India Lacks A Sense Of Neighbourhood Management: Admiral Ramdas

Hyderabad: India lacks a sense of neighbourhood management that can create a strong and conflict-free South Asia, retired admiral L Ramdas said.

The former navy chief launched a signature campaign "Peace Now & Forever Campaign" here on Saturday aimed at promoting peace between neighbours Indian and Pakistan. The event was organised by Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA). "India has the capability and capacity to bring all its neighbours to the discussion table. It should initiate dialogues between the South Asian countries that focus on welfare of the people, eradication of poverty, improve healthcare and promote education," Ramdas said. The concept of 'hating the neighbour and therefore an

arms pile-up is necessary' was created by arms dealers especially western nations who want to sell their military hardware, he said. At the ground level, the people of Pakistan and India share the same cultural and ethnic roots, he said and added that it is the politicians who create mirages of hatred for their own selfish needs.

He shared instances of his naval experience on the occasion. "In the navy, all the sailors are trained to work as a team. There is no distinction based on religion. All sailors are guided and governed by the Naval Act which is the only law," the naval veteran explained. "When the military can work as a cohesive unit why can the civilian population emulate it to improve the ties between the neighbours," he questioned before concluding his speech with a call to ignore politicians and improve people-to-people contacts for a peaceful coexistence.

Later, Lok Satta Party president N Jaya Prakash Narayana addressed the gathering by stressing that in any conflict it is the common man that suffers the most. People in the guise of ultra-nationalists in India and as ISI or military in Pakistan are misleading the common man in both the nations, he said. Quoting noted Telugu poet Gurjada Appa Rao, he said the country consists of people and not sand and therefore the leadership should focus on the welfare of the countrymen.

"Collectively South Asia has the largest concentration of poverty, disease, mis-governance and corruption which prevents the region from development and progress," Jaya Prakash or JP as he better known said. If the leaders of the region divert even a fraction of their defence budget to eradicate poverty and disease then development of the South Asian neighbours will be phenomenal, he explained.

Making a reference to the partition of the neighbours, JP said a line drawn by some Britisher in the past cannot divide the people of Pakistan and India. The hatred that is seen between the two countries is created by a few vested interests and fueled by over-zealous social media, the Lok Satta chief added. He called for more collaboration and cooperation between the South Asian countries for the benefit of future generations and said that the signature campaign by COVA is a small step in that direction.

The "Peace Now & Forever Campaign" was simultaneously launched on Saturday by COVA and its associate organisations in several cities and towns of India and Pakistan. The Campaign will conclude on August 14 with simultaneous celebrations in both the nations. Lectures on peace, culture camps, interfaith prayer meets, rallies and marathons are also being planned as part of the Campaign, COVA said in a statement.