Speaking to reporters here on Monday Sunil Dutt, also the chairman of expedition committee, said: "Our experience in Sri Lanka and India so far is that the people everywhere want to live in peace and do not want strife or war."

Incidentally, the expedition team with a `mission to plant the seeds of peace and harmony' among the people of South Asian countries has arrived here on Sunday from Orissa on its way to Bangladesh.

Recalling from his experience in Orissa from where the team arrived here, Dutt told ENS that "I talked to people in villages, students and people from every walk of life, and I can tell you nobody wants what happened to the Australian missionary Graham Staines and his two sons. Everyone in the state condemned and deplored such activities."

"And we want everyone to listen to thesevoices and exile once and for all the mutual distrust among the people in this region," Dutt added. He, however, admitted that the task before the team, which is going to Bangladesh on Tuesday, ``isn't easy, as years of brainwashing and old prejudices sat so deep that we do not hope to work a miracle but somewhere somehow we have started it."

Replying to a question, he said: "The historians have a special role to play, they should present and write history with great care so that their writings do not create tension and spread disaffection among the people.

Interestingly, the 18-member team did not get official permission from Pakistan authorities yet, notwithstanding the passage of over 26 days since their journey began from Colombo on March 3. The HATB is scheduled to end its peace mission on June 4 in Delhi-Amritsar after it completes its travel across eight places in Pakistan.

Later addressing the press conference, Akhil Bakshi, who earlier led the Azad Hind Expedition in 1995-96 from Singapore andtravelled the Indian National Army's route in South East Asia to Red Fort to rekindle the memory of Netaji and his army's struggle for freedom, said: "We also plan to take to the people the message of peace and mutual understanding so that all our resources can be engaged in developmental works."

However, admitting that the tour permission from Pakistan hasn't come in as yet, Bakshi said: "We hope that it would come soon."

Organised by a Delhi-based non-government youth organisation, Yuva Shakti, the expedition team, which got the blessings of Prime Ministers and heads of the state of Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal, has already travelled through Sri Lanka and India and plans to travel four more nations, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan.