Civil society can play elaborate role in peace process: Pak delegation-Mar 23, 2011

Civil society can play elaborate role in peace process: Pak delegation

Dileep Athavale, TNN | Mar 23, 2011, 12.17am IST

PUNE: The civil societies of India and Pakistan have an elaborate role to play in the process of establishing peace and good relations between the two countries, said members of a business delegation from Pakistan who were participating in a panel discussion here on Tuesday.

The panel discussion was organised by the Pune chapter of Young Indians, a wing of the Confederation of Indian Industry, which took the initiative as part of Aman ki Asha. The delegation chiefly comprises leaders of Pakistan's information technology sector.

Aman ki Asha, started last year, is an initiative of The Times of India Group and Pakistan's Jang Group.

The discussion, which coincided with the annual day function of Young Indians, generated many possibilities for India and Pakistan to work together for the betterment of both societies.
Ganesh Natarajan, vice-chairman and chief executive officer of Zensar Technologies, initiated the discussion. He said it would be important for people of both sides to shed the stereotypical thinking and prejudices and look at each other as human societies that share a common heritage and culture. The younger generation in either country has a better chance to do so as they have no historical baggage to carry, Natarajan said.

Amin Hashwani, director, Hashwani Group of Companies, Pakistan, who is leading the delegation, said that despite the three wars the two countries have fought, the people of India and Pakistan have a great chance to contribute to the peace process as there is no animosity on a "people-to-people" level. "If there are exchange programmes happening between countries whose people once hated each other, why can't India and Pakistan do better?" Hashwani asked.

Praising Aman ki Asha as the first peace initiative by the civil societies of the two countries in the last 60 years, Hashwani said this initiative has created greater possibilities than the 'official' positions India and Pakistan may have nursed over the years. "Unfortunately, the positive energy exuded by the two societies has not been exploited adequately by the social and business leadership so far," he said.

Humayun Bashir, country head for global IT giant IBM in Pakistan, said there is scope for industry bodies to do more work for the youth in Pakistan. He also said there are important learnings Pakistan can pick up from India in the advancement of civil society. India has progressed remarkably in the education sector in the last two decades, but Pakistan has not been so aggressive on that front, he said.

"Pakistan has had its challenges, with its democracy derailing a couple of times, but its people have always demonstrated their strong support through the political process. Global companies are investing in Pakistan and their business is flourishing. This is a sign that the world has confidence in Pakistan," Bashir said.

Jehan Ara of the Pakistan Software Houses Association said that the civil societies of both countries have common problems and can seek solutions that are common. There is great youth energy in both countries which can be cultivated into a positive force beneficial to both the societies, she noted. Health, education and literacy are among the prominent areas where the two societies can do many things, she added.

Hashwani said Pakistan's people have shown great resilience through the decades and alliances between like-minded people in Pakistan and India can work wonders.