M A I N   N E W S

Samjhauta arrives to warm welcome
Varinder Walia and Ashok Sethi

Attari, January 15
Resumption of the Samjhauta Express after a gap of two years today fulfilled hopes of families on both sides of the border.

The historic event was ignored by politicians of both countries. While Chief of Pakistan’s Railways was the seniormost officer to flag off the train, lukewarm reception here disappointed passengers. A retired Assistant Engineer from Attari, Mr Gurdev Singh Randhawa, came forward and distributed “ladoos” among passengers to accord warm welcome on behalf of Attari residents.

After passing through the steel gates into India at 12.40 pm, Mian Alla Ditta, driver of Samjhauta Train expressed delight on having the honour to steer the train to this side once again, “let the train never stop”, quipped the driver who was hugged by the Indian Railway staff. Media persons jostled to get good pictures of the train entering India.

The Samjhauta Express brought only 84 passengers, including train crew of nine. A 16-member hockey team and three members of the National Assembly including a Hindu member, Mr Ramesh Lal also reached here by train. While 350 passengers boarded the Samjhauta Express for Lahore which left at 2.15 p.m.

During the period of suspension of the train citizens of India and Pakistan could not participate in family functions.

The train, normally used by not-so-well off people would help reunite families, separated by the Radcliff Line and help arrange more crossborder marriages.

The excitement of meeting dear ones brought mixed feelings of joy and sorrow to Rashida Bagum (60) an Indian, who was married in Pakistan more than 30 years ago. She could not attend the burial of her mother and father who died in Saharanpur (UP) because she was denied visa for the past four years. Her niece Shamma Parveen, a resident of Dehra Dun who married Asaf Ahmed (a Pakistani national) in December 1999 is visiting her parents for the first time after the marriage. In choked voice, she said that her two-year-old daughter Heera would be meeting with her ‘Nana and Nani’ (grandparents) for the first time.

The three members of National Assembly of Pakistan, Mr Ramesh Lal Motwani, Mr Mohammad Anwar Bhutto and Mr Malik Junejo — all belonging to the People’s Party of Pakistan, hailing from Sindh province felt that there was need to bring down all man-made barriers for establishing people-to-people contact on the pattern of Europe for permanent thaw.

“Many family members of mine had died in Pakistan in the past two years but I could not go across the border due to the snapping of rail, road and air links. I would be able to know the fate of my ailing sister, whether she is dead or alive after reaching Pakistan”, said Mr Hazi Abdul Salim, a resident of Bhilwara (Rajasthan). “Similarly, my relatives in Pakistan could not visit India to mourn the deaths which occurred here (India)”.

An Urdu poet from Muzaffrabad (UP), Qazi Azhar Iqbal was so excited on the resumption of train that he penned a poem before the departure of the Samjhauta Express for Lahore expressing hope that the train would continue its journey for ever.

Shazia Akhtar, a Pakistani model who had returned to her native country along with her Indian mother by the Samjhauta Express said that resumption of rail link would help many Pakistani artistes to explore avenues in film and TV industry in India. She said, Adnan Sami, a Pakistani singer had made great impact on Indian music and preferred to stay back in India as he was virtually a “non-entity” in the country, of his origin. The mother, Shazia Begum, an Indian married in Pakistan four decades ago suggested her daughter to marry in India — the country of her origin. “I love India as women are much safer and respected here than in Pakistan”. She carried photographs of several Bollywood stars and wanted that her daughter should try her luck in Hindi film industry.

Shamim Begum, a resident of Jama Masjid (New Delhi) whose two daughters are married in Karachi felt relieved at the resumption of the train as it would enable her ailing husband to meet her relatives in Pakistan. She said after the marriage of both daughters, the family never visited each other and now the entire family would get reunited.

With frequent snapping of links, the family had decided not to marry their third daughter, Andlip in Pakistan.

In another development, at least 50 residents of Jammu and Kashmir also boarded the Pakistan-bound Samjhauta Express. Mr Ali Mohammad from Sopore expressed happiness over the resumption of the train said that his entire family was going to Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) to meet their long lost relatives.

Former Congress MLA, Mohammad Akhtar Nizami from Banihal (Jammu and Kashmir) said that the thaw would help establish people to people contact.

Chief Commissioners of Customs, S.S. Bedi and Mr V.P. Singh who supervised the arrangements said that there was still scope for improvement. They said that latest hi-tech equipments, including X-ray machines, narcotic detection devices and fake currency modules would be inducted soon at the station to prevent any mischief. He said instead of 100 per cent checking or frisking, the Customs officials had been briefed to be courteous and show restrain without lowering the vigil. The Customs would also requisition services of sniffer dogs.