A school girl’s plea for peace


A school girl’s plea for peace

“The meaning of my name ‘Aman’ is peace. I am sure that there must be some Shanti across the border thinking the same way,” writes a sixth-grader

By Aman Shahid

By Aman Shahid

This Children’s Day, after finishing my homework I went to my father who was sitting in the lounge watching a news channel. While waiting for the right moment to request custody of the remote, so that I could switch to my favourite channel I saw news about kids being killed in Syria, Kashmir and in cross border firings between India and Pakistan. These raised many questions in my mind that my father could not answer. So I decided to share my thoughts with you, the readers.

I am in class six and know that Delhi and Lahore are twin sisters and they share the sunshine, moonlight, summers, winters, including pollution in the shape of the recent harmful smog due to short distance between them. I also observe that people look like same, speak the same language, have similar cultures and historical backgrounds. I assume that our emotions, feelings and response towards good and bad would also be the same.

Then why do they talk in terms of how many Tanks, Fighter Planes or Missiles they have rather in terms of Flowers, Feelings, and Love we have to share with each other? Don’t our elders understand, even we the kids know, that nobody wins these wars, that war only brings destruction and sufferings? What is the use of spoiling the life of people on both sides of the border?

Peace-and-FriendshipI also think that the ultimate victims of any war is we, the kids, as either we are killed or our loved ones, civilian and soldiers are killed, making us orphans. The kids surely go to Heaven, being in no way involved in any good or bad. However, the death of our loved ones destroys the beautiful castles of our dreams, love, care and ultimately destroys our beautiful future just like fighter planes destroy tanks. Nobody else can better empathise with this situation faced by a child except by another child. It literally horrifies me to think that what will happen if this situation worsens like Syria, or even the Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in context of our subcontinent.

Let’s try to understand the situation further by dividing the human beings into three categories, the old ones, the grownups and we the kids.   The olds ones have almost lived their life, whereas  the grownups one are actually responsible for this situation, but we the kids who have yet to blossom and are not part of any of the evil design. We are in NO way responsible for the sufferings of our beautiful world, still have got highest stake amongst all three without having any control upon this horrible situation.

We want Bajrangi Bhaijaans, not Draculas and villains

We want Bajrangi Bhaijaans, not Draculas and villains

I understand that we the kids cannot separate ourselves from our elders. But we at least can make them realise that peace is a must for our growth and wellbeing, and this is our right, that they should understand. We should join hands with each other and with all the nice adults of both sides, requesting those in power to bring peace, for the sake of our fellow children and ultimately for the peace of the whole world. I am confident that the real-life Bajrangi Bhaijans and Sarfraz who does not betray will join the kids in this noble cause.

The meaning of my name “Aman” is peace. I am sure that there must be some Shanti across the border thinking the same way. The Amans and Shantis of the region should stand up for peace amongst our two neighbouring countries. Jimi Hendrix says “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace”.

Let’s also raise our voices against the burning of our schools and tell the elders that we need and love superheroes like Spiderman and Superman who really care for us the kids, and we hate the Draculas and any other villain who want to destroy our beautiful world.

The writer is a student of class six, at Learning Alliance, DHA, Lahore, Pakistan.
Have a response? Email: [email protected] with the subject line: Aman Shanti




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