Punjabis urged to work for peace between Pakistan, India

LAHORE : Speakers from all over the world at the World Punjabi Conference stressed that the unique bond of Punjabi language linking people across the continents and cultural divides must be utilised to promote the global message of peace and love.

Addressing two sessions on the second day of the three-day World Punjab Conference here Saturday, the scholars and intellectuals said Punjabis would have to lay the solid foundations of lasting peace between India and Pakistan.

Punjabi Conference Chairman Fakhar Zaman praised Prime Minister Imran Khan for opening Kartarpura border between India and Pakistan, saying the step was a golden measure for peace in the region. He said the people in Pakistan and India wanted peace.

Fakhar Zaman criticised the pseudo intellectuals for being the biggest hurdle in the promotion of Punjabi language, saying those Punjabis who used obsolete difficult words were literary fundamentalists.

He said the fast growth of social media had given birth to a new flexible Punjabi language, adding that he supported such Punjabi which could be easily understood, read and written by people in both countries.

He urged upon the Indian writers to use written and speech modes to promote peace and friendship after returning to their country like their Pakistani counterparts did in Pakistan.

Indian delegate Gurbhajan Singh said peace was not needed only on borders, but also in the thoughts and deeds. He lauded the opening of Kartarpura border and termed it the need of the hour. He said Pakistani government had won the hearts of Indian Punjabis with this gesture.

He recalled that the painful memories of bloodshed during the partition of India still hurt the millions of people. He demanded lasting peace.

He praised the teachings of Bulleh Shah and struggle of Dulla Bhatti, and asked the Pakistani participants to give him a sketch of Dulla Bhatti so that he could place his statue in Indian Punjab.

A delegate from Hollan, Asad Mufti, said unrest was the issue of only the third world countries while the developed countries were busy in producing machines and inventing new ones.

Canadian delegate Sukhendar Singh said global arms sellers were the biggest beneficiaries of fanning disputes between India and Pakistan, since their sole interest was to make money by selling deadly and disastrous arms. He said if the countries like Germany and Vietnam could resolve their long standing disputes, why not Pakistan and India could do that. He suggested keeping Pak-India borders open round the clock like that of US-Canada border.

He held the political and religious leadership responsible for bloodshed during the Partition. Religious fanatics’ agenda is still the biggest hurdle in peace, he added.

Painter Ijaz Anwar stressed the need for promoting bilateral relations and friendship between the two countries. Dr Deepak Manmohan said the new generation was not conservative and wanted to resolve the disputes but the ball was in the court of politicians who had their own vision.

He said peace and love ruled over the horizon of literature and fine arts and blocking their way would be impossible.

Such Preet Mangat said the fragrance of Lahore was simply unforgettable, adding that he would like to visit Lahore again and again. Poetess Dr Vanita said the people of Lahore had a high degree of hospitality and the city’s environment was attractive and cuisine delicious.

Nankana Degree College Principal Dr Nighat Khursheed said Punjabis had to promote the truth for searching their inner Sufis.

The second day of the conference concluded with a music show at Punjab Institute of Arts and Culture.

workshoP: Health experts on Saturday warned that lymphoma cancer is an emerging threat for Pakistanis and asked health professionals to improve their skills to diagnose and manage the disease. They were speaking at a consultative workshop held to engage experts involved in the screening of lymphoma cancer at different institutes so that they could understand and treat it in a better way.

Addressing the workshop, Prof. Akhtar Sohail Chughtai urged medical institutions to play due role in raising awareness about latest updates on the disease. A number of pathologists, radiologists and medical practitioners attended the workshop.