SAARC 038; the city

THE SAARC meeting in Islamabad may be a long way from the bylanes of Ahmedabad, but Muslims living in the Kalupur, Dariapur, and Shahpur are...

THE SAARC meeting in Islamabad may be a long way from the bylanes of Ahmedabad, but Muslims living in the Kalupur, Dariapur, and Shahpur areas of the inner city were praying 8212; and celebrating 8212; even before Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee met General Pervez Musharraf.

Abdulhamiz Shaikh and his family distributed sweets as soon as Vajpayee reached Islamabad, and then again when the SAARC declarations committing member nations to free trade and to the elimination of terrorism were signed.

8216;8216;This certainly calls for celebration. The fact that our prime minister has met leaders of the neighbouring country is good news,8217;8217; says Abdul Rashid, of Harenwala Ni Pol in the Panch Kuva area of Kalupur. 8216;8216;There is now hope that sour relations between the two countries will turn sweet.8217;8217;

Rashid8217;s family distributed 150 kgs of jalebis and barfis on Sunday and now plan something on a larger scale.

8216;8216;We have family in Pakistan. The elders keep visiting each other, but because relations have never been peaceful between the two countries we haven8217;t,8217;8217; says Rashid8217;s 18-year-old son Mohammed Amin. 8216;8216;Now there are chances we might.8217;8217;

Karim Wahab Malik, a Congress councillor of Mehmdabad Nagarpalika, too, organised a celebration. 8216;8216;The whole of last week, SAARC has been our favourite topic of discussion with friends,8217;8217; says Malik. 8216;8216;My friends and relatives all believe we must celebrate the declaration and promote all steps to ensure peace.8217;8217;

The man on the street also sees a reason for celebrations. Says Mohammed Rafiq Mehboodmiya Saiyed, who owns a pan galla at Pankor Naka, 8216;8216;We plan to have a kheer party next Sunday. We were all hoping something positive comes of the SAARC meet.8217;8217;

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8216;8216;Fighting terrorism together is the best way of avoiding communal riots,8217;8217; says Jehangir Gulab Shaikh, of Roopali Sarees, Dhalgarwad. 8216;8216;Peace and fighting terrorism together means better development.8217;8217;

8216;8216;Remember the riots last year? The VHP and Bajrang Dal members asked us to go to Pakistan but if the relations between the two countries are peaceful, nobody will ever say that to us again and neither would having relatives in Pakistan mean raising suspicion in the minds of people here,8217;8217; says the owner of a readymade garment store in Dhalgarwad, a Muslim-dominated market.

Another local Muslim leader and an advocate from Dariyapur recollects the instances when 8216;8216;Mini Pakistan8217;8217; was scribbled outside the houses during the riots.

8216;8216;There have been several such cases and even today, there are many who call the Juhapur area Mini Pakistan. All this because the relation between the two countries have always been unharmonious. However, if things turn out well and if peace is maintained, at least Indian Muslims will not have to tolerate comments of being deshdrohis or be held responsible for crossborder terrorism,8217;8217; he says.

Yunus Ibrahim Shaikh, a building contractor and a resident of Jamalpur, believes that if SAARC brings lasting peace, the attitude of the common man will be directly affected.

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8216;8216;Every time the two countries play a cricket match against each other, we feel the pressure. There are numerous instances when a cricket match being played elsewhere has led to riots here. We hope this will change and peaceful relations between the two countries will increase tolerance among both communities,8217;8217; says Shaikh. Many prayers in Ahmedabad echoed Shaikh8217;s sentiment.