Peaceniks from India, Pakistan take part in candle light vigil at Wagah-Attari border check post

Wagah- Attari (Amritsar, Punjab): Peaceniks from India and Pakistan gathered at the Wagah Attari land border on Friday night to take part in a candle light vigil, as both nations observed their respective Independence Day anniversaries.

Pakistani and Indians raised slogans such as "Hindustan Zindabad, "Pakistan Zindabad" and " Hindustan-Pakistan Dosti Zindabad" on the occasion.

Peaceniks have been taking part in candle light vigils for the past two decades, nourishing a hope for establishing peace between the two nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours. But, with the ongoing prevailing tension at the border,the light of these candles seems to be getting dim.

Pushpendra, a peacenik, who has been taking part in this ceremony for the last few years, said people gather here as part of a larger picture, that is for a demand for dialogue to take place. But, he also said both sides have to reciprocate for this to become a reality.

He said, "Pakistan has officially declared that it would support militancy in Kashmir and continues to violate the ceasefire at the Line of Control (LoC), and if this continues, the light of these candles that symbolise peace would get dimmer".

Interestingly a day before the Independence Day celebrations, the Border Security Force (BSF) decided not to exchange sweets with the Pakistan Rangers to register its protest against Pakistan for its repeated violations of the ceasefire.

However, some of the candle light vigil participants still nurture hopes of peace being restored in the region, and said they would continue their efforts in this regard.

Mohammad Salim , a Member of Parliament, said, "It is always difficult to keep the candle burning during the storm. With one candle light, we can bring light to thousands and we would continue doing our efforts."

By Ravinder Singh Robin