India is a very unusual country. Nowhere in the world will you find a nation which is so different in nature. It has many religions. many more languages and dialects and most of all it has a great many types of different people who live and strive within it. When you consider this fact, it is a marvel that India has completed more than sixty years as an independent country. There is something more to this country than which meets the eye. There have been many problems that our nation is grappling with right now, prominent among them being the Kashmir issue which happened this summer and Naxalism which is at its peak.These problems clearly merit our attention.

To put a perspective on the uniqueness of India's situation and the way India should carry on forward, there is this event called Peacetalks, which is has been organised by the Citizens of Peace (A secular organization whose objective is to precipitate a secular mindset in Indian culture) with co-operation from Mahindra & Mahindra ( the premier auto brand in India). The objective of this event is to find creative answers and share examples of problems that have solved. The initiative seeks to explore innovative, sustainable solutions to the violence around us and to promote conversations that help in resolving these issues peacefully.This is a very novel venture on Indian soil. Everyone knows what havoc we are going through as a nation when it comes to understanding different people and their cultures. It is time we do something about setting aside our differences and unite for a common cause. This event comprises of speakers who have experienced first hand what differences in culture and people mean and how it has affected them. These people are just not idle observers but people who have been there when this growing unrest in these different people has resulted in things going very wrong. They will be there to present their case as well as engage in frank discussion as to how we can avoid these situations from repeating themselves.

The speakers for this edition of Peace-talks are Himanshu Kumar and Sudeep Chakravarti. Himanshu Kumar is a staunch Gandhian and a human rights activist. He started the Vanvasi Chetna Ashram(VCA) in Dantewadaregion of Chattisgarh to empower the tribals in that area. Sadly in May 2009, a police force comprising of 500 officials of the law razed his ashram to the ground because of suspicions that he was a Naxal sympathiser.Undaunted, Himanshu is still striving to create awareness about how tribals have the right to food and medicines as well basic rights which make them equal citizens.

The other speaker is Sudeep Chakravarti whose astute observations regarding Naxalism and its causes are detailed in his book called "Red Sun: Travels in Naxalite Country." He has been considered to be a very eminent scholar on Naxalism as a movement. He will speak at the event on his travels and his
perspective of Naxalism and the way forward with this problem.

I feel something needs to be done about such pressing issues in our country. I commend the efforts of Citizens for Peace (CFP) who are striving for people to to hear out both sides of the coin and to come up with a plan where peace can be achieved and India be rid of all its domestic problems. I sincerely hope these efforts bear fruit. Peacetalks has a presence on Facebook so they can reach people like you and me and so raise general awareness about this event. Please do visit http://www.facebook.com/PeaceTalksCFP and join this initiative so that we give our two bits on how to be peaceful nation and have a bright non-violent future.