Kashmir: An Affair of Continued Existence

Kashmir has always been in the midst of geopolitical hullabaloo due to its pending UN Resolution and now the demand of 'Azadi' (Freedom) which became more pronounced after the inception of insurgency in the State in 1987-88. If we look into the issue, in reality, it is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, if the legality reason is applied then there is no doubt that India's stance is most legitimate. The people of Kashmir have invited the 'Jihad' into Indian Kashmir Region and declared 'Azadi' as a war of freedom through the Pakistan sponsored militancy and radicalisation of the society on communal lines by the militant organisations and separatists. In the present environment, the stakeholders are at a tangent and it is mainly because the main stakeholder, the people of Kashmir are uncertain and confused, the total population is not part of the 'Azadi' (freedom) thus there is vagueness and the vision of 'Azadi' (freedom) is very blurred. The other stakeholders are either taking advantage of the people's sentiments or going by their own agenda of self-interest or lack the will to take initiatives to resolve the Kashmir issue which meets their personal ends. In this book, the chapters are based on the stakeholders and their participation in the Kashmir embroil. The basic contents are based on the issues that have made Kashmir an affair of continued existence by various stakeholders, the creation of an environment of stalemate and prevailing status quo without any changes, none of the stakeholders are ready to budge or lose their turf. Written in a simple and lucid manner, the narratives made interesting with historical facts, quotations and factual as prevailing in Kashmir.

About the Author :
Brigadier Ashok Kumar Ganguly SM, VSM (Retd) was commissioned in Indian Army (Infantry) and retired after putting in 34 years of military service. He was commissioned in the Regiment of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and commanded an Infantry Battalion and a Brigade of Rashtriya Rifles in Counter Insurgency Sectors of Jammu & Kashmir. He has three decades of experience on command and staff appointments with varied exposure to military operations in North East India, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir and High Altitude Sectors of Northern and Eastern Command of Indian Army. He is the recipient of Sena Medal (SM), Vishist Seva Medal (VSM) and Commendations for distinguished service in operations and staff duties. After retirement from Military Service in 2012, he joined the Indian Corporate Sector and has been part of the senior management group. Presently, he is in the power sector looking into the affairs of Corporate Support Services. He is Masters in Defence Studies from Madras University, Post Graduate of Defence Services Staff College, MBA and Masters Diploma in HR&IR. He is a prolific writer and has been contributing articles in various magazines; he has authored books on leadership personality development titled 'Leaders from the Barracks' published in 2016 and on military professionalism titled 'Generalship: All That Really Matters' published in 2018. The present book 'Kashmir: An Affair of Continued Existence' is his third publication.