July 31, 2004

Sadako was suffering from the after-effects of the atomic bomb in Japan and was hospitalized. Since she was not getting cured, her friends suggested to her that if she made one thousand origami cranes, peace would prevail. By the time she had made eight hundred, the last call came from Heaven, and she floated to the realms unknown, for good.

Her friends made the rest of the one thousand cranes to complete the score and to fulfil her last wish that, after the cranes of origami had been made, peace would descend in Japan.

Her sincere and loving desire to see Japan in peace so affected the people of Japan that in her memory, whenever a wish has to be fulfilled, people and particularly the younger generation laboriously makes one thousand paper cranes for the wish to be fulfilled.

Her efforts and goodwill have launched a custom and fortified the tradition with renewed vigour. It is felt that she has revived the tradition throughout Japan and given the fulfilment of a wish a very hopeful outlook.

Following the tradition, Mr Kanji Hana Gata the Consul General of Japan in Pakistan, launched a movement to make one thousand origami cranes at the consulate, wishing Karachi peace and tranquillity.

In a simple but impressive ceremony at the City Secretariat of Karachi, the Consul General recently presented one thousand cranes to the city Nazim, Mr Niamatullah in his office.

With the observation of this innocent wish of a sick girl, honoured by an entire nation, perhaps peace will prevail in the disturbed city of Karachi where lately, bomb explosions, murders and waves of uncalled violence have made peace loving citizens anxious and apprehensive. Every one wishes that peace will return to Karachi some day soon, but their wishes have stayed in vain and no practical motivation by individuals, a section of intellectuals or peace loving NGOs has been taken.

The Japanese Consulate thought of it more seriously than anybody else in the country. Right from the level of the Consul General to the lowest in the rank, origami cranes were made as a contribution to bringing peace to the metropolis that remains in turmoil day and night.

Niamatullah, the City Nazim, responding to the extremely kind gesture of the Consul General, also turned and twisted a paper given to him to make an origami crane. He struggled a little, but with the assistance from the on looking staff from the Consulate, he managed to make one. You can see him making a crane with paper in the picture.

Imagine Karachi’s people making cranes for the troubled city of Tokyo and the presentation of the cranes to the mayor of Tokyo by the Consul General of Pakistan in Japan. That is just an impossible suggestion. No one will put in that much effort or labour for a distant city in Japan, would they?

But the Japanese Consulate did it. It is a living proof of a highly civilized culture and nation that has a sensitive heart, that feels the pain of others as acutely as if it were their own flesh and blood. There can be no better proof of friendship between Japan and Pakistan than this. Long live Japan-Pakistan friendship.

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