KARACHI - A peace activist, Nirmala Deshpande from India, was paid tributes on the other day at the auditorium of PIA, in which renowned peace-lovers and great humanists participated and highlighted her services for the establishment of peace and tranquillity especially in the sub-continent. Didi to all, Deshapande was not only a peace activist but was a prominent social reformer of her times, who passed away last year on the 1st May 2008, the Labour Day, for she herself voiced concerns for the labourers of India. Paying tributes to her, Karamat Ali of PILER said, Didi was an extraordinary personality that could not be found in ages. She worked for the labour class rights without any proud and prejudice. She was planning to inaugurate Association for the People of Asia, based on the theory of peace-coexistence. She helped the Maoist of Nepal, when they were held in Indian prisons to walk free. Her contribution towards promoting peace cannot be undermined in the region, for which she wholeheartedly worked. An Indian speaker, Kavita Sirawasta said; Many Nirmalas are to be born in this region hence with the cause to promote peace. Its a shame that the Indian media created war-hype after the Mumbai carnage episode; the people of Mumbai do not want war at any cost. To promote peace, first, we must free our borders from visa restriction; it will help reduce the tension between the two neighbours. An increase in defence budget of both the countries is not a helpful sign either in projecting peace within the region. Rahat Shah said, Didi spoke volumes against the discrimination of the working class. Its a sorry state in Pakistan that we cannot produce even one Didi in our country that would promote peace ties between the two countries. Mohammad Ali Shah said, Have people of the region ever wondered why peace does not grow in the region; its because of our political leadership of the sub-continent that does not want to see the rise of de-militarised sub-continent. We need to work at the grass root level; until and unless feudalism is cropped out from the country, we will not be able to achieve those results. Khadim Ali Shah said, She worked for the establishment of peace and tranquillity tirelessly. When the SAARC Opposition Peace Conference was held in 1992; she was the main motivation behind its formation. An orator Saeeda Jabeen ridiculed the strong visa-policy of the two countries. Finally, Justice Ansario told the audience that in her living room at her residential quarters, it were hung the portraits of two significant leaders and proponents of peace and non-violence; Aung San Suu Kyi and Mahatma Gandhi. He was of the view that both of the governments needed to pressurize to let go of their strict Visa policy.