http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-23925.html
Civil society must support initiative for peace by media:: Mufti Srinagar, Jan 4 : Urging civil society to support the initiative taken by media groups for peace between India and Pakistan, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said hawkish elements in both the countries seemed to have vowed to keep the nuclear armed neighbours at daggers drawn. In a statement here today Mr Sayeed welcomed the peace initiative between the two countries launched by leading media houses, Times of India and Jung-Geo. ''This comes as a much needed shot in the arm of forces of sanity,'' he said. He said, ''it could not have come at a more appropriate time as hawkish elements in the two countries seemed to have vowed to keep the two nuclear armed neighbours at daggers drawn.'' Mr Sayeed said it was unfortunate that the largest human mass on the globe that was connected by history, geography, culture, language and religion should be pushed to a never ending zero sum game which has ruined countless lives and deprived many more of economic substance. The civil society of the two countries which shared common ideals of understanding and reconciliation must assert itself to bring about a change in the atmosphere and in the lives of our people, the former chief minister said. Referring to the inevitability of normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan, Mr Sayeed said their present leadership must respond to the strong urge for peace and friendship which negates the frozen position of establishment that has been calling the shots in utter disregard of realities and aspirations. He expressed the hope that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would display his trademark political will in neutralising the voices of discord and leading sub-continent back to the peace process that had yielded unprecedented dividends since the historic initiative in 2003 by the then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. --UNI
