Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The Chairman, Society for Promotion of Peace in South Asia, Chanchal Manohar Singh Bedi has said that the people of Pakistan and India like each other but both the countries are apart due to the policies of some leaders.

He was speaking to the Daily Times during an exclusive interview. He said that hatred was being sowed between Pakistan and India, which could be rooted out only through love and affection. He said that a lot of misunderstanding prevails between the two countries and when it gets removed all things would be corrected. “I made the society some two years ago, which is registered in India .I am coming to Pakistan from 2004 onwards. The first time I came to Lahore the then South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) provided me a chance to come here. I visited Pakistan some 42 times and I made so many friends here and never found hate”, Bedi added. He said that when he received love from the people of Pakistan, he commenced the programme of peace. When the people of both India and Pakistan think alike, then an endeavour should be made for peace so that the people from the two sides may get an opportunity to meet freely because there is no hate between them. He told all this while elucidating the thought behind his mission of peace.

He said that there were few people and organisations that dispel hatred, but they don’t have any worth. However, in spite of this their news is published in the front page of newspapers. Bedi is of the view that the odium persists at the top level where some people exploit it for personal gains. “We under the aegis of our society arrange dialogues for the younger generations from both the countries so that they may understand each other”. He opined that the youth of India and Pakistan would come out from the shadow of the media as they came close to reality.

He said that just after the Pathankot incident, he called a delegation from the media but no hate sentiments were expressed from any side. He added that there were thousands of people on both sides who wanted to visit each other’s countries, but such efforts were not being made at the government level. However the attempts for peace should be continued as they make a lot of difference. “If Pakistan and India can make a pact to acquit the fishermen, then why can’t they sign a deal to free their spies. As for those people who are languishing in the jails of both the countries for the last 20 to 25 years, they have actually completed their term and they should be freed through an agreement”, he added.