The season for peace seems to be catching. Indians and Pakistanis around North America have held joint programs to celebrate the independence of their respective countries as well as urge their governments for bolder steps for sustained peace in that region.

Groups in San Francisco and the Bay Area have joined hands to organize a series of events spanning over two weeks.

During the weekend of August 13th, a mehfil was organized by various groups to present tabla performance as well as qawwaalis and sufiyana music. Presented at the Yoga Society of San Francisco, the event featured Riffat Sultana, the daughter of Ustad Salamat Ali Khan accompanied by her acoustic ensemble performing Sufiana Kalam, Qawwalis, Ghazals and Folk tunes Pakistan and India. Subsequently, a percussion ensemble featuring senior disciples of the great tabla maestro Pt. Swapan Chaudari, and their guests performed North and South Indian inspired compositions.

On 28th August, another free event celebrating independence and peace invites all to join a Concert for Peace by the Desi Pop-Rock band, Antariksh, at the Chevron Auditorium, International House, UC Berkeley.

A joint presentation by Friends of South Asia, International House of UC Berkeley, Association for India’s Development, Alliance for South Asians Taking Action, EKTA and Asha for Education, this Concert for Peace hopes to start conversations within South Asian communities of the SF Bay Area on the subject of Peace in South Asia.

This is another event in a series of such functions held across North America by Indian and Pakistani communities that have begun to recognize the cultural continuity through their social fabric and aim to strengthen that shared culture here in North America while at the same time urging Indian and Pakistani governments to focus on peace in South Asia.

Few groups, however, have boldly presented that their effort is to start conversations on peace, on restrictions in mobility, on greater people-to-people interactions and increased demilitarization among Indian and Pakistani communities here in the USA. This effort does exactly that even hoping that some of these discussions help peace in South Asia.

This group avers to be “a coalition of bay area organizations dedicated to the promotion of South Asian Unity. Some of the issues that are of concern to us are: the vital link between Peace and Development, the ongoing cost and threat of mutual nuclear destruction and the role of the military-industrial complex in fomenting a regional arms race between India and Pakistan.

We believe that people-to-people contacts are a crucial part of the peace process and, that ordinary citizens can, by supporting the political will for peace, contribute substantially to a de-escalation of conflict and a scaling down of the official rhetoric of war.

We advocate the choice of co-operation over confrontation and advance an agenda of peaceful co-existence and mutually beneficial engagement. We invite each and every one of you to become a part of this celebration of peace!”

A short movie from the Delhi to Multan Peace march will also be presented during this occasion.
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