A journey of 1,600 kms in 1963 VW Beetle for peace

[sonya zafar]

Eminent activist and editor of ‘Himal’ magazine from Kathmandu, Kanak Mani Dixit, has said that it is in the interest of Nepal that India and Pakistan have softer borders as connectivity, trade and travel will start the process of peace in South Asia.

He was addressing a reception organised in his honour by the Islamabad Cultural Forum in collaboration with the Pakistan-India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy and Insani Huqooq Ittehad at the South Asian Free Media Association (Safma) here on Monday. Human rights and peace activist Tahira Abdullah conducted the proceedings.

Kanak, on a Humanitarian-Peace Volkswagen Beetle Car Rally from Kathmandu to Peshawar for Spinal Bifida, is accompanied by his life partner Dr. Shanta Dixit, a driver and a mechanic, keeping in view the condition of the vehicle. He is on a journey starting from Nepal to traverse the region.

His car was serviced and repaired by the local Beetle Club. Earlier, he was welcomed and feted by the club through a rally of air-cooled VW Beetles at Shahrah-e-Sher Shah Suri commonly known as GT Road.

Kanak, after sustaining a spinal injury in 2006, has built a Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre in Kathmandu. He is now trying to establish a network of spinal-cord specialists from Dhaka to Peshawar. He said that land connectivity and trade was necessary in the region.

Borrowing from Mao Tse Dong, he said let hundred thousand beetles (meaning networks) move in South Asian countries. He said that his visit to the earthquake-hit AJK earlier in the day was a good learning experience for his country.

He said: “We form a South Asian fraternity and narrated many events in the journey, including emotional moments.” He described how a Sikh in India asked him to bring a sample of earth from Fatehgarh in Sialkot district. He said that instead of citing the country, “we should name the city or the district in our mutual discussions.” He said that there is no problem in nationalistic identity “but we should also recognise cultural identity of the region.”

Kanak said that only northern half of South Asia is a problem child and “we have to manage unlockedness of South Asia, which will not only benefit his country Nepal, but also Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

He said that South Asia is arc of poverty and ‘we should open up economies to have a prosperous South Asia.’ He said that rigid mentality is there all over the world but we should be flexible. He appreciated Pakistanis for self-criticism. He said: “You can criticise or appreciate other countries only when you can criticise or appreciate your own one.”

He said that they first went to Lucknow and Agra and not Delhi directly as they wanted to reach out to south and then moved towards Pakistan. He said that Nepal and India are two different countries but have open borders and people’s movement is always there, which should be a case at Wagah and Attari also. He said that they would also visit Peshawar.

He said that during flights from Europe to Delhi, you see halogen lights at night offering a beautiful but also tragic scene as it shows division, barbed wires and service roads.

He called for cooperation between Bollywood and Lollywood, which will trigger more people-to-people understanding, and cooperation. He said: “We must strive for massive travel of people across the border between India and Pakistan.”

Kishwar Naheed noted with joy that discussion on trade between India and Pakistan coincided with Kanak’s visit. Referring to onion and ginger trucks coming from India, she said: “We should have at least one flight from Pakistani cities to Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai every day.” She noted: “Our children get visa on sympathetic grounds for liver and kidney transplants and the same treatment should be accorded to other visitors.”

She pointed out that a Hindu temple had been opened in Peshawar after decades for ‘Diwali’ last month.

Tahira Abdullah said that Kanak Dixit is an intellectual and activist in his own right though his father and mother are also very famous. She said that Kanak is taking a long 1,600-kilometre journey on a 1963 Beetle Model Volkswagen to promote the cause of peace in South Asia.

Ashfaq Saleem Mirza said that Kanak was the founder member of Safma. He said that Kanak is one of them who are attempting the two neighbours to live in peace with each other. Dr. Shanta Dixit highlighted the project of schools, which she is undertaking in her country.