Daily Times

On 27th of May 2020, a very sad and indeed an unprecedented shocking message arrived at my home in Chandigarh, India, when a friend from Pakistan called me to inform that an epitome of peace, Rana Sahfique has breathed his last in Lahore. Undoubtedly, a pall of gloom ascended at my residence in India on hearing news of his death, because despite being separated by borders, Rana Shafique always remained a brother to me, owing to his endeavours to usher peace across the sub-continent.

My relation with Shafique was rare, because we were operating from two different paradigms but for the same case of peace, so the news of his death caused strange agony of losing someone very dear. Untimely death of Rana Shafique-ur-Rehman (58) was a great loss to his family, small and marginal farmers, and environmentalists. His death was also great loss to Pak-India peace programme. It was a personal loss to me, because he had introduced me as an Indo-Pak peace activist in peace loving society and circles of Pakistan not only in Lahore and Islamabad but in other small towns and villages too.

As a tribute to Rana Shafique, two condolence meetings were held in India. In Chandigarh the members of the Society for Promotion of Peace (SPP) passed a resolution appreciating his contribution to Pak-India peace. They observed silence for one minute. The SSP, Treasure, Advocate Subhash Jaiswal spoke very high of Rana and his commitment to peace between the two neighbouring countries. Jaiswal said that the void created by Rana’s death would never be filled. Second, the Punjab Folklore Academy, Amritsar passed a resolution expressing heartfelt sympathy with the members of Rana Shafique and prayed to God for peace of the departed soul.

After completing his postgraduation from Punjab University, Lahore Rana Shafique did his Ph. D. from Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. In 2006, we were introduced to each other at a dinner in Avary Hotel, Lahore hosted for the delegates from south Asian Countries by the South Asia free Media Association (SAFMA), an apex organisation of eight countries of South Asia (SA). Indian chapter of SAFMA led a big delegation and I was part of it and at the same time I led the Punjab and Chandigarh delegation.

He believed that India and Pakistan being agrarian economies must focus on strengthening its agrarian sectors, instead of running after western models of improving GDP

To achieve his mission of life, he had organised a 25-member delegation of agricultural scientists, farmers, and horticulturist from Pakistan in 2008. He approached me to organise a six-day conference with the support of the Jalandhar Potato Growers Association which was successfully organised for the 25-member delegation from Pakistan led by Rana Shafique-ur-Rehman, wherein he had a long interactive-session with agricultural experts from the Department of Agriculture and Vegetable and Horticulture of Punjab agriculture university, at Ludhiana. The delegation also visited PAU Horticulture Kinoo Research Centre at Hoshiarpur. Members of the delegation were quite benefited by this interactive session. The delegation also met the Chairman of the Punjab mandi board and visited ultra-Modern Vegetable cold Storage near Ludhiana.

Being the Chief of Green Circle Organization GCO, he introduced cheap and environment friendly biogas energy for the poor and later on promoted Moringa tree across the country and it’s highly rich Olifera supplement. He also established Moringa Resource Centre at Lahore and a six-acre farm in Leel village near Kasur for research and development of Moringa samplings and plants. The delegation visited Bio-gas plants based on Gobbar (dung) and after seeking technological understanding of the small plants, he initiated the Bio-gas plant technology in Pakistan. He even visited Vermi manure generating rural plants which he introduced at some places in Punjab.

Rana Shafique was a leading activist and social reformer who dedicated his life for the uplift of the peasantry and the working people. Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has also extended his condolences for the departed soul and paid tributes to his services.

Rana Shafique was Secretary (Information) Pakistan Kissan Itehad. According to Secretary Bilal Chaudhary, Rana Shafique was the soul of the Kissan organisation and farmers of Pakistan will remember him for a long time. Rana Shafique worked for the causes of the oppressed people, women, minorities, and endangered species. He launched the Kissan movement in recent years and was arrested during protests along with hundreds of peasants. He fought against successive dictatorship and for the restoration of democracy. Rana Shafique was a peace activist and brought the peasants of the divided Punjab.

Rana Shafique also visited his ancestral house in Haryana village near Hoshiarpur and could not control his emotions while entering his ancestral house which his parents have to leave on partition in 1947. Fifty-eight-year-old rana Shafique was the youngest member of the family and was affectionately called Nikko by his sisters and brother. Rana Shafique was a divorcee and his daughters-Soni and Rabi- who have been living with their mother in Islamabad, are studying in USA. His elder brother Rafique-ur-Rehman a Mechanical Engineer by profession and former Air Force official, has turned a businessman. and two sisters-Dr Nusrat Habib Rana, Former Chief Executive, Institute of Mental Health, Lahore is an eminent Psychiatric and have established her private clinic after retirement in Lahore. Her Husband Imtiaz Alam, Secretary General, SAFMA, is a noted columnist and TV commentator of Pakistan.

His eldest sister Dr Zagham Habib Rana, Former Member (Science), Planning Commission of Pakistan is settled in Islamabad. She is country’s top expert on water resources of Pakistan.

His time with me was full of positivity and peace. He always spoke about constructive and progressive relations between India and Pakistan. He believed that India and Pakistan being agrarian economies must focus on strengthening its agrarian sectors, instead of running after western models of improving GDP. Rana Shafique had visited India at least five times as a part of various peace delegations and every year (for the last 20 years) came to Indo-Pak zero line at Wahga at mid-night on 14th August (Independence Day) to participate in the Candle Light organised on both sides of the borders by peace activists from two the countries, highlighting need for peace between two neighbours-Pakistan and India.

The writer is a senior journalist and Indo-Pak peace activist