MUMBAI | A group of youngsters from India and Pakistan is working on a “balanced” history textbook comparing Indian and Pakistani interpretations of events between 1857 and 1947.
The book is part of an initiative by Seeds of Peace (SOP), a peace-building organisation that aims at empowering young leaders from regions of conflict with leadership skills. The organisation was set up in 1993 to establish contacts between Israeli and Palestinian nationals and was later launched for Indian and Pakistani youths in 2001.
“We are compiling a balanced book; sort of a comparative study with all the major events during the period. We don’t have to propagate which version is correct. The Seeds (members) will read it and question it themselves,” said Qasim Aslam, the oldest Seed from Lahore, who is among the group now visiting Mumbai.
Aslam said events like Direct Action Day and formation of the Muslim League are entirely different in history books of the two countries. “We have come across glaring omissions during our interactions,” said Rishi Razdan, an Indian Seed.
The 26/11 terror attack was among the topics of interaction, besides Partition and terrorism in South Asia. “Dialogue forms a critical part of the process. We get both sides of the story,” Aslam said. “During 26/11, there were strong statements from both countries against each other. But it was never mentioned that Pakistanis too were as hurt as Indians.”
A history workshop will be conducted on Saturday.
Read this article at The Indian Express »