Indian, Pakistani honored for working for peace between two countries

Published: 2004-08-04

NEW DELHI, India (CNS) -- The selection of an Indian and a Pakistani to share a Magsaysay award illustrates South Asia's desire for peace, said a Jesuit theologian. The Philippine-based Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation announced Aug. 2 that retired Indian naval officer Laxminarayan Ramdas and Pakistani journalist Ibn Abdur Rehman will share the 2004 award for peace and international understanding, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. The award citation recognizes the duo for "reaching across a hostile border to nurture a citizen-based consensus for peace between India and Pakistan." Jesuit Father T.K. John, who is associated with a peace movement in the region, told UCA News that the award recognizes "the fact that governments in India and Pakistan cannot ignore ordinary people's demand for peace in South Asia."

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