Peace hopes flow along Chenab river

AKHNOOR: The first messages of peace were sent across the waters of the Chenab river on Wednesday after India and Pakistan vowed to move ahead with a composite dialogue.
Thrilled with the step towards peace, the Youth Association of India (YAI), a non-government body, set afloat toy boats decked with balloons to Pakistan through the Chenab — the river runs through the town, 30 km north of Jammu and Kashmir’s winter capital Jammu.
Akhnoor is just 15 km from the Line of Control (LoC) between the two countries. It has been bruised by not only Indo-Pak wars but also by terrorism. It has also suffered the firing along the LoC since the Kargil war in 1999.
On Wednesday, the YAI gathered 100 young boys on the banks of the Chenab. Each toy boat was filled with sweets and placards reading: Peace, We want to be friends.