When Kashmir’s iron curtain lifts on April 7, and the first bus crosses the LoC, the J-K Government is hoping to ensure that the world will be watching.A galaxy of big names—from ambassadors in New Delhi to social heavyweights from across the country—have been invited by the state government to watch Prime Minister Manmohan Singh flag off the Muzaffarabad bus at the Sher-e-Kashmir stadium at 10 am, top officials told The Indian Express.‘‘We have already invited 150 top personalities from different walks of life from across the country. We want to invite ambassadors of various countries based in New Delhi, too, to witness this historic moment. This is the biggest peace initiative in Kashmir, which is bound to cement Indo-Pak relations and we want the representatives of the world to watch it,’’ a senior J-K official said.Also on show would be a Kashmir-centric cultural show that will ‘‘symbolise the warmth in Indo-Pak relations’’.‘‘We have already suggested (these plans) to the central government and are waiting for a nod. We are hopeful,’’ the official said.The state government has also planned a big reception for the first bus from Muzaffarabad.‘‘The reception ceremony will start at sunset on the banks of Dal Lake,’’ the official said. ‘‘Twenty-five children holding lotus-shaped candles of peace will welcome guests at the ghat. These candles will be placed on a platform floating on the lake, which will be pulled by flower-decked shikaras towards the Hazratbal shrine,’’ he said.There are also plans to illuminate the Dal Lake with fireworks on the surrounding Hariparbat and Zabarwan mountains. ‘‘We are planning to illuminate all public places, the Civil Secretariat, other government offices, shrines, roads and tall buildings across Srinagar and along the road,’’ the official said.For the bus to Muzaffarabad, the J-K government has also planned a day-long series of events across Kashmir. On the agenda is a live performance of Kashmiri, Bogri, Ladakhi, Balti, Shina, Gojri and Pahari musicians to showcase the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity of the state.The government has roped in three top Kashmiri pandit artistes—stage designer Bansi Koul, playwright and director Pran Kishore and theatre personality M K Raina—to organise the mega show.A logo that depicts Kashmir’s longing for peace has also been created for the event. ‘‘It shows flowers in full bloom and a bus to depict the new beginning. We have used a famous vakh (couplet) of Nund Reshi (Kashmir’s patron saint), which says ‘I broke the sword and forged sickles out of it’. What can better explain the sentiment behind this historic moment,’’ said Raina, who created the logo.The April 7 party will start at 9.30 am at the stadium with Kashmiri folk music and dance sequences. The Prime Minister will first be gifted with a silver logo as a memoir before he flags off the bus, which will start rolling to strains of wanwun (Folk songs sung by women) and showering of flower petals.The Srinagar-Muzzafarabad Road (the Jhelum Valley Road) will be decorated with flags sporting the logo, as villagers cheer the bus along till Udoosa, the last village on this side of the LoC.
