. These past days have been quite unexpected days of my life. 16/12 proved to 9/11 for Pakistan and sighs, sighs, we cannot even properly get out of it. Probably, we never ever will be the same after Peshawar Massacre. It snatched the soul out of our bodies. We always saw flowers on the dead bodies, never did we see the dead bodies of flowers. Flowers so innocent, so delicate, so unique. Unique in their stories and their fragrance. I've been writing and writing but the first instance when I read the news, I stood still in a shock with no words. Silence prevailed. I swear, it actually happened. I cannot imagine what happened, what those parents went through, I cannot imagine. It's like dying but not being able to die. The worst of wounds anyone could inflict upon us.

I didn't know how I felt. I was so angry and so frustrated at the same time. I cried. And I was so hurt. I didn't know what to do of this slow bursting in tears and tapping my pen into something, I opened it up and wrote something. I pushed myself to write something, and all the words that I could actually pile up on that paper were these to which I titled as 'Apne bikhre khayalat ka bikhra izhaar':

Likh likh k thak gaye hain sab,
Parne lagi hai madam kalam ki roshnai,
Lahoo ka jism se hai rishta aisaa,
Lekin aik nayaa itihaaz rachne laga hai ye dekho kesaa,
Bagair bhi jee lete hain hamare watan k ye anokhe sipaayi,
Junoon ka aik naya silsilaa kharaa honey laga dekho kesa,
Ye aansoon ki kataaren, ye Qabron ki kami,
Itni mehngi ye matti, aur itna sasta ye khoon
Kis tarah sameten, kis kis ko sambhalen,
Hum sab hee dhoob rahe hain inn aansoon k jharan main,
Itne masoomon ki cheekhein, itne asaatzaa ki dars o tadrees,
Unn ki aankhon main mazloomiyat phir bhi gharon main toofan bhara
Yahan tau sab hee dete hain jaanon ka nazrana
Kese bhool paayen ge hum unn phoolon ki muskaratein,
Dekho thakte nahn wo hevaan bhujaate bhujaate
Kitne diye bhujaayegen?
Hum din main sooraj ki roshni hain,
Hum raat ko jugnoo ka halkaa hain,
Iss mulk k saaye taaley, hum marr mitne ko zinda hain
Kesi jang hai ye, kesa waqt hai
Lahoo k khel ko banaa dia hai khidmat e insaaniyat
Aey watan, pyaare watan, tu hai aur hum hain,
Hai kesi ye uljhan, hai kesa ye zulm, hai kesi ye jhaariyat
Hum sab kitne bikhre hain aaj, phir bhi saath hain,
Hum aik hain, hum aik hain aaj

After completing it, I wanted to write and never stop. But, I'd to go attend the vigil in university. Every eye was wet, every face was sad. Pakistan couldn't still digest what just happened to it. But, when I came online I saw, Kirthi Apa sending this voice note which told us about this trend #IndiaWithPakistan and I saw quite large number of Indians coming out in support of Pakistan in this tragedy and through this post, I also want to Thank you India for their support and love. It felt more than just good. It touched us. Quite honestly, this project has taught me a lot about peace. It has taught me what I'm to me and what others are to me and what peace is to us. It has made me realize what I wanted to do in my life. I confess, hereby, that this project instilled me this passion for activism in every aspect and because of it, after this incident I took one of the quite small yet independent decisions of my life. It was to go on a walk of silent protest with my University without calling home and telling them that I was going. Why did I do this? It wasn't that I didn't bother about them, It wasn't either because my Parents wouldn't let me go out after this incident, it was because I knew that my Parents would support me in this and guess what? They were proud after hearing this.
Apa, that day I cried a lot like everyone else and I couldn't sleep for days. One of the reasons to it was that all the lives that were lost, I saw them as my brothers. I have two brothers who study in an army boarding school, what more could tear me apart when I saw this happening. God forbidden, it could happen to anyone. All those faces were not unknown to me, I felt they being very close to me. I felt they being my part because we are Pakistan and I'm them, they were me, we all are one. My point here to make is that we are all trained for this, we all know what could happen to us, my Dad still after this incident didn't mind me coming home on a coach.

