Why this daughter of Indian soldier wants peace with Pakistan?

CHANDIGARH: Indian teenager Gurmehar Kaur from Jalandhar was just two years old when she lost her father, Captain Mandeep Singh, during the 1999 Kargil war. Now, she is telling her story through a four-minute video on YouTube, but without saying a word.

She simply holds up a succession of placards revealing her experiences and conveying her powerful message for peace between India and Pakistan, reported Chandigarh Tribune on Monday.

In a style reminiscent of silent movies, Gurmehar recalls "how much I hated Pakistan and Pakistanis because they killed my dad. I used to hate Muslims too, because I thought that all Muslims are Pakistanis".

She remembers, "When I was six, I tried to stab a lady in a veil because for some strange reason I thought she was responsible for my father's death. My mother held me back and made me understand that Pakistan did not kill my dad, war killed him. It took me a while to know, but today I do, I have learnt to let go of my hate."

Gurmehar goes on to boldly question "the calibre of the leadership of both nations".

"We cannot dream of becoming a first-world country with a third-world leadership. Please pull your socks up, talk to each other and get the job done," she asserts in a no-nonsense way. The 19-year-old signs off with a wish to live in a world where there are no Gurmehar Kaurs who miss their dads.