Indo-Pak Dialogue: 5th Session of the OS-Lucknow Series "Diversity Dialogue"

Anwar Nadeem reciting his poem

Pakistani Delegate, Ashfaq Fateh

Senior Journalist, Husain Amin; Hindi Writer, Shakeel Siddiqui; Academic, Dr. Manju Sikarwar and Urdu Poet, Anwar Nadeem

Pakistani Delegate, Ashfaq Fatah

Peace Activist, Shahla Ghanim speaking at the dialogue

Pakistani Delgate, Rashid Jalal

Hindi writer, Shakeel Siddiqui

Magsaysay Award winning Social Activist, Dr. Sandeep Pandey

Pakistani Delegate, Mian Muhammad Rafiq, Member, Provincial Assembly, PP-90 Toba Tek Singh

Pakistani Delegate, Mian Muhammad Rafiq, Member, Provincial Assembly, PP-90 Toba Tek Singh

تم ہمارے تھے. ہمارے ہی رہو

تم ہمارے دیش کی اولاد ہو
تم ہمارے پاس ہی آباد ہو
اپنے کرموں سے مگر ناشاد ہو

ہر زمانے کی ہے سچچائ ہے
تم ہمارے تھے، ہمارے ہی رہو

یہ قیامت کی غدے ہے، دوستو
جنگ پھر گھیرے کھڈے ہے، دوستو
فکر کی کیسے جہادی ہے، دوستو

ہر زمانے کی ہے سچچائ ہے
تم ہمارے تھے، ہمارے ہی رہو

کتنے صدیاں کل ہمارے دس میں
تھمنے کاٹیں دوستی کے بھس میں
زندانگے کی سرخشے کی رس میں

ہر زمانے کی ہے سچچائ ہے
تم ہمارے تھے، ہمارے ہی رہو

تم کو شیطان ہر نفس مارا کیا
تھمنے اس دھرتے کا بٹوارا کیا
روح نے جسکو جگر-پارا کیا

ہر زمانے کی ہے سچچائی ہے
تم ہمارے تھے، ہمارے ہی رہو

جو تھمنے کیا، چلو اچچھا کیا
کیوں مگر اخلاص سے پردہ کیا
دوستی کی موت کا چرچا کیا

ہر زمانے کی ہے سچچائ ہے
تم ہمارے تھے، ہمارے ہی رہو

یہ بتاؤ دھرم کو سمھجا ہے کیا
اور پھر تاریخ سے سیکھا ہے کیا
بھائی میرے! جنگ سے ملتا ہے کیا

ہر زمانے کی ہے سچچائی ہے
تم ہمارے تھے، ہمارے ہی رہو

کیوں لادوگے تم خدا کے نام پر
کچھ عقیدوں کے اچھوتے کام پر
پاک جذبوں کے سنہرے دھام پر

ہر زمانے کی ہے سچچائ ہے
تم ہمارے تھے، ہمارے ہی رہو

خون کے چہیتے اور اس گلزار میں
جان دینے کا جنوں کردار میں
سرفروشے کس لئے سنسار میں

ہر زمانے کی ہے سچچائ ہے
تم ہمارے تھے، ہمارے ہی رہو

چاہتے کیا ہو، ذرہ ہم بھی سنی
تم اگر تھودا جھکو، ہم بھی جھکیں
اور پھر دنیا میں دونوں اٹھائیں

ہر زمانے کی ہے سچچائ ہے
تم ہمارے تھے، ہمارے ہی رہو

اشیا پر ہے نظر سنسار کی
ہیں خبر سبکو برے اتوار کی
بات ہونا چاہئے کردار کی

ہر زمانے کی ہے سچچائ ہے
تم ہمارے تھے، ہمارے ہی رہو

اور وو دیں بھی تو آنا چاہئے
پیار کا پرچم اٹھانا چاہئے
نفرتوں کا دور جانا چاہئے
ہر زمانے کی ہے سچچائ ہے
تم ہمارے تھے، ہمارے ہی رہو

