Vivekananda International Foundation | Seeking Harmony in Diversity

J & K : Review of Developments Post the Abrogation of Article 370

… the old order has come to its justified end. There is however, much harmful weed still occupying critical spaces of socio-political, cultural and religious existence. Building a ‘new order’ in a conflict zone is always a daunting challenge. It cannot happen without out-of-the-box thinking, and accepting the task as a mission to be accomplished with zeal and passion. India knows New Delhi can do it …

October 22, 2019 Paper

Accession of Jammu and Kashmir and Constitutional Provisions: A Historical Recount

Major General (Retd.) Ajay Kumar Chaturvedi, AVSM, VSM

… Pakistan is a self-appointed Stake Holder in Kashmir Dispute … has always displayed double standards while dealing with J&K … with this new development she has started becoming fearful about its hold on POJK and Gilgit-Baltistan. No wonder Pakistani leadership is making all efforts to internationalise the issue, though without much success so far … for them it is also a loss of face to their public whom they had been fooling all these years with the slogan, “Kashmir banega Pakistan” … it is also a loss of face for the Pakistan Army who considers itself a custodian of Pakistan …

September 16, 2019 Issue Brief

Kashmir - A New Chapter Begins

Abhinav Pandya

C D Sahay

… the recent decisions of abrogation of Article 370 along with Article 35A, and bifurcation of the State … are indeed historic and will help the State and its people, chart out for itself/themselves a new future of peace, progress and integration with the rest of the country, breaking away from the shackles of terrorism … The next six months are going to be crucial ….

August 09, 2019 Issue Brief

Jammu and Kashmir Security Review 2018 -What lies ahead?

Anurag Sharma, Senior Research Associate, VIF

C D Sahay

… continuing Pakistani support to the militants groups, terrorism in the Kashmir Valley is unlikely vanish anytime soon … however the support system to anti-India activities in the Valley is being continuously degraded … welfare and developmental policies of the Government of India are not enough to bring the youth of Kashmir back into the mainstream... There is need for every sector and institution - be it government, civil bodies, religious institutions and the local political leaders - to act in unison.

April 15, 2019 Issue Brief

Talk on 'Jammu & Kashmir: The Big Picture', by Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain

Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SM (Bar), VSM (Bar), former General Officer Commanding of Srinagar based 15 Corps and former Military Secretary was invited to disseminate his knowledge on Jammu and Kashmir in the March edition of the Vimarsha lecture series held at the VIF. A highly decorated and experienced officer of the Indian Army, Lt Gen Hasnain enjoys great popularity in the Indian media for his knowledge of the mind and strategy of terrorist groups.

April 02, 2019 Event Report

Militancy in Kashmir - A Study

Abhinav Pandya

.. An alternate narrative needs to be created in universities and colleges of J&K to counter lies peddled by cross-border actors. Think-tanks, research forums, youth forums or inter-faith dialogue bodies and cultural interaction clubs can be created to challenge dominant narratives of Jihad and the hypocrisy of radical Islamists .. the option of a sub-conventional/hybrid war should be explored .. (because) India’s strong and aggressive force-posture .. (and) response plays an important role in clearing the smokescreens of confusion in a Kashmiri mind ..

March 14, 2019 Paper

Cultural Heritage of Jammu and Kashmir, Edited by K. Warikoo, Pentagon Press, 2009, Pages: 338, Price: Rs. 1750, ISBN: 978-81-8274-376-2

Prateek Joshi

Much has been written about Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by the virtue of its disputed status. The ever growing literature by leading scholars and legal experts has continued to emphasize either on the legal aspect of the Kashmir dispute or has analysed J&K through a securitized lens, thereby marginalising the existing scholarship on the rich heritage that has defined J&K’s cultural landscape.

September 12, 2018 Books/Book Review

Kashmir - Engagement of Youth through Sports

A talk by Mr Waheed-Ur Rehman Para was organised at Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) on July 30, 2018. Mr Waheed who is active in the political and social scene in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, provided a firsthand review of the state. While narrating his perspective about the social process in the valley, he highlighted the rising level of disorientation among the youth who constitute majority of population in Jammu and Kashmir.

August 08, 2018 Event Report

Round Table Discussion on Situation in Kashmir and the Way Forward

In continuation of a series of dialogues and conferences held over the years on Kashmir, a Round Table Discussion was arranged at the VIF when some of the prominent voices on Kashmir - Mr KM Singh, Air Vice Mshl Kapil Kak, Dr Sudhir S Bloeria, Ms Seema Mustafa, Dr Shujjat Bukhari and Prof Gul Wani, among others – were invited to share their thoughts on the current uprising in the Valley and the State’s possible future. The session was chaired by General NC Vij, Director VIF.

May 29, 2017 Event Report

Talk on ‘Kashmir: A Tragedy of Errors and the Way Forward’

The VIF invited Mr. Zafar Iqbal Manhas, MLC from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), for an informal session on the evolving dynamics in Kashmir. The discussion revolved around a broad set of issues - sense of alienation, autonomy and democratic deficit, developmental stagnation, cross-border influences, stone pelting and radicalisation, and the China-Pakistan nexus in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). Perceived acts of commission and commission by New Delhi were also narrated. Mr K M Singh and Mr P C Haldar were among key discussants.

May 29, 2017 Event Report