B
Mukundan C. Menon, Special to IslamOnline
KOCHI,
India, September 17 (IslamOnline) - Indian Customs and Immigration
authorities denied entry permission to Pakistani journalist Ms. Zainab
Fatima Shah on board "Peace Boat" when it reached Kochi port
in South Indian State, Kerala, Monday, September 16.
A
Lahore-based journalist, Zainaba, is one of the 8 journalists among 548
passengers of various nationalities on the "Peace Boat", which
started its 39th global voyage from Tokyo, Japan, on September 1. The
group of journalists, including those from areas of mutual conflict and
mistrust like Palestine-Israel and India-Pakistan, is headed by Ved
Bhasin, editor of Jammu-based Kashmir Times.
When
all other passengers went out of the ship at Kochi to visit and study
different localities and topics in the south Indian state of Kerala,
only Zainaba was discriminated against and sent back to the ship, only
because she is a Pakistani. The port authorities quoted rules and
regulations of "security" which do not permit Pakistanis to
step into Indian soil on temporary visits.
"I
have to obey the rules. Therefore, I had to quench my thirst to see
India by looking at the Indian shores standing on this ship deck",
she said.
The
experience was an unexpected rude shock for Zainaba. For, among all the
passengers, it was she who was most eager to visit places in India and
to interact with local Indians. Kochi is the only port where the
"Peace Boat" touches in India.
"Despite
our language, food habits, dress, and skin color being the same, lots of
obstacles are there separating us", said Zainaba whose grandfather,
Dr. Asif Shah of undivided Punjab, stoutly opposed India-Pakistan
division in 1947. Although she follows her grandfather's vision, the
Indian experience hurt her deeply.
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Current voyage of the Peace Boat
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According
to Zainaba, she accepted the invitation of the Japanese NGO to join the
100 days global voyage primarily because it would provide her a chance
to see India. From Tokyo, the ship reached Kochi after touching Manila
and Singapore ports on its onward journey to Musawa in Eritrea. However,
what greeted her at Kochi port was a firm denial of entry with an
equally firm order not to step on Indian soil.
She
does not want to rake up this bitter experience to act as yet another
thorn between the already disturbed India-Pakistan relationship. On
board, however, Zainaba chose an Indian journalist - Saptarshi
Bhattacharya of The Hindu newspaper as her close friend and voyage
companion.
The
Japanese NGO "Peace Boat" has special consultative status with
the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of United Nations and seeks to
establish a global network among people and NGOs working for peace,
human rights, environment and development. The ship will anchor at 19
countries including Egypt, Turkey, France, Spain, Cuba, Columbia, Peru,
Chile, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia and Papua Guinea.
Ironically,
the study list itinerary of "Peace Boat" passengers in Kerala
were a program of 'home stay" with local families at Ambalamukal
near Ernakulam, which was meant to exchange preparations of Japanese and
Keralite food, identify local dressing habits, a visit to historical
places in Fort Kochi, and also to know "Art of Living" course
- all of which are so innocuous and come nowhere near to cause
"security" concern objections against Zainaba's entry.
After
this fourth trip to Kochi, the "Peace Boat" left Kochi
September 17 afternoon. Launched by Japanese NGOs in 1983, the
"Peace Boat" has taken around 15,000 people to more than 100
ports spread over 50 countries through its 38 global voyages conducted
so far. The current trip will conclude at Tokyo on December 9.
