By Ravinder Singh Robin

Amritsar, Oct.22 (ANI): Indian and Pakistani shared the stage at the ongonig South Asia Festival (SAF) here on Wednesday, lending fillip to for efforts for peace and brotherhood.

The SAF is a secular, non-political and non-profit event for the promotion of regional cooperation.

The programme was hosted by SAF promoters in collaboration with Punarjyot, a local voluntary forum and the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop from Lahore.

“We might not be able to bring about peace immediately. But peace cannot prevail only by organising peace festivals. But such initiatives should not be stopped. No matter what, even though there are tensions between countries, terror attacks, either side, whatever it is such a thing should never stop because I have this faith in me, one day definitely, peace will prevail,” said Kirat Sandhu, Director, Punarjyot, co-organiser of South Asia Festival.

The event started with an invocation to the Almighty and Bhakti Sangeet (devotional music). This was followed by a rendition of hymns of Meerabai, Kabir, Ravidas and Surdas, famed composers of Hindu devotional songs.

Notable among the folk artistes and singers from both the countries were the Pakistani musicians - the Peerzada brothers– Usmaan and Faizaan who enthralled the audience with their soulful renditions, all for a cause.

Pakistani performers at the event endorsed the cause of peace and expressed their desire that India and Pakistan should be partners in peace to help develop the region as a strong sustainable economic power.

“We want peace out of boundaries and within the boundaries. There are certain sections of our religious elite that is behaving in an extremist fashion. A lot of our youth are getting involved in it, children are getting involved. So I think this is more crucial to have India as a partner in peace,” noted Faizan Peerzada, a musician from Pakistan.

Music, it is said, is a universal language and can trespass all boundaries, be they physical, spiritual or mental, and this is the mantra that the organisers followed with an effort to promote peace between the two nations.

SAF has become a successful annual event and the 2009 edition happened to be the sixth in the series amid overwhelming enthusiasm.

Delhi-based National School of Drama (NSD) and Indian Council for Cultural Relation (ICCR) also lent their support to this memorable peace-oriented event. (ANI)