Calcutta college builds peace bridge with Karachi

Fifty students and teachers from one of Kolkata's premier institutions will carry this message to Pakistan in January next year, soon after students from Karachi land here on a peace mission.

Bhowanipore Education Society has sought formal approval from the Union home ministry for the goodwill mission, and has even started groundwork with the Islamabad government.

It will be tough picking the 50 for the mission, the college authorities admit.

"Everyone wants to go on this mission. The selections will be very rigorous for students, we will finalise the list in the last week of December," said Mangaldas Shanghavi, president of the Society.

The expected trip is already stirring up excitement in the four cities that the team will visit — Karachi, Lahore, Hyderabad and Islamabad. "All four cities are teeming with Gujarati residents.

There are 22 Gujarati dailies in Karachi alone! We have established contact with the Gujarati community there, and they are not only excited about the mission but are also helping us by moving the Pakistani government on our behalf for permission and visas," Shanghavi said…