Colourful expose for release of Indian soldiers from Pak jails

Varanasi, Dec 3 (UNI) A year after a Mumbai-based man cycled his way across the country for a sacred cause, he today found support among young painters of a university here, who used the deft strokes of paintbrush towards the larger mission of securing release of Indian soldiers languishing in Pakistani jails.

As many as 152 evocative creations comprising collage, pastol and water colour paintings, besides graphic based art, all fashioned by students of Faculty of Visual Arts, Mahatama Gandhi Kashi Vidyapith University (MGKV) here elevated a larger public cause of seeking the release of Indian soldiers languishing in jails across the LoC.

Interestingly, 35 years ago on this very day, Pakistani aircrafts attacked India's western frontier to spark off a war between two neighbours, which ended 13 days later with Pakistani surrender.

''35 baras beet gaye ... kab hogi ye bindi lal, Aise Kyo Tum Kab Aaoge'' (was the terse call given by the creations narrating the pain of women waiting for the return of their better-halves captured by Pakistan as prisoners of war (POWs) during the 1971 war.

The provocative creations went on to script the agony of the soldiers awaiting the light of liberation in the dark Pakistani prisons. Kya tum mujhe bhool gaye ? questioned one painting narrating the pangs of the Indian soldiers still awaiting the end of public indifference to their dark life.

Then there were other creations which went on to say ''Apna farz nibhaya hamne ab hame azad karayein'' while an adjoining collage termed the continuance of Indian POWs in Pakistani jails as ''Ye haar pure desh ki haar hai'' and its equally colourful neighbour had a message from the son of POW to President Kalam ''How long wait for my father who is still in the jail of Pakistan.'' The evocative gallery which repeatedly asked commoners ''Rihahi Kab tak'' also had some optimisitc embodiments like ''Magar baki hai ummeed'' alongwith a caution to Pakistan ''Rah gayi hai naam ki dosti.'' The prime inspiration behind the expose was Hiralal Yadav, who since 2005 has been cycling his way across the country to mobilse public opinion for liberation of Indian POWs from Pakistani jails said ''I have toured at least 25 universities and colleges, besides the Nagpur central jail to mobilse public demand for release of our soldiers languishing in Pakistani jails. The young painters in MGKV here have responded in the most vibrant manner by adding divergent colours to this demand.'' Mr Yadav's call not only found colourful readiness of students to further the cause, but also the Vice-Chancellor of MGKV Surendra Kushwaha, after inaugurating the exhibition asked the students to prepare an album of 50-best creations, which will be carried to Pakistan by a university delegation to seek the release of the Indian soldiers from jails across the border.

''We will talk to local MP Rajesh Mishra to get clearance from external affairs ministry and Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi. Once the official sanction is recieved, the delegation of students and teachers alongwith Mr Yadav will leave for Pakistan to bring back colours into the lives of those whose loved ones are living a dark life in prisons across the border,'' Prof Kushwaha added.

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