‘Peace walkers’ from India trek bumpy path to Pakistan for peace

KARACHI, Pakistan

At a time when rivalries between longtime rivals Pakistan and India are running high, S. Nitin, an Indian “peace walker,” insists that his small initiative can still make a difference.

Known as the “Gandhi peace walker,” Nitin, along with two colleagues, is currently visiting Pakistan to take part in various peace rallies in the port city of Karachi, and the northeastern city of Lahore.

“We know the reality on the ground that tensions between the two countries are at an all-time high. But this is the time when peace lovers from both sides should work for peace between Pakistan and India,” Nitin, who calls himself a follower of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi, told Anadolu Agency.

Gandhi, a towering figure of South Asian politics and India's freedom icon, was assassinated in 1948 by Hindu extremist Nathuram Godse, who apparently objected to his stand against the communal riots that gripped India after the partition in 1947.

“We carry Gandhi’s legacy of non-violence, which is the need of the hour,” said Nitin, who has stopped using his caste as a second name. According to him, using caste as a second name is tantamount to reflecting “a kind of discrimination.”

Calling for an “immediate” resumption of long-stalled peace talks between New Delhi and Islamabad, he said violence and wars are no solution to disputes.

“The two sides have no other choice. Dialogue is the only option as wars have failed to resolve issues,” said Nitin, 31, an engineer by profession, who has traveled 46,000 kilometers (28,583 miles) on foot in 46 countries since 2016, carrying a “message of love.”

Relations between the two South Asian neighbors further soured in August 2019 when New Delhi stripped the disputed Jammu and Kashmir valley of its longstanding semiautonomous status.

The controversial move instantly prompted Islamabad to downgrade diplomatic ties and halt trade with New Delhi.

Ever since, the two neighbors have not missed an opportunity to denounce each other at international and regional forums.

A February 2021 treaty that brought an end to nearly daily clashes along the Line of Control (LoC) – the de facto border that divides the picturesque Jammu and Kashmir territory between the two nations – has been the sole positive development in terms of relations.

Over the years dozens of soldiers and civilians from both sides have been killed, while scores were injured in the fighting, which has taken a toll on the residents of bordering areas.

‘Our aim is to bring people closer’

“It’s high time for the two governments to reduce military expenditures, and spend more on health, education, and infrastructure to alleviate grinding poverty,” Nitin urged.

The two countries, he further argued, face a raft of common challenges, ranging from poverty to climate change, which they must tackle together.

Vishwamitra Yogesh, another Indian peace walker, said the visit’s main objective is to bring people from the two sides closer.

“Person-to-person contact is the best way to move forward towards peace. It will ultimately pressure both governments to follow suit,” said 65-year-old Yogesh, who has walked 17,000 kilometers (10,563 miles) across eight countries to “spread love” since 2014.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, he said visiting Pakistan was his “longtime dream,” which has now come true.

Sharing a similar view, Jalandharnath Bhai, the third member of the visiting team, said that the peace walk is supported by peace-loving people and organizations from both nations, and “we are grateful about it.”

Bhai, the junior member of the team, has walked through three countries, singing the song “Jai Jagat,” which means “victory for all.”

'Incredible’ response from locals

The trio entered Pakistan through the northeastern Wagha border, which connects the Pakistani and Indian provinces of Punjab, and will stay in Pakistan till Aug. 14.

Apparently due to a tight visa regime between the two countries, they have been granted visas for only three Pakistani cities – Karachi, Lahore, and Shikarpur, a historic district of the southern Sindh province.

“We wish we could walk across Pakistan like we did in other countries but due to visa restrictions, we can’t. We will just take part in intra-city peace walks,” Nitin said.

Pakistanis’ response to their walk has been “incredible,” he said.

“Pakistan is a totally different country compared to how it is portrayed in the Indian media. We’ve been received with open arms and hearts wherever we’ve visited so far,” he added.