Editors from twelve dailies of India, Pakistan and Nepal were in Dhaka last week to attend the 20th anniversary celebration of The Daily Star. As a part of the Editorial team of this daily, I had the opportunity to attend a discussion meeting with the guests at the Daily Star office. I actually looked forward to this deliberation.
The meet was further graced by eminent scholars like Prof. Rehman Sobhan, Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman, NGO specialist Ms.Shaheen Anam and business tycoon Latifur Rahman. You could not ask for anything more. Our editor moderated the proceeding. It wasn't a compartmentalised caucus; it was an informal exchange of minds.
The visiting guests were, Kuldip Nayar, journalist-columnist from India, Ravindra Kumar, Chief Editor and MD, The Statesman Ltd, Kolkata, Jaideep Bose, Editor, Times of India, Mumbai, Dr.Dileep Padgoankar, Consulting Editor, Times Group, Delhi, K.N. Tilak Kumar, Chief Editor, Deccan Herald, Banglaore, Kunda Dixit, Editor and Publisher, Nepal Times, Kathmandu, Narayan Wagle, Editor-in-Chief, Nagarik, Kathmandu; Hamid Mir, Executive Editor GEO TV, Islamabad, ZafarAbbas, Chief E#ditor, Dawn Karachi; Muhammad Ziauddin, Executive Editor, Express Tribune, Islamabad.
Instead of resorting to archetypal reporting, I would like to focus on what these wise men think. Mr. Kuldip Nayar, by now himself a time-honoured institution of journalism, said a few words, soft but firm. He lamented over slow progress in peace and development for the last sixty years and till today sixty percent of Indians are in poverty. He mentioned Anna Hazare, who recently made news in India by going on hunger strike to protest against corruption. He said that Anna Hazare was a symptom, and not the disease. He pointed to the present pathetic state of things in India. He also stressed on the need to change the mindset of the leadership of all the countries in the region.
I heard the editors with interest. They emphasised on better understanding between countries of the region, more interactions between people, more opening of trade, and frequent exchange of information. The meet was informed that India was developing fast and there was a wind of change blowing all over the country. The change is occurring so fast that it is now hard to cope with it. Voters in India have moved on to development politics from typical party politics. A spirit of entrepreneurship has taken over. India is shining.
Editors from Pakistan observed that while India was shining and Bangladesh was moving on, Pakistan was in trouble. But there were hopes of democracy taking firmer roots in that country now plagued by violence and terrorism. Pakistan expects India to take the lead in promoting duty free trade between the two countries. This will create interest in the business communities of both countries. Initially, both India and Pakistan can open trading between their states, like the two Punjabs. They also cited failure of consensus in Pakistan political ranks as the main cause of the prevalent problems in Pakistan.
Editor of Nepal Times observed that in Nepal they didn't get to hear much about Bangladesh through any local source, except on certain occasions from CNN or BBC. This was unusual for regional neighbors. He suggested that journalists come up with joint reporting arrangements on important issues of national and regional import.
The Daily Star editor, Mahfuz Anam, posed a question whether the editors were going to be obstructions to modernisation. He stressed on the need for a meeting of regional editors once a year, if not for any serious business at least for socialising. Socialising for them would mean an opportunity for greater understanding. Even in the lightest vein, they are expected to talk about the most serious issues.
To me, this meet was very important in that it brought together thinking minds and authors of the region. These were important people, people with deep understanding of issues. They are operating leading newspapers in their countries and toiling hard to address the people and their leaders, students and businessmen, workers and farmers, the army and the police etc., in short, people from all strata of the country. They also fight the global war and deal with diplomacy of various kinds. They are the ultimate guide and conscience of a nation.
When these people get together it becomes a rare occasion. When they deliberate it turns out to be momentous. When they show their keenness in building a tangible relationship on a sustainable ground it emits a noteworthy signal.
They expressed their sincere desire to have a well-knit information exchange system and a true bondage of journalists for the development of the region. They showed eagerness to work on anything that would promote trade, culture and history.
They all felt the same about their political leadership. The truth is that the political leaderships in our countries don't let us mingle and be one, and prosper by mutual exchange of knowledge and wealth.
Journalists have a major role to play to develop mutual understanding and trust among the countries of the region. Without trust nothing tangible is expected. This trust is more conspicuously absent in India and Pakistan. Perhaps they forget their importance in the global context. Both are important strategically and economically. Both have nukes to scare the world, both have been making their marks in world sports and labour markets.
So the need and importance of peace between them has to be felt deeply and realised.
India as a bigger neighbour could do a world of good to the region by creating an ambience of trust by extending the hand of cooperation towards her smaller friends. Pakistan can also contribute to regional peace by coming up with pragmatic measures to counter extremism in her grounds. Regional cooperation in developing trade is as important as countering terrorism collectively.
The press can play a revolutionary role in creating this trust, bridging the gap and tying the knots. The pen has always remained mightier than the sword.

The writer is Assistant Editor, The Daily Star.
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