---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: manisha sethi <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*An Evening of Music and Poetry at Jamia Nagar * > > *In Solidarity with the people of Mumbai* > > *In defence of Peace, Secularism and Democracy* > > *Against Hate, Violence and Fascism* > > *Performances by Vidya Shah, Ustad Zamir, Shubendu Sen, Qazim, Wagesh Jha > and students of Jamia* > * * > > *Tikona** Park** (Jamia Nagar), 6th December, 5.30 pm onwards* > > (For Tikona Park, go down the road on Jamia Millia Islamia. You will reach > a fork: take the road on the right hand and you will come to tikona park) > > > > jamia teachers' solidarity group (Manisha: 9811625577/ Ghazi Shahnawaz > 9898221506) > > AWAM theatre group (Aslam: 9990748079) > > south asia initiative for peace (Apoorvanand: 26495976) > > residents of jamia nagar (Mahtab: 9811209345) > > *Another South Asia is Possible* > > *As the horrific details of the terrorist massacres in Mumbai emerge there > is deep sense of shock and sheer disbelief among the people of India and > indeed around the entire world. Together with all this there is also great > sorrow and even despair among those everywhere who understand the value of > life and what the loss of each individual being really means. * > > *What does one call those, who with planned precision butcher completely > innocent people and in as many numbers as possible, with not a shred of > discrimination, mercy or remorse? What ever could be the justification for > this act of cold-blooded inhumanity in any religion or ideology and what > purpose could it serve towards any political or national objective? What > blueprints of the future will they paint with the oozing red blood of > someone's mother, child or father, their life cut short in a moment of sheer > insanity?* > > *Was it plain revenge, for real and imagined wrongs of the past, that > motivated the killers and whoever financed, trained and facilitated their > murderous intentions? If so, when will this cycle of 'revenge' and > 'counter-revenge' ever really end ? And who gave these terrorists the > licence to 'represent' any religion or people anyway? Are we to accept > quietly the diktat laid out by fanatics of all hues that they are our > future, the future is already here and looks like a graveyard where bodies > are not just buried but also cremated?* > > *Should we the people of South Asia, home to one-fourth of all humanity > and the repository of the world's most ancient cultures, meekly accept this > dreadful future as a fait accompli and become a sub-continent of permanently > sealed fates? Are we to succumb to the language of terror and counter-terror > for the rest of our lives, our tongues in constant motion spewing venom or > permanently locked from cold fear? Is this the world we want to leave behind > for our children, of high-security borders, of bullet-proofed bodies and > souls, our hands in blind paranoia shooting at our own moving shadows? * > > *The answer has to be a resounding No! For there is anything that is the > central quality of all forms of life on Earth it is the ability, indeed the > ferocious passion, to resist its own demise and of all that it cares for. > What the tears of every mother who lost her child and every child that lost > its parent in the mindless cycles of violence of our region tells us is the > time has come to stand up and prove beyond doubt that we are alive, deeply > in love with life and every wonderful gift it brings with it. * > > *Indeed, what the tragedy of Mumbai and the countless ones from Islamabad, > Colombo or Dhaka before it, plead with each one of us is to pause, > reflect, breathe deeply and collectively change the course of our > sub-continent forever. * > > *We will not let a handful of political maniacs convert all of South Asia > into a battleground of suicide bombers and homicidal hawks or turn us > against each other in the name of country or religion. We will not let the > artificial borders of our nation-states, inherited from colonial history, > become the tripping-wires of genocide, holocaust and the apocalypse. We will > not let the merchants of death trample upon even the slightest sign of life > flowering in our lands or extinguish the faintest hope that dwells in the > hearts of our people.* > > *In the fight against terrorists of all kinds or politicians who place > abstract nation, religion, ideology or pursuit of wealth above all that we > value most in our lives there are no more Indians, Pakistanis, Afghans, > Bangladeshis, Nepalis or Sri Lankans. We are first and foremost human beings > and indeed we are the united people of South Asia who will strive for peace, > justice and democracy and win the most beautiful future for our children. We > want to live and let live, not kill or end up as collateral damage in the > manipulated conflicts of our evil masters. * > > *Another South Asia is not just Possible but begins right now with the > raising of our collective voice against hate, violence, war and terror!* > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
