Godhra to Pak

From one platform in Godhra to another in Munabao is a long journey. But Hussain Haji Budda, 65, and his 15 neighbours made it on Saturday w...

From one platform in Godhra to another in Munabao is a long journey. But Hussain Haji Budda, 65, and his 15 neighbours made it on Saturday with a smile on their face and the Tricolour in their hands. The motley group of men and women, most of them in their late 60s, was among the first to set foot on the platform after the Thar Express reached the last station on the India-Pakistan border after a gap of 41 years. And they were ecstatic to have made it.

8220;We had planned this journey six months ago and had applied for the visa immediately. We are so happy to be part of this historic journey,8221; Haji said. The travellers from Godhra, all of whom were from different families but the same mohalla colony, decided to make the journey together after they realised that all of them had relatives in Pakistan, who they had not met in years.

When the train was announced a month ago, the Godharawalas, as they became immediately known among the 260 passengers on the inaugural train, decided that the time was ripe for the first family reunion after the 8220;ugly wars.8221; And a marriage in the family of one of the travellers became the trigger. 8220;My niece is getting married in Islamkot next month,8221; 67-year-old Hadija Budda, said. So, with their visas in their pockets, the group left for Jodhpur in the first week of February to queue up for tickets for the journey. One of them, Mohammed Bashir, even managed to pocket the 8220;first ticket8221; from the counter. 8220;Buying the tickets was nothing compared to shopping according to the wish list supplied by members back home,8221; said Bashir. 8220;They had placed demands of mawa kachoris, kaju barfi, bangles and Jodhpuri jootis of every size on this earth.8221;

The group now intends to spend a month in Pakistan, shuttling between relatives in Karachi and Hyderabad. 8220;I wish they allow us to extend our stay by another month. It is not everyday that you make such journeys,8221; Mohammed Idris, one of the youngest in the group, said.

Happy to be part of the historic trip, the group chirped around on the platform for the entire duration of eight hours they were made to wait at Munabao before crossing over to Pakistan.

8220;Take my photo, take my photo. Write down my name in the papers. I want my family to remember that I was part of the peace convoy,8221; Hadija, the oldest among the travellers, kept saying as she pirouetted around on the platform.