Bharat-Nepal Paraspar Samvad Yatra

17^th-18^th August Kushinagar(India) to Lumbini(Nepal)

India and Nepal are the two countries in South Asian which truly reflects what being a “South Asian” can mean. With the border that allows people to move freely, it sends out a message of peace, harmony, love and most importantly, trust. This bond, not boundary, also promotes and protects basic human rights and human desire to communicate, interact and travel for the hope of a better life.

Mission Bhartiyam would like to celebrate this bond and send a message to SAARC that such a bond of trust can be extended in the entire South Asian region. For this, Mission Bhartiyam has decided to organize a ‘Bharat- Nepal Paraspar Samvad Yatra’ on 17-18 August from Kushinagar (India) to Lumbini (Nepal) to celebrate this bond and also to send a message that this bond of trust can also be extended in the entire SAARC region. We have chosen Kushinagar and Lumbini because they are Buddhist sites of pilgrimage because that is one of the cultural links that we share and because Buddha and his teachings (Buddhism) promote the feelings of love, peace, non-violence and brotherhood. From this journey, we will formally start our SAARC initiative for peace and harmony and in coming years we will organize such peace marches in other SAARC nations too.

This journey will also extend our support and brotherhood with our neighbor and through this journey we are also giving them faith and assurance that we, the people of India, are always here to support them and to fight with them to combat similar challenges.

Program Details:

17 AUGUST: KUSHINAGAR (INDIA)

10:00 AM: A seminar on the role of India/people in Peace & Harmony among SAARC Nations.

01:00 PM: Lunch

03:00 PM: Press Conference & Start of Journey

Arrival at Lumbini: 11 PM on 17 AUGUST

18 AUGUST: LUMBINI (NEPAL)

10:00 AM: A seminar on the role of India & Nepal in promoting peace & harmony among SAARC Nations, meetings with individuals, activists and distributing pamphlets to support peace and harmony.

01:00 PM: Lunch

03:00 PM: Press Conference & Samvad Yatra Declaration

Information about the places:

Kushinagar: A district in East Uttar Pradesh, an important Buddha pilgrimage as it was here that Gautam Buddha had achieved his Parinirvana(salvation). Railway Station: Kushinagar. Nearest Big City: Gorakhpur (55 Km.)

Lumbini: A place in Rupandehi district of Nepal, where Siddartha Gautam was born.

We invite you or your organization to be a part of this journey.

Send an email at missionbhartiyam@gmail.com, info@missionbharatiyam.org

Visit our website http://www.missionbharatiyam.org/

Or call Ravi Nitesh(Delhi) 9958907799, Devika Mittal(Delhi) 9582129927, Aditya Dubey(Delhi) 9873146393, Pankaj Pathak(Delhi) 9811095895, Ajay Pandey(Kushinagar) 9718439530, Sunil Pandey(Kushinagar) 9838478090, Praveen(Basti) 9918033083.

Saroj Yadav(Kathmandu) 009779813171734 Rajan Srivastava(Kathmandu) 0977984973241

Bharat-Nepal Paraspar Samvad

Borders are always an issue of conflict. Sometimes, due to the desire of a state to expand its territory, they are important to keep a check and maintain one’s sovereignty and being. Everywhere, we find thick physical lines. But in spite of these forced (forced because the human nature, the human “spirit” does not like such boundaries) boundaries imposed upon us, there boundaries are unable to separate us completely. Still it is true that rivers flow from one to another by crossing boundaries, mountains spread over one to another and so are the emotions of human.

In fact, these political boundaries are in a broader view violation of human rights too. It is because, Nature has made no boundaries. ‘We all are born equal and free ‘(stated Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and thus any such restrictions are against human nature. People cross boundaries legally and illegally, sometimes in search of employment, a better education, sometimes in search of a safe haven, in hope of a better life and sometimes just for the leisure of travelling. This reflects the basic nature of humans and thus the right it should have. Though, like all other debates, there will be a certain group of people who will favor the boundary and restriction, however, for a common human being, it is not important and is infact, illogical to be confined.

But there is a border of exception. In the South Asian Region there lies a boundary between two countries, but it gives the message of love, peace and mutual development rather than hate, and restrictions. It is more towards freedom rather than binding a person in a confined political boundary. It is like a bond of trust. This is the border between India and Nepal. India and Nepal are similar in many ways. There is a deep cultural bond that binds people. But the best part of our mutual relation lies in our borders that are free to citizens of both countries. On the other side, Nepal has restricted border with China. Similarly, India too has restricted borders with all other neighbors.

When it comes to movement, it is also observed that movements to/from Nepal/India are quite frequent among the citizens. This free border is not only helpful in trade and economical growth by getting benefit of two different market, but also become helpful in establishing a theme of love and understanding among each other.

At the time when all countries of SAARC are facing the same challenge of development, hunger, poverty, unemployment, illegal migration and others, we have made our borders more restricted for our people. Though, this restriction may act positively for some reasons but this positive effect is limited and affects only one country and certainly will not benefit the whole region. On the other side, if all SAARC countries can join each other towards the path of growth, together, it can definitely benefit all the countries.

Nepal and India border, in these terms, present an example that can not only bring the attention of SAARC region on any such concept but also present a live and successful example of sharing fluid boundaries.

Mission Bhartiyam, an India-based not for profit group, hopes to realize this dream. Since 2007, it has been working for an overall development of society through advocating for Environment, Education, Communal Harmony, Employment, Health, Disaster Management, Women & Child Rights, Human Rights, Youth affairs and other social issues. It has also been a partner organization in a national campaign for Manipuri poet Irom Sharmila who has been on a hunger strike for 11 years. But the mission is really to revive the values of peace, harmony and brotherhood that are revered in South Asian sensibilities, plans to help and build such ties.

We desire for a SAARC with enhanced people to people communication, with love and trust and freedom from hatred and suspicion. We want that no-one should be jailed for the desire of transcending barriers for the good.

Under our SAARC initiative, in the past, in 2011, Mission Bhartiyam was a partner organization in the Indo-pak human chain at Rajghat(New Delhi). We now plan to build stronger ties with Nepal. We would like to work on issues and challenges which are common to both countries. We would like to tell our Nepali brothers that we will always support them and fight along with them to combat similar challenges. We would like to celebrate this concept of border and also to send a message that this bond of trust can also be extended in the entire SAARC region.

Second Workshop of Artists for Cause organized

New Delhi. 15 July. Artists for Cause (an initiative of Mission Bhartiyam) organized its second workshop of Participatory Theatre at New Delhi.

The participants did some activities which would help them in theatre. These included exercises to learn "improvisation", pose activities and some voice exercises.

The participants also discussed various social issues to pick a theme for their street play. Among others topics, 11 years of hunger strike of Irom Sharmila, problems of abuse of powers by security forces and land acquisition were also discussed.

Next workshop will be organized on 21 and 22 july. After some workshops, participants will be ready to perform their final play on streets of Delhi among public.

The concept of this initiative is all about giving an opportunity to youths to be involved to dream, to shape and to act for a social change or towards spreading a message that is beneficial for society through play.

Participants who participated includes Tushar Vashishtha, Vikas, Mukul khurana, Aman, Pankaj Sharma, Soumya Prakash, Rhea Rana, Abhishek Shukla and Shekhar Jain.

This initiative is providing free workshops to youths who are interested to contribute towards the society through acting.

Anybody can contact at:
missionbhartiyam@gmail.com or at info@missionbharatiyam.org
Visit us at:
www.missionbharatiyam.org
--