Since the last few days, ever since the first Asian Convoy started of from Delhi, we have been under tremendous pressure due to the political uncertainties that confronted us.

In any case 34 members of the  Indian delegation were finally allowed to cross over to Pakistan.

Earlier on the 1st of December, it was the Pakistani govt that refused to grant the visas, but they finally did on the 2nd of December 2010.

Of the 51 that applied, 17 were refused including Sandeep Pandey, the three Kashmirs & myself as well.

This was due to pressure from various quarters from both within Pakistan & India & clearly there were forces operating within both the countries & from abroad that wanted to prevent the Palestine solidarity movement from emerging as a joint Indo-Pak & an Asian initiative. But the forces within our countries committed to peace won the day.

We then set of for the Wagah border that very night.

Then on the 3rd of Dec, we received communication from the Indian Ministry of External affairs, that the permission to cross the border would not be given.

Despite that, we carried on undaunted & waited all day long at the border, while our Pakistani friends waited on the other side.
Till 3pm, we received no intimation from the government, after which the media began to carry the story. We jointly condemned the  government for succumbing to the pressure of the Israeli Lobby operating in New Delhi.

We then decided to make our way back to Delhi & plan our way to Tehran by air.

But later that night we began to receive signals from the authorities that they were willing to reconsider the matter.

Then the Delegates stayed over at Malerkotla (4 hours from the Wagah border) & made their way back the next morning.
To our pleasant surprise & jubilation, the permission did arrive in the morning by 11am itself & the Indian delegates made their way across to a tumultuous reception.

Due to these factors, the national & international media has begun to carry this story.

At these times of Indo-Pak tension over Kashmir & other issues, we were told that Pakistan will not issue visas for the Asian Solidarity convoy to Gaza-Palestine.

But the Pakistani government was compelled to, as it could not afford to be seen as the obstacle to Asian solidarity caravan beginning from India.

Similarly, the Indian government also could not be seen as the impediment to a humanitarian aid convoy to Palestine & prevent Indian peace activists from crossing over into Pakistan.

Thus after relentless pressure from the social movements & sections of the media, both the governments had to open their doors for the cause of Palestine.

Undoubtedly this is a victory for the Asian caravan,  where we have for the very first time begun a process of dialogue between India & Pakistan on the agenda of creating a South Asian  & a pan-Asian struggle in Solidarity with Palestine.

The Media is now beginning to cover the caravan, due to the political controversy that is raging around it.

Our Pakistani friends will carry along the land route to Zahedan in Iran, whilst the Indian delegation will head back to Delhi(as we were granted visas only for Lahore - due to "security concerns"), before we fly out to Tehran on the 8th of December.

This is only the beginning & we have a long long way to go, before we all finally reach Gaza-Palestine.