LUCKNOW: Walking past a sweets shop owned by a Hindu placed right next to an
Avadhi food outlet
may be nothing special for natives but for this group of
Japanese students and teachers
from
University of Tokyo
, it was the symbol of Lucknow's famous
communal harmony
.
In the city for a special study tour on Sunday , the Japanese delegation had its tryst with the city's famous GangaJamuni tehzeeb against the backdrop of Mahmudabad house that played a significant role in the Lucknow Pact, exactly 100 years ago.For the next six days, the dele gation will be moving around the city and Kakori, witnes sing the city's history and culture through its many his toric educational institutions. Leading the 13-member group, unique in its composition with Japanese, Arabic, Persian and also Urdu speaking native Japanese members, Kazuo Morimoto said, “Even with the diversity , people here live in such conformity that is unique to Lucknow. Where else can you find someone like Raja of Mahmudabad reciting in Persian a verse from 19th century Persian poet Hafiz,“ he added.
For most members it was their first visit to Lucknow and India, meeting with members of Shoulder to Shoulder, a citizen driven initiative for communal harmony , was an eye-opener on how even with diverse issues, social media is being used for community good. There are problems but the way technology is being used to bring people together is a great concept. Students need to see that and learn how communication and such dialogue is bridging gaps,“ said Miyamoto Takashi.
Paving way for a people to people contact sans any inhibitions, Ali Khan Mahmudabad while addressing the small gathering said, “There is no better dialogue for harmony than education and educational institutions celebrating uniqueness of our city.“
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