The Kashmir discourse in the West always takes the form of an Indian discourse and a Pakistani discourse. Both are mainstream statist narratives.  A true independent Kashmiri narrative, a Kashmiri perspective has yet to take root and this is lamentable. Recognising the importance of such a discourse to the world, eight scholars in the US [...]

US scholars tell Obama administration
Introduction:
Nine scholars of South Asia met at New York University’s Institute of Public Knowledge in March, to discuss the politics of knowledge concerning South Asia as it connects academic and policy work in the US. They represented a range of social science, humanities and scientific disciplines, and their research focused on [...]

The resonance of civil society led by daring black coats and voiced by a critical media offer significant hope for change.
Pakistan, the Indus heartland, the cradle of India’s ancient-most civilisation and the vanguard defence of the Sub-continent might be currently going through some volatile ideological convulsions, or could be repeating for the umpteenth time its [...]

Kashmir and India
An appraisal:  Dr. Suvesh Purkayastha
Kashmir is an inalienable element of India’s identity
This essay in fact was triggered by an article titled ‘Beginning of democratic process in Kashmir’ by Dr Nyla Ali Khan of Nebraska University, published in the February 2009 issue of Confluence. Whilst the article’s objective, given the title, was to provide [...]

Laura Chappell analyses the main issues in the upcoming Indian election
Polls identify two issues - ‘security’ and ‘the economy’ – as critically important to voters
India is voting. And with elections lasting a full month, it feels like the kaleidoscope has been shaken, but the pieces are refusing to settle. The questions of who will form [...]

So, as far as the importance of cultural diplomacy is concerned, India speaks today from a position of comprehensive national strength.
Monika Mohta
Monika Mohta has a solid foreign service background with some very high profile postings like, “Director, Pakistan” and “Director, Gulf” at the time of the last Iraq War. In complete contrast, her current [...]

Over the years, tremendous political and social turmoil has been generated in the state by the forces of religious fundamentalism and by an exclusionary nationalism that seeks to erode the cultural syncretism that is part of the ethos of Kashmir. These forces are responsible for the shutting down of dissenters who voice cultural critique, repression [...]

By Dr.Nyla Ali Khan
Despite international pressure, the India-Pakistan crisis has not been defused, on the contrary, is highly volatile.
Over the years, successive Congress governments may have made every attempt to highlight the purported illegitimacy of Article 370,* but have taken no serious measures to revoke it from the constitution of India. Surprisingly, even when the [...]

Your article in Confluence http://www.confluence.org.uk/2008/11/07/indian-foreign-policy-in-the-21st-century/- Response Part 2
Comment – on India’s military
You spoke earlier of “a rapidly modernising military”. Why is India modernising its military? It is expending its precious foreign exchange purchasing sophisticated weapons and equipment from the usual aggressors – the US, Israel, Russia, France and UK, countries that have stirred up much [...]