By Matters India Reporter
Hyderabad, Dec 21, 2023: The children of war-torn Gaza and other conflict zones were the focus of a special Christmas program organized December 21 in Hyderabad, capital of the southern Indian state of Telangana.
The event was held at the Montfort Social Institute, Ramanthapur, a city suburb, with the theme “Children in Conflict Zones – Expressions through Poetry, Singing, Painting, Dance,.
A plethora of artists from the city, poets from Potti Sriramulu Telugu Vishwavidyalayam, members from the transgender community, dancers and prominent civil society activists, advocates, Journalists, independent artists, and intellectuals from all walks of life attended the program.
Sharing the significance of the event, Sajaya Kakarla, a Sahitya Akademi awardee and representative of the Citizens for Peace, said the artists used cultural expression to stress the use of art and poetry to fight injustice. She also said the celebration would shake people’s conscience about the painful circumstances faced by children in war zones across the world.
Montfort Brother Varghese Theckanath, director of Montfort Social Institute, noted that art was used at the unique event to raise the issue of the plight of children conflict zones, especially when Christmas is celebrated in the name of a child. “But today children in conflict zones are facing the most inhuman brutal conditions. This event must disturb us and transform us,” he asserted.
Noted author Kanche Iliah said that peaceful coexistence of the two nations is the only solution to the Israel-Palestine Issue. ‘Unfortunately, it has now become like an International Ayodhya Issue falling on similar problematic aspects.” He mentioned his new book, ‘Clash of Cultures’ in which he wrote about the cultural conflict in India.
A ghazal by Shaheen Women captured in Deccani the plight of Gaza children. Young and experienced poets from Telangana state addressed the same theme through poetry in English and Telugu. The ministers from Hyderabad City Youth Parliament and Children’s Parliament sang songs to express solidarity with their counterparts in Gaza.
Boys from Manipur living in Hyderabad sang carols, sharing the love of Christmas in solidarity with their own people and those suffering across the world.
This year my Christmas crib will be focused on Gaza. Tragically most Christians and churches in India are celebrating Christmas with business as usual.