Over the past three decades, in the shadow of hostile nationalisms fuelled by radical Islamic and Hindu politics, military crises, a runaway arms race, nuclear weapons and war, an amazing set of civil society initiatives has been taking root in India and Pakistan. A citizens’ diplomacy movement embracing thousands of activists, scholars, business people and retired government officials has emerged in an unprecedented effort to build national and cross-border networks for peace and cooperation between the two countries. In these essays, leading scholars, activists and writers from India and Pakistan reflect on the political and personal impact of crossing the border, and exploring the possibilities and limits of this new movement in its quest to chart a path to peace between the two countries.
Zia Mian is a physicist from Pakistan at Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security, and a visiting fellow at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute, Islamabad. He has written extensively on nuclear weapons issues and is active in the South Asian and global peace movement. He teaches at Princeton University and has taught at Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. He is affiliated with the Eqbal Ahmad Foundation.
In 2001, Smitu Kothari and Zia Mian co-edited Out of the Nuclear Shadow, a collection of essays challenging the nuclearisation of India and Pakistan.
Acknowledgements Introduction Smitu Kothari and Zia Mian
Taking the lead 1. The Pakistan-India Peace Process Mubashir Hasan 2. (Ad)ventures of Friendship Sumanta Banerjee
Personal/Historical Journeys 3. People to People Contact Kuldip Nayar 4. Reflecting Peace Anand Patwardhan 5. Finding Roots and References in South Asia I. A. Rehman 6. Diary from a Peace March Sandeep Pandey and Sanat Mohanty 7. A Pakistani Looks at India Pervez Hoodbhoy
Women, Education and Labour 8. A Quarter Century of Building Bridges Kamla Bhasin 9. Women's Role in Building Peace Beena Sarwar 10. Dismantling Prejudice: The Challenges for Education Lalita Ramdas 11. A Troubled Peace Jamila Verghese 12. South Asian Labour Initiatives for Peace, Development and Democracy Karamat Ali and Amrita Chhachhi
Culture 13. Jottings by an Original Lahoran Nirupama Dutt 14. India-Pakistan Relations in the Context of Cinema's Hindustan Narendra Panjwani 15. Crossing Borders through the Performing Arts Sheema Kermani 16. Changing Hearts through Theatre Madeeha Gauhar 17. Changing the Paradigm Shehryar Ahmad
Lessons, Limits and the Way Forward 18. Peace Initiatives Asma Jahangir 19. Pakistan-India Interactions Balraj Puri 20. Sustaining India-Pakistan Peace: Challenges for Civil Society and the Military Laxminarayan Ramdas 21. Building a Nuclear Disarmament Movement: Learning Lessons since 1998 Achin Vanaik Contributors