سارے دنیا، دین کی، ایمان کی
دے مثالیں ہند-و-پاکستان کی
آدمیت کی نرالے شان کی

ہر زمانے کی ہے سچچائ ہے
تم ہمارے تھے، ہمارے ہی رہو

انوار ندیم

तुम हमारे थे, हमारे ही रहो

तुम हमारे देश की औलाद हो
तुम हमारे पास ही आबाद हो
अपने कर्मों से मगर नाशाद हो

हर ज़माने की यही सच्चाई है
तुम हमारे थे, हमारे ही रहो

ये क़यामत की घड़ी है, दोस्तो
जंग फिर घेरे खड़ी है, दोस्तो
फ़िक्र की कैसी झडी है, दोस्तो

हर ज़माने की यही सच्चाई है
तुम हमारे थे, हमारे ही रहो

कितनी सदियाँ कल हमारे देस में
तुमने काटीं दोस्ती के भेस में
ज़िंदगी की सरखुशी की रेस में

हर ज़माने की यही सच्चाई है
तुम हमारे थे, हमारे ही रहो

तुम को शैतां हर नफस मरा किया
तुमने उस धरती का बटवारा किया
रूह ने जिसको जिगर-पारा किया

हर ज़माने की सच्चाई है
तुम हमारे थे, हमारे ही रहो

जो किया तुमने, चलो अच्छा किया
क्यों मगर इखलास से परदा किया
दोस्ती की मौत का चर्चा किया

हर ज़माने की यही सच्चाई है
तुम हमारे थे, हमारे ही रहो

ये बताओ धर्म को समझा है क्या
और फिर तारिख से समझा है क्या
भी मेरे! जंग से मिलता है क्या

हर ज़माने की यही सच्चाई है
तुम हमारे थे, हमारे ही रहो

क्यों लडोगे तुम खुदा के नाम पर
कुछ अकीदों के अछूते काम पर
पाक जज्बों के सुनहरे धाम पर

हर ज़माने की यही सच्चाई है
तुम हमारे थे, हमारे ही रहो

खूं के छींटे और इस गुलज़ार में
जान देने का जूनून किरदार में
सरफरोशी किस लिए संसार में

हर ज़माने की यही सच्चाई है
तुम हमारे थे, हमारे ही रहो

चाहते क्या हो, ज़रा हम भी सुनें
तुम अगर थोडा झुको, हम भी झुकें
और फिर दुन्या में हम दोनों उठें

हर ज़माने की यही सच्चाई है
तुम हमारे थे, हमारे ही रहो

एशिया पर है नज़र संसार की
है ख़बर सबको बुरे अतवार की
बात होना चाहिए किरदार की

हर ज़माने की यही सच्चाई है
तुम हमारे थे, हमारे ही रहो

और वो दिन भी तो आना चाहिए
प्यार का परचम उठाना चाहिए
नफरतों का दौर जाना चाहिए

हर ज़माने की यही सच्चाई है
तुम हमारे थे, हमारे ही रहो

सारी दुन्या, दीं की, ईमान की
दें मिसालें हिन्द-ओ-पाकिस्तान की
आदमियत की निराली शान की

हर ज़माने की यही सच्चाई है
तुम हमारे थे, हमारे ही रहो

(अनवर नदीम)

The poem above was recited by the eminent Urdu poet Anwar Nadeem at the Indo-Pak dialogue organised between a ten-member-Pakistani-peace-delegation and Lucknowites by Open Space under its series of cross-cultural and international dialogues, titled "Diversity Dialogue", at the Academy of Mass Communication, Lucknow, on Friday, 21st August, 2009. The poem captured the mood of the session, which was attended by the Magsaysay Award Winner Sandeep Pandey, social activists Urvashi Sharma and Bobby Ramakant, prominent academic Dr. Manju Sikarwar, senior journalist Husain Amin and Hindi writer Shakeel Siddiqui among others. The Pakistani Peace delegation was on a visit to India, facilitated by the Pakistan Chapter of the India-Pakistan People's Forum for Peace and Democracy. The delegation consisted of Mian Muhammad Rafiq, Member of Provincial Assembly; Ashfaq Fatah, Principal, St. Peter's High School; three students, viz., Memoona, Sara Anam and Pashmina, and peace activists, viz., Rafiya Begum of Society for Human Development, Shakeel, Rashid Jamal, Clement and Johnson Gill.