What makes me even more sad these days is this helplessness. I regret coming back home, I wish I could go to Peshawar. I long to meet those all whose sons, daughters, relatives gave blood for this nation. Peace, I wish I can go and take a message of peace to soothe their pain, that I never can. These wounds are so deep and fresh. Let them remain this way because they will keep instilling in us this passion to do something, to play our part in peace, to play our part in this war. This life seems a debt which I never can pay back but at least, I can try.
And my rest of the life, I shall use for this purpose. I shall live for it. I shall die for it. Peace is my message. Peace is for Pakistan. Peace is for India. We all need Peace and not war. 

Give peace a chance, pretty please, pretty please!

Love
Sehr

Family, Education and Religion: An Interface to counter Gender Based Violence

Since issues of gender based violence, discrimination and ill-treatment are plaguing both India and Pakistan, it is relevant here to share my entry for "Go Beyond the Armchair", an initiative by The Red Elephant Foundation in Chennai. The idea was to bring people to go beyond 'liking and sharing' on Facebook and suggest ideas for concrete action, develop strategies and responses to counter gender-based violence that is rampant in our societies. Here is my idea for which I won the second prize :) The spirit behind this idea is to leave the chair of comfort that we occupy and plunge into the real world to offer real solutions.

Family, Education and Religion: An Interface to counter Gender Based Violence

Increased incidences of gender based violence have initiated debate over ways to counter it. However, most ideas that emerge are idealistic and call for a drastic change in the social order. This may not be feasible considering the fact that societies over the world are deeply entrenched in patriarchal attitudes and short term solutions to this cannot solve the problems that we encounter today in the form of violence, brutality, gender stereotyping and gender mainstreaming. Any change that can claim to be sustainable has to come from within. It has to be rooted so strongly that generations after generations imbibe it and practice it.

It is in this view that I suggest an interface between family, education and religion in order to tackle what can be termed as the marginalization of one important section of society – i.e. women. Attitudes towards gender are shaped by culture and religion, both of which play a dominant role in socialization. Family and Education are important sites of socialization since they shape and individual right from his/her childhood and have a long lasting impact on the kind of citizens a society produces. Any strategy to address gender based violence cannot be successful if it operates in isolation. Because this is not a problem alone of any one sphere of society. It is a result of the interactions between these spheres and their influence on each other. A sustainable strategy to address concerns raised by gender inequality and gender discrimination of any form should involve three major actors that play an important role in the life of an individual – namely family, education and religion.

Religion ought to be employed as a tool to develop sensitivity about human life and devotion to serving the society. Socializing an individual into a particular religion takes place in the family and it is here that the family can act as a site for inculcating positive religious learnings which teach children the importance of human values. Religion is a crucial part of our upbringing, which can rarely be avoided by people. Instead of being overwhelmed by one’s religion, family should encourage children to practice religion with human values. The emphasis of humanity through religion can then be taken to the school, which is the second home for a child. An inter-faith atmosphere where the child has the opportunity to learn about different cultures and develop a sense of respect for them will be the second step of this interface. Education can then work as a tool to shatter stereotypes and prejudices that the child may have learnt from his surroundings. Both family and education then do not shun religion/culture but use them in a very constructive way in order to address larger human concerns. The result would be people who are socially sensitive and recognize the need to move beyond established norms and rituals. Such a population will not be bogged down by dogma, ritualistic concerns or societal pressures but would strive to make this world if not an equal but a more humane place to live in.

