Reception Cum Seminar in the honor of Katas Raj Yatrees 2013
The Indian delegation consisting of 112 people came to Pakistan to visit Katas Raj located in the salt range 18 miles South of Chakwal. Kataas mandir has a historical importance for Hindus which is found in the ‘Mahabaharat” (Holy Book of Hindus). Legend has it that when Sati Wife of Lord Shiv died he cried so much and for so long that his tears created two Holy ponds- one at Pushkara at Ajmer and the other at Ketaksha (Kataas Raj), which literally means “raining eyes” in Sanskirit. It is from this main that the word ‘Kataas’ is derived. Another version of the legend mentions the two pools at Kataas Raj and Nainital. Later temples were built around the pond and the place became a piligrim magnet.
The Indian delegation arrived at Wahga Border, Lahore on 19th December 2013. The leader of the Indian delegation was Shri Shiv Pratap Bajaj. They were welcomed by the staff members of Sir Ganga Ram Heritage Foundation.
A reception cum seminar was organized for the Indian delegation by Sir Ganga Ram Heritage Foundation on 23rd December 2013 at 11 a.m, in Al-Razi Hall, Punjab University. Dr. Mujahid Kamran, Vice Chancellor of Punjab University was the chief guest. Khalid Ali (Additional secretary) addressed the guests with a welcome note. The topic of the seminar was ‘Pak-O-Hind mein tabdeeli ka maahol! Speeches were delivered by Dr.Mujahid Mansoori, Dr Mujahid Kamran V.C Punjab University, Shiv Pratap Bajaj (delegation leader), Shiv Sat pal Muhajan (Deputy Leader), Veena Chibar ex, MLA Haryana.
1- Khalid Ali (Additional secretary).
He warmly welcomed the yatarees who came over from India and said that the Government has tried to improve the arrangements. I hope in future when you will come there will be farther improvement in these arrangements. In the end he thanked the SGRHF.
1. Dr. Mujahid Mansoori
He greeted them to Lahore with a warm welcome. I am the Ex-Director of the foundation. I have special association with it. When Indians visit Pakistan or Pakistani visit India they move within a frame. You are given a wrong impression that we Pakistani are very dangerous people and on the other hand we are given a negative impression about you. He said Government and media has their own agenda. You must have got an idea that whether we are terrorist or not. The people of both countries wants to meet each other and only meetings can enable us to understand a person. If we overview the democratic system of both the Governments, you will notice the rich and stronger section of the society dominate, who practically are doing nothing for the betterment of the masses rather than lip servicing. As the result people on both sides don’t get the dew importance which is the right of democratic society. Now political status-co is being challenged in both the countries. And encouraging atmosphere is prevailing and we are also getting signals of true democracy as is seen in many countries of western regions. In India a slogan of common man coming into power is being heard. PTI has also emerged as a powerful political force. He further said that during partition both of the countries committed mistakes. We have overcome many hurdles and now time has come for people to people contact.
- Dr. Mujahid Kamran (V.C Punjab University)
He said this region is the birthplace of many religions; here Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism were born. Islam has also largely spread in this region. He said Pakistan and India are two atomic powers but on the contrary people still sleeps on the footpaths. Poverty and unemployment prevail in large segment of the population and people don’t have sufficient amount of food required to fulfill the need of their body. Both the nation must consider the situation seriously.He said History is the finest tool to control the human brain and it is an obvious fact that history is not written without prejudice. The history of the world is written to safeguard and benefit the powerful section of the society. The syllabus of both of the nations should be free of hatred and prejudice. He said that harmony between the two nations cannot develop if it is constricted within a frame; instead it develops in the heart. For this purpose free person to person contact is required.
3. Shiv Pratab Bajaj Delegation Leader.
Kataas is a symbol of love for millions of Hindus. On behalf of my government and yatrees, I thank you for your hospitality. Media and statements of the politicians change the face of the world, as a result negative thoughts and feelings are developed in the minds of masses of both the countries. I have been in contact with this part of continent and their people since 1982, and then only 20 yatrees came. I know how much the people of Pakistan love us and the good views that they carry for us in their hearts. Every yatree who has come along with me are acknowledging that whatever they are told is actually not true and Pakistan take care and treat their neighbours and guests according to the teaching of The Holy Quran
4. Shivrat pal Muhajan Deputy Leader.
After 1982, this is my first visit here, their hospitality and the manner in which they are treating us is praiseworthy and beyond. All of us hold a common opinion that the feelings and the voice of the people are not reaching through media. The hearts of the people of two countries are beating together forever. I am hopeful that a day will come when the visa hindrance will be removed, just like as we visit Nepal and Singapore without visa requirements.
- 5. Prof.Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Chawla, Chairman History Department P.U.
He said the common man has been engulfed by hunger, inflation, poverty, unemployment and illiteracy. No satisfactory efforts were ever made to eradicate unemployment and to provide social services to the common man. As a counter some movements did emerge in India to address these issues but all of them failed mainly because the political parties were dominated by the elite classes who paid nothing but lip-service towards such issues. But in the early twenty –first century a number of social movements have been started for the rights of the depressed and the deprived classes particularly for the empowerment of women.
The Aam Adami Party in India and the Tehrik-i-Insaf in Pakistan are considered those parties which seem to present a challenge to the old parties and will usher in a new era in the history of India and Pakistan.
Both PTI and Aam Aadmi Party have some common features
1- Both are newly emerged political parties with belief in the democratic system.
2- Both have emerged as alternate to the existing major political parties in their country.
3- Both are political parties as well as social movement.
4- Both represent the middle and the lower middle-classes and the common man as well.
5- Both aim at eradication of corruption an initiating an era for widespread social justice in the society
This has proved that the Aam Aadmi party is emerging as a considerable force in one small part of India only whereas the Theek-e-Insaf has emerged as a national political party which is trying hard to bring social justice in the whole society.
A last question still remains to be seen: if both party the PTI and Imran Khan come into power in the center in Pakistan and a party based on an AAP programme come into power at the center in India could there be a drastic change in the relations between the two countries and the movement towards peace and solution of common Man problems or not? This is important because the common man in the both the countries faces nearly identical problems.
6- Veena Chibar Ex MLA Haryana.
She said that I will request the Pakistani government to provide visa to the youngster. Youth of both countries don’t know about each other whereas the elder people of the country are more in touch with each other. When the youth representative will come over here and tell their experiences back home about Pakistan and how good the people of Pakistan are, this will help in bringing up a true change and the mindset of the people in India which will definitely change. We are full satisfied and find no difficulty with arrangements of the Evacuee Trust Board of Pakistan. I will talk about the excellent hospitality that we received here. She requested the government firstly that in future they should be allowed to visit Khewra mines which are not far away from Kataas Raj district of Chakwal and secondly she requested that Pakistan should make permanent arrangements of a pandit at Kataas Raj Mandir. In the end she praised the forum where mutual exchange of view took place.
In the end Dr Mujahid Mansoori made some recommendations and asks the executive body of the Sir Ganga Rama Heritage Foundation (SGRHF) to place them in front of government and the concerned ministry.
The Recommendations are:
1- The Government should consider youth in their Visa policy.
2- Make arrangement for permanent Pandit at Kats Raj Mandir.
3- Yatrees of Katas Raj should also be allowed to visit Khewra mines.
At last he thanked the SGRHF for arranging such forum of mutual exchange of views and concluded with the statement that war does not give any thing and whatever we get we will get through peace.
