The Samvaad Peace Building Programme of Caritas India has been diligently connecting people of different beliefs and backgrounds through its programme implementation partners on a single platform where they can articulate the message of peace and communal harmony. The programme’s efforts have been appreciated, especially in the Saharanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, where communal strife has caused violence in past years.

In 2014 and 2017, clashes broke out in Saharanpur over a land dispute, resulting in two deaths and several injuries. In response, the district authorities imposed a curfew in the region to control the situation. The violence left a lasting impact on those who witnessed it, and many understood that violence would only lead to more predicaments and differences between communities.

Under the Samvaad Peace Programme, Meerut Seva Samaj conducted awareness programmes to sensitise the community and prevent communal riots. The programme’s teachings have instilled a language of harmony and peace in the citizen forum members, who decided to greet the minority Muslim community on their festival of Eid-ul-Fitr. This gesture of greeting Eid to community members was truly remarkable and demonstrated a culture of harmony and brotherhood that has existed among the locals. Over a hundred people from different communities gathered for the feast of Eid Milan (Eid Meet), and a feeling of joy and accord was visible among all invitees.

This effort by Meerut Seva Samaj is historic, given that such a ceremony was organised after four decades. The Eid Milan ceremony was held at the residence of Dr. Mansoor Ahmed, and around 50 people from the Hindu community and about 70 people from the Muslim community participated from the surrounding villages. The initiative received praise from various stakeholders, like Shri Premchand from the Dalit community, Naresh Gautam, and Mehtab Ali, the convenor of the All India Madarsa Teachers Association. Dr. Mansoor Ahmed appreciated the Samvaad Peace programme and its efforts to promote mutual harmony and trust among communities. He emphasised the need to respect the religious and cultural values of all the communities standing in unity in their respective localities. In today’s times of severe polarisation, such efforts are crucial to bringing people under one umbrella and spreading harmony.

The Eid Milan ceremony is a testament to the programme’s success in fostering harmony and brotherhood among communities. Such efforts are crucial in today’s times, where divisive forces are trying to break the unity and harmony among people. All participants of this Eid Milan event happily departed from the ceremony with the assurance to meet frequently to ensure and enable a conducive environment for maintaining peace and harmony in the region.

The success of the Eid Milan ceremony has inspired the idea of celebrating festivals of all religions together to foster mutual harmony and unity. Such events can promote peace and harmony in society, which is crucial for the progress of the country. It is heartening to see the Samvaad Peace Programme’s efforts to unite people and create a collaborative movement to spread tranquillity and brotherhood, thereby creating a people’s platform to express their love and respect for each other.