Gender based violence as an issue affects all societies the world over. Primarily, it is not just a 'women's' problem since men can too be victims of gender based violence. A wonderful campaign initiated by The United Nations 'HeforShe' says it all. Gender based violence could be seen from the prism of structural violence since its roots lie deeper into cultural and religious forces that govern our life. To address such a deep-rooted problem, women cannot be the only stakeholders. Others and their participation is significant too. These can be identified as - men, civil society, media, state etc. An interface between family, religion and education, all three of which lie at the heart of a community can be evolved to address this issue in an innovative way. We need to strike gender based violence at its roots and eliminate it from where it begins to operate. This cannot be achieved without the help and involvement of the community since any examination of gender based violence only through the prism of an individual is flawed. Any change that can claim to be sustainable has to come from within. It has to be rooted so strongly that generations after generations imbibe it and practice it. If we leave out the community from under the purview of gender based violence and solutions related to it, then we are only talking of a solution restricted to the 'armchair'. We need to go beyond the armchair and undertake concrete action to address this pressing issue. The best way to actively involve the community in this is to develop linkages between religion, education and family in a constructive way in order to give an impetus to community practices that are not bogged down by dogma, ritualistic concerns or societal pressures. The community thus can be made the biggest stakeholder in dealing with this issue, without whose involvement I see little success for isolated efforts to effectively deal with gender based violence and do justice to those whose lives it has destroyed - both men and women.

I want my stories to remain with my readers for a long time

“I want my stories to remain with my readers for a long time”, says Heena Jadav Sunil; a Karachi based Pakistani author who has just published her debut novel by the title of Equinox. In conversation with Nidhi Shendurnikar-Tere, she speaks her heart out on life in both India & Pakistan; her love for writing ‘fantasy romance’ and the individual transformation that she seeks through it.

Heena ji, your journey spans from India to Pakistan. Tell us something about this journey, your life in India then and now in Pakistan. How does it feel having lived in two countries that have been engaged in conflict since long?

My life in India was very adventurous; I went to an ‘all girls’ convent school. I was into lots of sports like skating, horse-riding, cycling, dancing (classical, garba), singing, harmonium classes, stage dramas, annual tours, learned how to ride a bike … you name it and I did it as a typical teenager. Here, in Pakistan I have my own family which keeps me busy. I feel my heart being conked out into two parts; I cannot belong to any one of these nations, I cannot claim my place anywhere. Whenever there is a cricket match between the two, I wear yellow. On every 14^th and 15^th August I sing “God save the queen ...”

What motivated you to take to fiction writing? How does the trio of fiction, fantasy and romance find space in your writings?

Fantasy romance is my absolute favourite genre; I love reading books under this category. And now, I just find it amazing to create illusions for my readers, tinkle them with a unique buzz and bring the unimaginable romance to reality. The thrill of developing scenes with spookiness, wantonly exhibiting the physicality and connection between two characters and taking it to an extreme edge combined with creating characters with incredible yet believable powers is in itself an inspiration, a drive. I want my stories to remain with my readers for a long time, even after they’ve put the book away.

Is fiction writing popular in Pakistan? How do you view yourself among the many Pakistani authors who choose to write about the realities of Pakistan’s society, culture and politics instead of delving into fiction?

Actually, No! I didn’t know about this earlier but when I wrote ‘Equinox’ (my debut novel) one of my friends pointed this out, informing me that I happen to be the first Pakistani (living in Pakistan) author to acknowledge the fantasy fiction genre in my writing. I view myself as a helmsman, slowly steering the masses to ‘writing’ rather than ‘ranting’, which has a completely different vibe to it. Hitting ‘publish’ (worldwide) for my book ‘Equinox’ (a young adult fantasy romance) has been a small step taken by me. Becoming a trendsetter is an amazing feeling!

What does your writing convey? Is it a medium for social and individual transformation?

Social transformation carries a very deep meaning to it. I didn’t know I was conveying any message through my writing when I started writing ‘Equinox’. I began writing because I love it. I wrote to entertain and provide a kind of thrill to my readers. I write because I want people to read about my characters, and fall in love with them the way I have. But, when I started writing short stories to free myself from the writer’s block, I realized they do sometimes carry a strong message, however, that is not intentional.  I don’t focus on the message and then script a story, the message involuntarily presents itself. I find my balance, tranquility, happiness and peace in no other as much I do in writing. Can that be called ‘individual transformation’, I’m not sure!

