IPPNW peace and health blog

We have all been extremely busy finishing off the peace march and straight into the Student’s Congress on the 7th and 8th. Here is the rest of our March story!

March 4^th, 2008 – Further talks with hospital staff/Opportunity Costs of Nukes/Indian Medical Association

After a restful, but short of a rest in Ludhiana, we made our way to Christian Medical College (CMC) for more peace talks to the medical students. Again, we informed the students of our purpose on this tour and what the various countries represented were trying to achieve in their respective countries. The floor was then open to some interactive communication, which opened up many great discussions.

The issue of justifying nuclear weapons as a good deterrent for neighboring countries was a prominent topic, leading to the India – Pakistan tension ‘issue’. We were asked about efficaciousness of our peace march – in terms of did we really think that, as students, were able to really contribute to making a difference for world peace?

Our responses to these questions were ardently met by facts about how dangerous nuclear weapons are to make and maintain, let alone the effects of one being detonated, the cost of nuclear weapons being able to abolish hunger in India, and views from German students who have been in Pakistan and insist that both Pakistanis and Indians are both warm hearted people who do want peace, but are simply afraid of each other. As for the efficaciousness of our mission – it was just inspirational to see delegates from 10 different countries across the world, united together in a common cause for the one purpose of achieving peace, starting with the abolition of nuclear weapons as this is the most singly destructive force known to human-kind. If we all take small steps toward the same goal, together we can reach our destination.

Topically, we then visited the statue of the three Indian freedom fighters, which fought peacefully for India’s freedom against Brittain in 1947.

We then made our way to Dayanand Medical College where we were, as always, greeted warmly. From here, we marched through the streets of Ludhiana joined with the students from both Christian and Dayanand Medical College, chanting “Aman Shanti” [“we want peace” in Hindi]. More sessions, similar to the one aforementioned occurred with Dayanand Medical Students, factory workers at a car motor company and students at Desh Bhagat, an Ayurvedic College and Hospital. One more stop at Ambala, greeted by the Indian Medical Association and then to Mollana University for a well welcomed night sleep!

March, 5^th, 2008 – Mollana University/Arrival in Delhi/Mahatma Gandhi Shrine/Welcome by Secretary of Trade Unions

We talked to Mollana university medical students in the morning after a well rested night and then drove for a long time (after one and a half Hindi movies) to be welcomed by the Indian Doctors for Peace and Development (IDPD) in Haryana. We continued our journey to Rajghat, where Mahatma Gandhi rests. Across the road, we had a welcoming ceremony by Ms Amargeet Kaur, the Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress.

The march’s end at the poignant Rajghat was symbolic and representative of the peaceful demonstration of our wish and longing for peace.

On to the IPPNW Medical Student Congress.

Yours in Peace,

Marcus

This is Marcus, from Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia, in Ludiana on our second night of the IPPNW Medical Student Peace Tour from the Wagah Border to Delhi. This is our journey so far:

1st March 2008 – Bumpy Ride Crossing Border/First Meetings

After a precarious tuk tuk ride, sent by the amazing Ankita, I arrived at the meeting spot of 40 or so delegates from all over the world. Unbeknownst to us, we were to bond over a 12 hour back breaking and neck breaking bus-ride from Delhi to Amritsar. The delegates included Indian, Mongolian, Swiss, Dutch, Ukrainian, German, a Nigerian and Latin American medical students and young doctors, all of whom were eager to find out about each other and the medical school system in which we all worked in.

We had a dinner before we left that night, which was great, except for the fact that some got “lost”. The aforementioned bus ride was definitely an experience to whinge about. Sleep was quite out of the question, with any REM sleep constantly being interrupted by the jumping of the bus due to pot holes in the roads the size of untreated 3 month-old Burkitt’s lymphomas (John the Nigerian assures me that these get big – and this was his analogy!)

2nd March 2008 – Arrival in Amritsar/Wagah Border

We finally reach our Amritsar destination, at Government Medical College, where we are joined by the Bangladeshi delegates. We make our way to the Wagah border, which divides India and Pakistan, where we are again joined by more students – the Nepali delegates! We all eagerly waited for the Pakistani group but we were only able to welcome two German students who had been working in Pakistan and joined our march. It seems that the Pakistani delegates were held up and their Visas did not come through.

For the afternoon/evening, we visited the Golden Temple – the largest and grandest temple for the Sikh people (one of the four major religions within India). This place of worship was so incredibly beautiful peaceful, with hundreds of people engaging in workshops. We ate at the Golden Temple, where it is free for all who come and want food! Imagine a hall of hundreds of people getting dinner for free every half hour or so!! Talk about the first step to universal healthcare!!! No one in Punjabi should have to go hungry…

That night we roughed it a little, Indian style, but it was the first chance to get a proper sleep, not on a moving vehicle in over 36 hours, so everyone slept like a log.

3rd March 2008 – Medical Exchange at Gov. Medical College/Street Actions

A delegate from each country was asked (for those of us who were the only single delegate from our respective countries) to talk to the Government Medical College students at a seminar in the morning after a special Amritsar breakfast. The aim was to increase awareness amongst the Amritsar medical students.

More bus riding ensued from Amritsar to Jalander, where we were met by the IMA (Indian Medical Association) holding picket signs with “NO TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS” in the street. This was followed by a motorbike precession to a hall where more talking and speech giving occurred. Already 2 hours or so behind schedule, we then made our rowdy way to Ludhiana. By rowdy I mean Nepali delegates vs. Bangladesh delegates in a singing and dancing contest in the isles of the bus. Word from the other bus suggests it was much the same with the Indian group singing at the top of their lungs followed by a flower fight (we were given flower necklaces when we arrived in Jalander). “THROW FLOWERS, NOT BOMBS!” – Lydia, Ecuador

In Ludhiana, we were at the Baba Jasmant Singh Dental College, Hospital and Research Institute. We were so warmly received, with Baba Ji himself welcoming us and blessing each one of us (at this point we are 74 delegates). Dinner was massive and in true Panjabi style – which is eat yourself silly with wonderful food until you can’t eat anymore (hunger as an urge is not considered at all when approaching food i.e. it doesn’t matter if you’re not hungry; you eat!). And now we have gone upstairs and settled into our wonderfully luxurious rooms for the night…

The Indian hospitality has been wonderful.

On to Delhi,

Marcus