Session on Multiculturalism and the Screening of the Documentary "Impressions from Luton" in the presence of its maker Mekhela Deva

Luton, United Kingdom

Poet Robert Gurney

Mekhela Deva, the Maker of Impressions from Luton

A session on multiculturalism was organised at the Heritage Institute of Languages , Lucknow, under the joint auspices of Open Space - Lucknow and the institute under the Open Space - Lucknow series of cross-cultural dialogues, titled Diversity Dialogue, on Friday, 10th July, 2009, at which a documentary Impressions from Luton was screened in the presence of its maker Mekhela Deva. The film was about the changing face of a British town called Luton, seen through the eyes of two local Englishmen, poet Robert Gurney and journalist Andy Gayler. It is their impression that the student director Mekhela Deva brought back with her after a year's sabbatical at the University of Bedfordshire, where she did a Masters in Media Production (Documentary). Curious about the British multicultural experiment, she explores it through both their narratives that reflect the town's diversity in a very subtle way. The film is split in five different sections. It begins with one of Bob Gurney's poems and is followed by the journalist's narrative, to come back to another poem and so on. However, there is a thread that links all the sections to also tell the story of the town. Robert Gurney's poems are like an elegy to the past, whilst the journalist celebrates the survivor spirit of Luton with its "let's live with it" pragmatism. By the end of the film one gets a sense of the town's history as well as its evolution from a very English town to one with a multicultural face. The screening was preceded and followed by discussions on multiculturalism, in which students from thirteen countries enrolled at the Heritage Institute took part along with the institute's directors Rauni and Rebecca Da Mota and teachers. On the occassion a treatise written by Mekhela Deva on her film was also distributed.

Third Session of Diversity Dialogue: International Interface on Personal and Political Themes

Flag of Afghanistan

National Emblem of Afghanistan

Map of Afghanistan

Flag of Argentina

National Emblem of Argentina

Map of Argentina

Flag of Bolivia

National Emblem of Bolivia

Map of Bolivia

Flag of Brazil

Emblem of Brazil

Map of Brazil

Flag of Chile

National Emblem of Chile

Map of Chile

Flag of France

National Emblem of France

Map of France

Flag of India

National Emblem of India

Map of India

Flag of South Korea

National Emblem of South Korea

Map of South Korea

Map of Tajikistan

National Emblem of Tajikistan

Map of Tajikistan

Flag of Turkey

National Emblem of Turkey

Map of Turkey

Flag of the United Kingdom

National Emblem of the United Kingdom

Map of the United Kingdom

Flag of the United States of America

National Emblem of the United States of America

Map of the United States of America

Open Space organised the third session of its series Diversity Dialogue, "An International Interface on Personal and Political Themes" with students from thirteen countries and four continents, on Saturday, 18th October, 2008 at the Department of Philosophy. All foreign students belonged to the Heritage Institute of Languages, Lucknow. Some of the interesting responses to the questions asked at the session were as follows:

Is your perception of India after having lived here for some time now, any different from what it was before?

The main idea people have about India in the West or outside is one of a very respectable nation, culture and people. I think that concept has changed a little! People generally are very "selfish" and it's all about "me", getting my way done, others don't matter.
On the other hand, I think my respect has grown a lot in seeing how ready people are to persevere in pursuing what they dream, despite the competition and hardship.

What do you think is responsible for the global financial crisis?

I think the current global financial crisis shows or reveals some defects of the capitalistic system and financial management of the western countries.

What do you think is causing the Muslims to become increasingly aggressive across the world, more than any other religious community?

According to me, the only factor behind the aggression is the neglect the whole Muslim community suffers from just because of a few who indulge in terrorist activities. The whole community has to bear the grudge.

What is the most commonly held misconception about your country?

In my opinion it the perception that we are very traditional or orthodox. I think those who say this don't understand our traditional values fully. Out traditions have a very wide spectrum, and before saying anything about them, one must understand them properly.

Can the status of minorities in a country be considered the index of how successful it is as a democracy?

It definitely ought to be considered the index of its success.