What sort of issues do your writings deal with?

You have hit home with that question. I’m too blatant in approach; I don’t hold back anything in my writing and that most of the times triggers extreme behaviour from some. Other than that, being a mother, the only woman in the house, taking care of two and a half men & working full time drains me out completely which affects my writing immensely. But, mostly I try to shut down the world around me. Close everything; be immersed in my writing world.

Your debut novel ‘Equinox’ is quite popular on social media. Readers would like to know more about it.

The Equinox journey was overwhelming! ‘Equinox’ is still not acceptable by so called traditional publishers in Pakistan. It has some snippets of adult content, so that was a major matter of worry for me, but thanks to my friends who believed in my work and encouraged me to get it published. Thanks to the ‘sisterhood of Sophians’ across the globe that I was able to make it as a published international author. I met Ami Gandhi Sharma in my school’s Facebook group and when she learnt that I had written a book and was going through some hard times in getting it published in Pakistan, she very easily stepped in as a fairy godmother along with Avani Gautam (also from Sophia), Hitesh Budhappati and Tasneem Sara (author of One night stand) and made my dream come true.  Rest is history. Equinox was an educative experience for me.

Your take on the present scenario of fiction writing in Pakistan? How do you envision its future?

Fiction writing is not much popular in Pakistan. Let me also say that English Fiction writing in Pakistan is mostly underground-not exhibited to the masses, simply, because the world doesn't want to read stories on fantasy, romance, or a chick flick written by Pakistani authors. I fear we have been stereotyped, hence, I don’t see much happening at present. I have tried my bit though. So waiting to see how it works out in the long run.

Your upcoming writing projects.

Presently I’m working on multiple projects which are in the pipeline and each one is absolutely unique. One of them is ‘Thunder and Lightning’, which is a work of fiction and an adult read. The sequel of Equinox series, ‘Explosion’ is also due to be released by mid next year. I’m also re-releasing a revised version of Equinox hopefully by the end of this year. Meanwhile, I have written two short stories as well, one is ‘Stay awake for me’. This story was also published earlier this year in eFiction India’s magazine under the title ‘A night to remember’. The other short story is called ‘Invasion’ that majorly focuses on issues such as child marriage, religious extremism, intolerance and violence against women – all concurrent issues that the world is concerned about.

What are your dreams for Pakistan? Do you see it as a multicultural, diverse and secular state in the future?

Pakistan started as a multicultural state (that is the reason why our grandparents stayed here after partition in 1947) but unfortunately the religious extremism in some has ruined it. The youth of Pakistan are very much liberal in their approach and I do see it becoming more diverse and multicultural ... although, it is a long journey as yet.

Check out Heena Jadav Sunil’s Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/heenajadavsunill?ref=br_tf

How Zee Zindagi is connecting lives across borders through popular culture

Zee Zindagi showcases popular Pakistani dramas, a soothing and refreshing attempt to show Indian viewers a slice of Pakistani life and culture.
Zee Television’s newly launched channel – Zee Zindagi which goes by the tagline of “Jodey Dilon Ko” (connecting hearts) – has been received with warmth and excitement by Indian audiences. The channel showcases Pakistani dramas for which there is a huge and untapped audience demand in India.

Strained relations between the two neighbours had resulted into restrictions on the exchange of media such as books, newspapers, broadcast channels, films, music videos, folk art, and theatre. Despite this, Bollywood movies and Hindi films actors remain hugely popular in Pakistan, while Pakistani artists have frequently crossed the border to work in the Indian entertainment industry. Popular culture whose role in shaping perceptions is quite significant has cultivated stereotypes while depicting the ‘other’. In such a scenario, Zee Zindagi is a novel venture and a bold initiative by a mainstream media channel to offer to Indians a slice of Pakistan’s life and culture. It also brings in an amount of freshness and innovation to Indian television content.

