The Hindu : National : A Valentine’s Day gift for General Musharraf

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Friday, Feb 15, 2008
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A Valentine’s Day gift for General Musharraf

Luv Puri

A group of youth float a decorated boat on the Chenab with a message of peace

The boat was decorated with flowers, earthen lamps
The initiative was taken by the Social Democratic Party

— photo: PTI

Activists of the Social Democratic Party conveying the message of love and peace on Valentine’s Day on the Akhnoor bank of the Chenab on Thursday.

Akhnoor: A Valentine’s Day gift was sent to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in a unique way by a group of Indian youth, while urging the other side to join in their efforts to strengthen the India-Pakistan peace process so that the people of the subcontinent can live in eternal peace and prosperity.

A boat was decorated with flowers and earthen lamps in the Chenab river, which flows near the town of Akhnoor. The initiative was taken by activists of the Social Democratic Party.

Holding the Tricolour in one hand, the activists floated the beautifully decorated and specially designed small boat in the river. The boat had a gun with beautiful red roses on its barrel and a decorated card which read: “Please stop sending us guns now, send us Love and we will reciprocate the gesture. This is to the President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, on Valentine’s Day.”

The choice of the river accentuated the message of love. Chenab flows downstream from Jammu and Kashmir to Sialkot district of Pakistan’s Punjab province. The river occupies the centre-stage in the famous Soni-Mahiwal romantic folklore of Punjabi literature and thus, has a historical significance for the region.

It is also one of the five rivers which gave Punjab its present name; Punj has its roots from the word panch (five) and ab meaning water.

Akhnoor town symbolises a common centuries-old civilisational heritage of India and Pakistan. It is believed to be the last Harappan city from where the natives used to collect timber.

The Harappan civilisation existed between 2600 and1700 B.C.

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