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Delhi-Lahore bus: A symbol of peace

Basharat Peer in New Delhi.

Two and half hours before Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf landed on Indian soil on Saturday morning, the famous bus to Lahore started towards the Wagah border from Delhi.

Prime Minister Vajpayee launched the Delhi-Lahore bus service on February 19, 1999, when he boarded it on the eve of Nawaz-Vajpayee summit that led to the signing of the Lahore Declaration.

And the first bus started taking regular passengers on March 15, 1999.

At 6.00 am Saturday morning the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation bus carrying passengers from both India and Pakistan, left for Lahore with a motorcade of police vehicles guarding it.

The passengers gave a clear message that the relationships of love did exist between citizens of both the countries despite the hostility.

"Travelling from Pakistan to India is like travelling from one city to another in Pakistan. There is no difference between the two. You have the same people in both the countries," Ashiq Hussain, the Pakistani driver of the bus said.

He came to India for the first time seven months ago, when he drove the bus from Pakistan for the first time.

"The moment I crossed the Wagah border with the bus, my heart leaped with joy. I was in India and it was beautiful. Now I know the place well and have not had any problems," Ashiq added before leaving to chat with a Delhi Police official posted there.

They are cracking jokes and Ashiq pulls a packet of Morven Gold Pakistani cigarettes out of his pocket. He lights one for his Delhi Police friend, another for himself. They are laughing and backslapping each other and nobody can make out that one is an Indian another a Pakistani.

Zakir Hussain, a young businessman from Udaipur, Rajasthan is going to Pakistan for the first time along with his wife and children. Like most of the passengers he has to meet his relatives there.

"We have to attend the marriage of my sister-in-law in Karachi. We could have gone by plane but intentionally decided to go by this bus. It is basically about feeling the experience of travelling in this bus that symbolises India and Pakistan taking the first step towards friendship," Zakir said.

There is a feeling that there should be more such bus routes leading to better interaction between the citizens of the two countries.

Ambereen Ali, a teacher from Karachi came by the bus one and half month ago from Pakistan to visit her aunt and grandmother in Lucknow.

"It was a great stay. But I wish there were more such buses. It would have been great if they would have a bus coming from Karachi to Bombay. Things would ease a lot," she said.

The passengers have to book their tickets at least a week before the date of travel. The 13-hour journey in the air-conditioned bus comes with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

It is not just comfortable, but secure as well. The Ambedkar Terminal, from where the bus leaves or arrives is sealed by the police hours before its arrival and the bomb disposal squad ensures that it is completely safe.

To ensure that nothing goes wrong, the passengers are asked to report at 4.30 am at the terminal. They are allowed to enter the premises only after visas and passports are checked at the gate. The baggage is properly checked and once the passengers enter the terminal premises they cannot move out.

"We have to be very careful because it involves India and Pakistan. So we cannot take any chances," said a police official posted there. He walks hurriedly towards the police cars queuing there, as it is time for the bus to leave.

Driver Ashiq Hussain starts the bus and it moves fast followed by five police cars, that would go with it till reaches Wagah Border.

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