A few years ago, with stumbling blocks in Indo-Pak relations it was difficult to imagine such an exchange in the mainstream media. Majority of Indians who tend to believe that all Pakistanis are backward, treat their women shabbily and possess a parochial outlook will now be exposed to the realities of life in Pakistan.

The channel is aptly titled “Zindagi” since popular culture is actually supposed to be a reflection of people’s lives, their trials and tribulations, aspirations, and desires. It is gradually emerging as a medium that can connect two sets of people – a majority of whom have not met each other, or have met each other with much difficulty, have not been able to visit places in the ‘other’ country, or have not had chances to interact with people who live ‘normal’ lives across the border. Hence, the ‘other’ is visualised as someone alien or unfamiliar.

A student of the Lahore University of Management Sciences, Sehr Nisar believes that the broadcast of Pakistani dramas on Zee Zindagi offers a new ray of hope to peace talks between the two countries. She feels that this is the best medium to let Indians know Pakistani culture and way of life, thereby breaking stereotypes and bringing a kind of positive energy to the troubled relationship. With storylines that are so refreshing, plots so simple and closer to life, characters so believable and portrayals so charming – that you cannot help but admire the way simple stories are narrated with conviction. Be it the story of ambitious yet simple Kashaf (Sanam Saeed) in Zindagi Gulzar Hai, or the story of bubbly Zara (Maya Ali) in Aunn Zara, or the engaging and socially sensitiveKash Main Teri Beti Na Hoti.

A still from Aunn Zara
Pic – Wikimedia Commons

Popular culture can work as a powerful force for peace and change since it offers simple life stories—those that can act as bonds between conflicting populations. In many conflict zones across the world, there have been examples of positive roles of popular culture in stimulating change and humanizing enemy images. Letting people see what kind of lives the ‘other’ leads is a good way of shedding stereotypes, and a part and parcel of peace initiatives that must be encouraged between governments.

Qurat Ul Ain Ansari, a young entrepreneur from Lahore opines, “I wonder why it took so long, when we here in Pakistan have been enjoying Indian dramas, movies, and award functions since many years. More and more Pakistani shows, songs, movies and dramas should be promoted in India as it will lessen the distances between us and develop a feeling of apna-pan“. Pakistani dramas are meaningful and depict the struggles of ordinary Pakistanis, their life values, cultural ethos and offer life lessons that have been so beautifully put up to let the viewer feel at home with the characters and their life stories.

Chintan Girish Modi, founder of Friendships Across Borders: Aao Dosti Karein believes, “These TV shows will play a very positive role in changing attitudes that Indians hold towards Pakistanis. Viewers will get to see a whole range of characters, and that will make a difference. The assumption that all Pakistani women are Muslim, burqa-clad, and oppressed needs to change.” His personal favourites are Kashaf and Rafia from Zindagi Gulzar Hai – both quite different from each other but strong, resolute, hardworking, and self-respecting women.

For long, popular culture in India and Pakistan has served as medium for strengthening bitterness and perpetuating stereotypes. Now, however, popular culture can take a lead in smoothening of ties by holding aloft the mantle of peace. People on both sides who fear change and are unsupportive of peaceful relations resist cultural exchanges. Such groups in Pakistan have often demanded a ban to be imposed on Hindi movies and TV soaps, for they believe this will pollute Pakistani culture and adversely impact the youth of the country.

Title credits from Zindagi Gulzar Hai
Pic – Wikimedia Commons

Similar elements in India have expressed strong dislike for Pakistani artists who come and perform in the country. As a matter of fact, any scenario of hostile relations has had immediate effects on cultural and sporting exchanges. Devika Mittal, Convener (India), Aaghaz-e-Dosti  - a peace and friendship initiative between India and Pakistan says, “One of the strongest forces that sustains conflict is a lack of communication and a lot of miscommunication. The serials that are being shown on Zindagi are breaking these stereotypes by highlighting similarities in terms of language, culture, customs, thinking and even in our problems.”

