To

Dear all,

The recent tragic incidents of unprecedented horror in Bombay have pushed all of us in the creative fraternity, particularly the sensitive fiction writers and poets, artists and academics, social philosophers and peace activists and journalists of both Pakistan and India, in deep depression.

We honestly feel that when the river is in flood, and the winds are howling, blowing in the opposite direction, that is the time for creative and sensitive people to hold hands and swim against the current.

We agree that mutual relations among the SAARC neighbours are better than what they were twenty one years back when we launched our efforts for peace way back in 1987. We feel all of us the creative fraternity of the neighbouring countries, should put in more effort, be more genuinely aware of the turbulences, and should own our responsibility to have serious deliberations about the issues of fundamentalism and terrorism, and recognize the evil design of forces which manufacture terrorism.

We at Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL) are keen to engage voices of reason and sanity in both countries to take the debate about inclusiveness of democracy to the marginalized sections of society, and raise a joint voice for peace, compassion, and good-neighbourly relations which can be genuinely relevant in building a joint voice for piece, ringing out a loud and clear message that we need peace and not war, we need roti and not the bombs !

Sincerely,
Ajeet Cour
Founder President FOSWAL