Skip to main content

Alternative peace ceremony at Wagah, new route to Pak via Gujarat proposed ahead of second Indo-Pak peace march

"Eyeball to eyeball" ceremony at Wagah
By A Representative
Ahead of his second India-Pakistan peace march, which begins on June 19 at Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, and ends at Nadeshwar Mata, Nada Bet, Gujarat, about 24 km from the border, Magsaysay Award winning social activist and Gandhian Sandeep Pandey has come up with what he calls “alternative peace ceremony” for Wagah border.
Replacing the present “angry eyeball-to-eyeball exchange, thumping of boots and other aggressive gestures”, Pandey in his proposal worked out with students of Indian Institute of Technology-Gandhinagar in the social movements class agrees with the view by Michael Palin of BBC, who called the Wagah ceremony as a “carefully choreographed contempt, where the soldiers mirror each other’s goose-steps, thumb-thumps, martial cries and intimidating stares.”
Pandey, who took out his first India-Pakistan peace march from New Delhi to Multan in 2005, was awarded the Magsaysay Award in 2002 for the emergent leadership category. He shot into prominence after he was summarily removed from Banaras Hindu University’s Institute of Technology in 2016 for holding what the authorities called “anti-national” and “Naxal” views for showing a banned film on Nirbhaya, which he never did.
The main demands of the Indo-Pak peace march include the two sides reach “an agreement to stop killing of each other’s soldiers on border”, grant “easy permission for visas to travel across the border”, even as waiving the visa requirement for old, children, journalists, academics, social activists and labourers”.
Seeking to open a second route for going to Pakistan via the Indo-Pak border in Gujarat border either at Khavda or Nada Bet, Pandey says, this should be supplemented with an Indo-Pak bus service on this route.
Organisations have “endorsed” the peace march include Vishwagram, Pakistan India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy, Aaghaz-e-Dosti, Minority Coordination Committee (Gujarat), Gujarat Lok Samiti, Bandhkam Mazdoor Sangathan, Pakistan Institute for Labour Education and Research (Karachi), National Alliance of People’s Movements, Bombay Sarvodaya Mandal, All-India Secular Forum, among others.
Sandeep Pandey
The alternative ceremony for Wagah border’s retreat ceremony which, occurs every day before sunset “to represent ‘machoism’ through rapid-dance like manoeuvres”, says the proposal, should be “not be limited to symbolic handshake of soldiers but a place where hearts meet” in order to engage “citizens from both sides.”
Pointing out that his proposal is to “construct a peace stadium in place of BSF lounge and a guest gallery at Wagah”, the top social activist says, “This is going to be a collective effort as both countries will have to agree upon… We are sending this proposal to respective governments. The activities in peace stadium are meant to have a cultural-cum-people meet because culturally people make strong bonds.”
The proposal says, “The goal of everyday events is to develop common interest centers (Delhi Haat Model) for people. Various retails stores of local goods will be opened. This could include food items, handlooms, embroidery etc. Both countries are culturally rich and very familiar with each other’s fondness with local items”, adding, “Duty free shops of local goods like Jaipur lehnga, banarasi sarees, Lahore shawl and many more can be opened in that arena . So that everyday people across both sides could meet and discuss in open atmosphere.”
Insisting that there should be “impromptu reverse role play games” which should include “exchanging handwritten notes and cards”, shooting of “interesting pictures, videos and short films could be shot, free debates in Intellectual Corner” – all of it at a Communal Harmony Corner, where “people share experiences, songs, etc.”
Also wanting weekly or monthly events where on a scheduled day when the musicians, poets and shayars across both sides would come to a proposed peace stadium to perform to “heal the wounds of people”, Pandey insists, there should be no let down on security arrangements.
In the two-layered security, Pandey says, “First it will be covered by joint security forces” followed by another security channel of the respective country.”

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

'Bengali Muslim migrant workers face crackdown in Gurgaon': Academic raises alarm

By A Representative   Political analyst and retired Delhi University professor Shamsul Islam has raised serious concerns over the ongoing targeting and detention of Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal in Gurgaon, Haryana. In a public statement, Islam described the situation as "brutal repression" and accused law enforcement agencies of detaining migrants arbitrarily under the pretext of verifying their citizenship.

Deaths in Chhattisgarh are not just numbers – they mark a deeper democratic crisis

By Sunil Kumar  For a while, I had withdrawn into a quieter life, seeking solace in nature. But the rising tide of state-sponsored violence and recurring conflict across India has compelled deeper reflection. The recent incidents of killings in central India—particularly in Chhattisgarh—are not isolated acts. They point to a larger and ongoing crisis that concerns the health of democracy and the treatment of marginalised communities.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.