Kashmir Resolution and Christopher Snedden’s New Book
PUNCHLINE Christopher Snedden’s Second Book By Z. G. Muhammad Four years back Christopher Snedden, an Australian political scientist, politico-strategic analyst, academic researcher and author instantly became a familiar name in media and academia in Jammu and Kashmir – on both sides of the dividing line. Moreover, his book, ‘Kashmir the Unwritten History, published in India by Harper Collins, caused a flutter in New Delhi. For its diplomatic and political import internationally, and significance to the … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Kashmir-Talk
Pictures Speak speak louder than word- Our photojournalist have a role
Punchline Pictures Speak Such Silence Is Louder Than Words By Z. G. Muhammad Photos tell a story- a forceful story that even a hundred page book on history can barely tell. Some photographs live up to proverbial million dollar stories. Some days back, a French photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson, historic picture clicked in 1948 at iconic small plateau Kastur-Pend atop the Koh-i-Maran hillock was sold at an auction in New York at 32,500 dollars. This perhaps … Read entire article »
Filed under: Kashmir-Talk
Kashmir Conflict and International Literature
Punchline Fiction Also Has A Role Resistance, Conflict, dispute and aspiration -fiction has it all By Z.G. Muhammad Someone has said it and said it beautifully, ‘words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.’ Truly, once the stories of the resistance movements or the fallouts of the political conflicts become part of the international literature, it makes a difference. It very … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Kashmir-Talk
Treaty of Amritsar De-legitimized- All Actions Thereafter Invalid?
PUNCHLINE Britain’s Injustice To Kashmir By Z.G. Muhammad In our history, there are lots of gaps and missing links. That, in fact, have left scope for conjectures and befuddled our narrative. For the nations in the struggle, a candid narrative is very important for achieving their goal. Nonetheless, it is history that provides sinews to the narrative of a nation. To quote a top British historian George Macaulay Trevelyan author of “History of England: “If one could make alive again for other people some cobwebbed skein of old dead intrigues and breathe breath and character into dead names and stiff portraits. That is history!” There is a need for breathing a fresh breath in our narrative by resurrecting our history from the cobwebbed pages of our history. This, I realized while filliping through pages … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Kashmir-Talk
Howard Schaffer’s Kashmir Connection
PUNCHLINE Howard Schaffer’s Kashmir Connection By Z.G. Muhammad Small obituary notes published inside newspapers sometimes tell a big story. On past Monday, a few Srinagar based newspapers carried a two-column story with dateline Washington headlined, ‘American diplomat Howard Schaffer passes away.’ The news about his death had been confirmed on Twitter by Richard Rossow, who is a senior fellow and holds the chair for Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Wadhwani Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies. ‘Schaffer spent much of his 36-year career dealing with U.S. relations with South Asia. Most of the obituary notes read, ‘He had previously served as ambassador to Bangladesh, political counselor at American embassies in India and Pakistan. He was the author of biographies of two American diplomats who served as ambassadors to India at … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Point of view
LOC Violations: Don’t Kill Us For A Sport
Punchline Don’t Kill Us For A Sport Z. G. Muhammad Who named the line dividing Jammu and Kashmir for past seventy years as the bloody line? Google, which responses to commands on smartphones like genies in old films also could not help me in finding an answer. Nonetheless, it is the most appropriate title given to this artificial line dividing not just the territory but the people of the state- dividing a brother from a brother, a … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Kashmir-Talk, Point of view
Chidambaram Had Talked Sense To India’s Cabinet Committee On Security
PUNCHLINE Congress in Atonement Mood in Kashmir BY Z. G. Muhammad Of late, the Congress leadership nearly out of the political wilderness has shot into prominence in Jammu and Kashmir. Notwithstanding, having ruled the state through proxies, governors, directly or in coalition for over sixty-six years, the party never got such an attention in the state as it has been getting in the recently for some of its leaders recognizing the historical realities about the Kashmir … Read entire article »
Filed under: Editor's Take, Point of view