Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 23: Batting for revival of the Indo-Pak reconciliation process to bring about peace in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said if hostilities between the two neighbours can become news, why cannot cultural bonhomie.
“I wonder if hostilities can become news between the two neighbours, why can’t such cultural bonhomie,” she told reporters at Chamliyal Mela, which began today with Pakistani Rangers crossing over the border into the Indian side and offering `chadar’ for the widely revered shrine of Saint Dilip Singh ji, also known as Baba Chamliyal and, in turn, getting ‘Shakkar and Sharbat’ from the BSF for distribution among devotees on their side of the border.
Mehbooba joined thousands of devotees from the two countries at the shrine of Baba Chamliyal. Jammu- Poonch MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, Industries and Commerce Minister Chander Prakash Ganga and Minister of State for Tourism Priya Sethi accompanied the Chief Minister.
Mehbooba said given its socio-religious significance, Chamliyal could become the hub of a new movement for reconciliation in the region.
“I hope our good intentions are reciprocated by our neighbour,” she said, emphasizing on people-to-people contact between the two countries “to remove mistrust and create a congenial atmosphere for dialogue and reconciliation”.
The PDP leader said like “siblings locked in an endless rivalry”, India and Pakistan have bickered for well over six decades.
“Transforming that rivalry into a mature, productive relationship will be difficult but the consequences of continued animosity will be much worse,” said Mehbooba, adding that there is always a possibility of friendship between the two countries as both the cultures share “a fondness for each other”.
She said if there is any “silver lining in the grey clouds of competition”, it is the fact that normalizing relations would be a boon for business in both countries.
“It may sound simplistic but building relationships is the key to peace and economic prosperity in the subcontinent in the foreseeable future,” she said, adding that some “measurable amount of friendship” will become unavoidable “very soon”.
She said both the countries stand to gain if bilateral trade, economic and societal relations between the two improve and they are able to resolve their problems gradually.
“This can be possible if they are innovative in their thinking and break out of the stranglehold of one-sided, emotionally charged narrative of history,” she said, adding to begin with there can be friendly exchanges in various fields such as art, environment, culture, youth affairs, sports, information and media.
The Chief Minister offered chadar at the shrine.
Stressing on the need to revive the Indo-Pak reconciliation process, Mehbooba said it is imperative towards bringing about peace in Jammu and Kashmir and beyond.
“We are working with the Government of India for opening Suchetgarh-Sialkot, Kargil-Skardu, Nowshera-Mirpur and some other roads to encourage people-to-people contact,” she said, adding that Suchetgarh has the potential of becoming “J&K’s Wagah” as was envisioned by her father Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.
She said in the long run, Suchetgarh can become a trading point like Salamabad and Chakan-da-Bagh with the neighbouring country, adding that the village has been taken up for development as a border tourism destination under the Swadesh Darshan project funded by the Union Tourism Ministry.
The various components of the Rs 5-crore project include restoration of old Octroi Post, construction of a multi-purpose hall, development of water body and landscaping of lawns to enhance the ambience of the place, she added.
People on this side of the border participate in the fair at the shrine of Dalip Singh Manhas, popularly known as ‘Baba Chamliyal’ while the devotees in Pakistan visit village Saidanwali on the Zero Line, and organize a three-day fair and wait for ‘Shakkar’ and ‘Sharbat’ of Baba Chamliyal’s ‘dargah’.
Earlier BSF personnel and Pak Rangers exchanged sweets and fruits as a part of pious occasion at ‘no man’s land’ to mark the annual celebration of Baba Chamliyal.
Thousands of devotees stand on both sides of the border to have a glimpse of the ritual of handing over of a ‘chadar’ of flowers to the BSF officers by the Pakistani Rangers for being laid at the tomb (dargah) of Baba Chamliyal.
Over 3 centuries old ‘Chamliyal Mela’, is being celebrated on both sides of the IB, has become highly popular since November 26, 2003, after the guns became silent on the border following ceasefire and parallel peace initiatives by both India and Pakistan.
Devotees coming to this place take bath in the belief that by applying ‘soil’ (Shakkar) and ‘water’ (Sharbat) all skin diseases will be cured.
Till 1971, Pakistanis were allowed to come to this side of the border to pay obeisance at the shrine and offer ‘chadar’ but after 1971 Indo-Pak war, the practice was stopped.
The shrine draws a large number of devotees from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.
Pakistan delegation consisting eight officers of Rangers and seven officials of civil administrative led by Sector Commander Brigadier Wasim Jaffar Bhatti participated in the meeting.
The Indian delegation consisted eight BSF officers and an equal number from civil administration and eminent citizen of area. The delegation was led by B S Kasana, DIG BSF SHQ Jammu from BSF, Sheetal Nanda, District Magistrate Samba and Ashkoor Wani, DIG Jammu-Kathua range.
The Pakistan delegation was received at Zero line by Commandant BSF in force tradition and presented a guard of honour to Sector Commander of Pakistan Rangers. During the meeting, pleasantries and greetings were exchanged by both side delegates and thereafter mementos were presented to all members of delegation to each other from both sides.
Sector Commander of the Rangers handed over a beautifully decorated “Chadar” to B S Kasana, DIG BSF SHQ Jammu as customary and in return, the BSF officials along with other officers handed over `Shakkar and Sharbat’ to the Rangers for further distribution to devotees in Pakistan.
During the meeting, both sides assured each other of maintaining peace and tranquility in the border area. The meeting concluded in a very cordial atmosphere.
The Mela was well attended by BSF, civil and police officials and thousands of devotees paid their obeisance at the shrine.
Large numbers of people of Pakistan showed their enthusiastic presence across the zero Line to have a glimpse of “Baba”. As intimated by Pakistan Rangers, large number of devotees were present on their side of the border eagerly waiting to celebrate the occasion on reaching of prasad i.e. Shakkar and Sharbat of Baba Chamliyal.
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