Deputy PM L.K. Advani today expressed faith that the Sindhu Darshan festival organised in Leh every year would help promote international peace and harmony.‘‘I hope the Sindhu river becomes a symbol of international peace, harmony and international unity,’’ Advani said today while addressing a gathering of Laddakhis and dignitaries at the inauguration of the two-day festival.‘‘Probably then, people from Pakistan, China and India will be able to collect here and celebrate the festival,’’ he said.Advani said he had spoken to Defence Minister George Fernandes about initiating talks to promote tourism with China during his recent visit to Beijing.‘‘I had told Fernandes to tell the Chinese Government that they should open a passage to Kailash Mansarovar from Leh. The journey to Mansarovar that otherwise takes 27 days will then be completed in four,’’ he said.The Deputy PM added that Fernandes got an encouraging acceptance from the Chinese Government. ‘‘Now, I will tell the PM that when he visits China on June 22, he must formalise and cement these talks,’’ he said.About the situation in J-K, Advani said: ‘‘I can see that Kashmir is slowly returning to peace.’’Earlier in the day, J-K CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said ‘‘the people of the Valley love peace. Festivals like this will further this purpose’’.Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati, who performed the morning puja, said: ‘‘That so many people have collected here shows they want peace.’’Others present were Tourism and Culture Minister Jagmohan, Urban Development Minister Ananth Kumar, Minister for State for Civil Aviation Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Minister of State for Home Affairs Swami Chinmayanand and Minister of State for Tourism and Culture and Parliamentary Affairs Bhavanaben Chikalia.
