The India Pakistan Peace and Friendship march being organized by Socialist Party (India) started from Gurudwara Chowk in Mansa in Punjab today, 9 August, the August Kranti day. Among the prominent people present to flag off the march were local Aam Admi Party MLA Dr. Vijay Singla, Sunil Kumar Neenu, President, Nagar Parishad, Mansa, Balwainder Singh Kaka, former President, Nagar Parishad, Mansa,Sant Purushottam Das, Barkat Kuitya, Mansa Khurd, Baljit Singh Suba, Namdhari, Raghubir Singh, Manager, Gurudwara Sahib, Mansa, Dr. Janakraj Singla, M.D., President, Voice of Mansa, Dr. Gurmail Kaur Joshi, writer, Jeet Kaur Dahiya, Social Activist, Purushottam Sharma, CPI(ML) Punjab Incharge, Rajwinder Rana, Member, Central Committee, CPI(ML), Surinder Sharma, CPI(ML), Karnail Singh Jakhepal, Internationalist Democratic Party, Vishwajeet Brar, General Secretary, Voice of Mansa, Hansraj Mofar, Muslim Front, Punjab, Bogh Singh Mansa, President, Bhartiya Kisan Union, Mansa, Ruldu Singh, President, Punjab Kisan Union, Manjeet Kaur Aulakh, Raj Joshi, Subhash Bittu, all theatre personalities, Naresh Birla, Voice of Mansa, Sethi Singh Sran, retd. government employee, Govind Ram, Virender Kumar Singla, retd., PSPCL, Rajkumar, retd. Reader, Judiciary, Prem Agarwal, Rotarian, Sanjeev Pinka, Awarded Blood Donor, Atma Singh Parmar, Journalist, ‘Naya Jamana,’ Hardeep Singh Siddhu, Jagseer Singh, Mohan Lal, all of Sabhyachar Chetna Manch. Nazar Singh Manshahia, former MLA met the marchers on the eve of march and extended his best wishes for the march. Retd. DSP Shamsher Singh met the marchers after the march started and extended his best wishes.
All the speakers expressed overwhelming support to the objective of the march.
People who participated in the march include Harinder Singh Manshahia, Sarbjit Kaushal, Balraj Nangal, Rajinder Kaur Dani, Baljinder Sangila, Buta Singh Ralla, Om Singh Satyana, Jagdish Kumar, Sandeep Pandey, all of Socialist Party (India), Meghraj Ralla, Tarksheel Society, Punjab, Sunita Sharma, Lecturer of Economics, Uggra Singh, BKU, Mansa, Narinder Kumar Sharma, retd. SDO, Harjeevan Sran, Professor, Kewal Singh, retd. from Health Dept., Shahnaz Ali, Muslim Front, Kamaljeet Singh, Jagraj Singh, independent activists, Om Prakash, retd. SDM.
On the way the march was received by Balwinder Singh Brar, Chairman, Kuldeep Singh Chahal, Managing Director, Professor Gurwinder Singh Siddhu of Mai Bhago Girls’ College, Ralla and interaction with students was organised in the auditorium of the college.
After this Valour Singh Deol, Awatar Kaur, Veerpal Kaur, Baba Hari Singh Granthi and local villagers received the march on roadside in Village Ralla and organized a small meeting.
The march concluded on the first day at Gurudwara Sahib in Joga. It was received on entry in Joga by members of CPI controlled Town Council. On the morning on 10 August the peace marchers were allowed to address a gathering inside the Gurudwara. Harinder Manshahia and Sandeep Pandey spoke about the larger vision of creating a world where there will be no restrictions on travel across international boundaries and there will be no armies. Sandeep Pandey spoke about the special role Sikh religion can play in bringing together different communities with its spirit of service which was evident in Bangladesh to serve Rohingya Muslims or for people fleeing from Ukraine to Poland border.
The march then moved onto Akaliya Dera Kaduan Gurudwara. Again the peace marchers addressed a gathering here. Hansraj Mofer raised the question of why an atmosphere of animosity is created in every evening programme at Wagha. This programme could easily be converted into a friendship programme which will better relationship between two countires.
Then the march was received in a Mosque at Akaliya where the Muslim Committee welcomed it. Muslim Committee also welcomed the march at Handya on the way from Joga to Barnala. Sandeep Pandey spoke about the need for people to put pressure on their governments to establish a relationship of peace and friendship when that was the prevailing sentiment on both sides of border. The communal politics much not be allowed to dominate the official or political narrative.
Sandeep Pandey
