People of India and Pakistan do wish to be friends, says Chintan Girish Modi

People of India and Pakistan do wish to be friends, says Chintan Girish Modi

Painting by Ellie Cross

He has received fellowships from the Seagull Foundation for the Arts, the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Peace and Conflict Studies programme run by the Norway-based Kulturstudier in collaboration with the Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, and the Vermont-based School for International Training Graduate Institute’s Conflict Transformation Across Cultures programme in Kathmandu. Chintan was this year's Delegation Leader from India at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine, USA, participating in a learning experience with educators from Palestine, Israel, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Jordan, Egypt and the USA. He was also on the faculty at Planet Harmony 2014, an initiative bringing together students from schools in Delhi, Srinagar, Manipur and Ranchi to bridge the gap between their disparate worlds, and support their efforts to positively impact their communities. He does feel strongly that friendship is possible when we affirm our right to build friendships  

Chintan Girish Modi. Photo credit :: Aditi Rao

Excerpts from an interview with him :- Peace seems to be on everybody’s agenda verbally. On the other hand, there is tremendous warfare and violence all over the world.  In your opinion, why is this the case? I guess it’s because we think that the source of violence is out there, and lies in other people. We are reluctant to acknowledge the violence in our own thought and action. It is easy to point out someone else, and we do that all the time. Being at peace with oneself and desiring peace in the world demand personal commitment. We cannot expect conflicts to magically disappear if we are not willing to see how we play a part in perpetuating them. What made you think of the initiative ‘Friendships Across Borders: Aao Dosti Karein’, which seeks to bring together people of India and Pakistan? I have visited Pakistan thrice. My first visit was in 2012, as part of the Exchange for Change project which facilitated interaction between school children from India and Pakistan. I went as one of the teachers supporting the project. Subsequently, I was invited to speak and conduct workshops at children’s literature festivals in 2013 and 2014. On each occasion, I was touched by the warmth of the people I met. I also found in many a desire to connect at a human level beyond the conflict the countries have been locked in. I felt like I must do something to promote friendship between the people of both countries, primarily through social media and workshops with students. Has the older generation in India and Pakistan learnt to forgive and move on after the violence during the Partition? Moving on is difficult for people who've lost their homes and families, who have endured the pain of seeing their loved ones raped or killed. Forgiveness is one of the response mechanisms people have - whether it means forgiving those who they hold responsible for their suffering, or even forgiving themselves for the horrific acts they committed. Let's remember that memory of violence between these two countries is not limited to the Partition alone. There have been wars, cross-border firings, and terrorist attacks. People on both sides have lost. Not everyone is ready or willing to forgive. That is understandable. We cannot begrudge them their mourning. Unless their pain is heard and processed, it would be difficult for them to move towards healing. What is the opinion of the younger generation in both nations on each other’s nation? Young people in India and Pakistan do not have a singular way of relating to each other. Many have grown up learning from textbooks that demonize the other side. Those prejudices are deepened through exposure to jingoistic media narratives. That said, in my workshops, I have also seen tremendous enthusiasm among young people in India and Pakistan to learn about each other, visit the other country, and make friends. Social media forums are playing a wonderful role in encouraging such interactions. What could be the role that educators can play in ensuring a mindset that focuses on peace and friendship? One cannot really ensure a mindset. All one can do is provide access to alternative viewpoints that advocate peace, friendship, mutual understanding. Educators can begin by reflecting on their own attitudes, enquiring into how they came to hold certain opinions. That inner work needs to be an ongoing process. If one is urging other people to change how they look at something, one also needs to be open to self-transformation. You were chosen as a delegation leader from India for the Seeds of Peace camp in Maine, USA. Could you share something about this initiative? Sure! Seeds of Peace is an international organization that focuses on building trust and facilitating dialogue between people from countries that have a long history of conflict. These include India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, USA, Palestine, Israel, Egypt and Jordan. Every year, children and adults from these places come together for an intense three-week camp where they live and learn together, talk about their concerns, participate in sports and other activities. I am grateful I was selected. I could see how everyone everywhere was suffering because of something or the other. My heart grew. What do your friends and family feel about your work and focus on friendship with Pakistan? Initially, I encountered a mix of surprise, fear, doubt and support. That has changed to some extent. I feel a lot more encouraged. I experience a very mild level of skepticism. Would you like to share some special moments during your work? When I visited the National College of Arts in Lahore in May 2014, one of the security guards remembered me from my previous visit in 2013. I was with a friend. This guard sat us down, and got his colleague to bring us ice cream in that sweltering heat. I was touched by that expression of love. What are the things you learnt most from this initiative? I learnt that the universe is supportive of dreams that are matched with actual work on the ground. I just started this initiative when I felt a calling. I did not wait to receive grant funding. People have found different ways of supporting this initiative. None of the people who have written their stories for Friendships Across Borders: Aao Dosti Karein have charged a fee. They have contributed to the initiative out of a sense of solidarity. Other friends have helped organize interactions, workshops, talks. It feels great to know that people care. Do you feel hopeful that ‘dosti’ will happen one day soon between the nations? It can, and that will require maturity and a commitment to mutual well-being. We will need to promote feelings of trust and goodwill rather than suspicion and hostility. 'Dosti' cannot happen if we keep blaming each other, if we do not acknowledge how we have hurt each other. Regardless of whether governments are willing to resolve conflicts or not, people like you and me have the choice to say no to hate propaganda, and affirm our right to build friendships. As I finish communicating with Chintan, I feel truly inspired by his mission of friendship and the strides it has made despite challenges in the political arena. I, for one, am sure that friendship will indeed take place soon between the neighbors with people like him.