While these dramas could anyway be accessed on the internet, bringing them to Indian audiences via television is a major step that could propel peace between the two nations. One cannot help but notice glaring differences between Pakistani and Indian TV soaps, the latter stretching beyond audience imagination to insipid story lines of scheming and heavily decked up women busy in kitchen politics. Some friends have appreciated the elegance and realistic portrayals of Pakistani shows, far removed from the superficialities involved in daily doses of Indian Television.

Kiran Bhatia, a student at The M.S.University in Baroda strongly believes that integration of peace concepts in popular culture can change thinking pattern of masses. “Pakistani Dramas on Indian television will help people in India get a glimpse of the commoners in Pakistan. Familiarity with and exposure to Pakistani lifestyle and thought processes will make the peace process between the two countries citizen centric and thus more effective as change will be generated at the grassroots level,” she says.

Real peace can be achieved and sustained not when it is imposed through mechanisms of power but by people working for it themselves. Zindagi is a great first step in that direction. Muhammad Uzair Niazi, a student from Mianwali in Pakistan deems culture to be the soft power of any nation and advocates mainstreaming of cultural activities on both sides through which coming generations can be made more peaceful and friendly.

A still from Aunn Zara
Pic – Zee Zindagi | Facebook

This attempt by Zee Zindagi to bring Pakistan to the doorsteps of Indian viewers is sure to be lauded and go down in history as a positive and constructive exercise in engaging people of India and Pakistan. “South Asian culture does have great synergies with Indian culture…and these serials help make the other seem very like us. For those of us not lucky enough to meet people from other countries, the insight through these serials is a good beginning,” is what Raakhee Suryaprakash, an international relations analyst based out of Chennai thinks.

As we relish the cross border cultural fare that Zindagi brings to us, we – as Indians and Pakistanis must remember that while we may not be totally similar, we are not completely different as well. And this is what popular culture ought to celebrate to usher in peace and change.

Published on The Alternative, July 17

http://www.thealternative.in/society/how-zee-zindagi-is-connecting-lives-across-borders-through-popular-culture/

International Peace Day- 21st September 2014

Some think that the celebration of International Peace Day on 21st September every year is an exercise in futility. Who cares for peace when there is war and conflict all around? When there is no hope for peace, why celebrate such a day and give false hopes to the millions suffering as a result of conflict? We are eternal dreamers and that is why we believe that 21st September brings hope for the world. True that peace requires a longer and sustained commitment and dedicating a day to peace may not make much of difference. But we are here to do our bit for the cause of peace. On this day, we hope that the entire globe atleast makes an attempt to forget their differences and move ahead on the path of reconciliation and trust building. Can we not do this atleast for a day? Can we not promise Mother Earth for a day that we will not kill/harm/each other and instead pledge our lives to her harmony and protection? It should not be that difficult to do it for a day? Peace is a long, arduous journey and a single day may not make much difference to it, cynics will say. But we say that this single day will be a beginning to sowing the seeds of peace in the minds and hearts of young people. This day will let people see each other as 'friends', 'brothers', 'sisters', as people and not as 'enemies'. That is why 21st September is important and we continue to reinstate our faith in peace on this day and every day that comes.

Is there anything like an Ideal Peace Process? Yes and No both because a peace process should be having some essential components and at the same time these may vary over time and circumstances. Here we present a sketches that we believe encompasses our ideas of an "ideal peace process", if anything like that can exist. 1. Trust - Peace process can never take forward without trust, it will lose its way without trust which is like the foundation stone for a peace process. 2. Friendship/People - What could peace be without people? Peace is people and people are peace. 3. Civil Society/Media - Stakeholders with a larger responsibility to guide people and distinguish truth from propaganda 4. State/Government - political will and engagement at the highest level of leadership 5. No to arms/weapons/violence - Multiple stakeholders in this can create public pressure for the leadership to abstain from multiplying hate 6. A South Asian Confederation - Any peace process between India and Pakistan will not succeed if a broader South Asian vision for peace, harmony and cooperation is not its part.

Sehr & Nidhi - Dreamers for India-Pakistan Peace