Sudheendra Kulkarni to visit Pak for Kasuri's book launch

Mumbai Observer Research Foundation Chairman Sudheendra Kulkarni who was sprayed with black paint by Shiv Sainiks for organising former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuris book launch here will travel to Karachi next week to attend the launch of the same bookKulkarni said he has accepted Kasuris invitation to join the launch of his book Neither a Hawk nor a Dove in Karachi on November 2 along with a number of prominent Pakistanis and Indians The ORF chairman stated this at a panel discussion during the Tata Literature Live festival here last nightBoth Kasuri who was in Delhi earlier this month in connection with his book launch and Kulkarni who had invited him to launch his book in Mumbai were repeatedly warned by Shiv Sena to cancel the event However they refused to bow down to this pressureSudheendra Kulkarni with face blackened by Shiv Sena activists with former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri File pic Later Kulkarni became the victim of a paint attack by Shiv Sena members ahead of the launch of Kasuris book in Mumbai on October 12 The Shiv Sena had vehemently opposed the event and threatened to disrupt it Prior to it the Sena had also forced the cancellation of Pakistani singer Ghulam Alis concert in MumbaiKulkarni said he was both delighted and excited at the opportunity to visit Pakistan next week November 14 I thank Mr Kasuri for inviting me to participate in the function to launch his book Neither a Hawk Nor a Dove in Karachi on November 2His book is a major contribution to the IndiaPakistan peace process since it provides a detailed narration on the large degree of consensus reached between the previous governments in New Delhi and Islamabad on resolving the vexed Kashmir issue he saidKulkarni said he had the privilege of organising the launch of Kasuris book in Mumbai earlier this month The courageous solidarity shown by the people of Mumbai ensured the success of the function despite the unlawful threat by the Shiv Sena to disrupt it he said in a statement todayHe also thanked the Karachi Council on Foreign Relations for inviting him to participate in a seminar on PakistanIndia relations on November 3 I have vivid memories of my last visit to Karachi in 2005 when I accompanied L K Advani It was a visit that became unnecessarily controversial because of his perfectly appropriate tribute to QaidIAzam Mohammed Ali Jinnah the founder of PakistanI look forward to visiting Jinnahs mausoleum again since I am convinced that his vision and ideals along with those of Mahatma Gandhi can surely help India and Pakistan in their search for peace normalisation and HinduMuslim unity the ORF chairman said adding that in particular I strongly believe that the time has come to dedemonise Jinnah in the collective mind of IndiansHe also said that both the countries need to learn from the mistakes made in the past Both Indians and Pakistanis need to revisit the complex history of Partition with an open mind and learn from the costly mistakes committed in the past he saidWe should forge a new path of reconciliation through dialogue in which there is no place for wars and violent border conflicts no place for terrorism and religious bigotry no place for majoritarianism and denial of minority rights in either country and no place at all for an artificial wall dividing the people of our two countries who are proud inheritors of a rich and common civilisation Kulkarni added