Hunza   Chrar-e-Sharief   Gulmarg in Winter   Chatti Padshah Gurudwara “History repeats itself, that’s one of the things that’s wrong with history.” – Clarence Darrow

Articles written by Dr. Sazawal are catalogued under following groupings: Articles published by the Outlook (New Delhi) Articles addressing inter-Community  dialogue on the presumption that all politics is local Presentations at the United Nations in Geneva Speeches in the U.S. Congress, the British Parliament and at various South Asia Policy think tanks Speeches and Presentations to Kashmiri Pandit Audiences Essays on the US-India Nuclear Agreement Archival Records including Correspondence With Various Governments, Civil Society and Advocacy Groups Miscellaneous In Appreciation 1. ARTICLES PUBLISHED BY THE OUTLOOK (NEW DELHI) Jammu V/s Kashmir - Published : 07 August 2008 How a simple administrative matter was mishandled and how competitive politics led it to snowball into a violent stand-off, unleashing dangerous communal passions. The 'Self-Governance' Bogey - Published : 22 August 2006 If General Musharraf's model is Northern Areas or even 'Azad Jammu & Kashmir', he ought to first check with Pakistan's own Supreme Court to learn the lack of self-governance in those regions of Kashmir. Beyond White Noise - Published : 15 February 2006 The Mirwaiz had publicly sought the return of the Pandits to the valley. But "meet and greet" functions do not a political dialogue make. The road map and benefits of such a dialogue need to be defined properly. A Tragedy Without An End - Published : 12 July 2005 Today, the role of mujahideen in propping up a miniscule separatist movement in J&K is acknowledged even by those who were its organisers but, sadly, ten years later I wonder if we will ever learn from history The Final Solution - Published : 15 March 2005 The shift to a people-centric approach from the real estate aspect of the problem is welcome indeed, and since all politics is local, it is high time to shift the focus from macro to micro issues. The majority community in J&K, not merely the governments, bears the burden of addressing the issue of Kashmiri Pandits and other minorities. Musharraf’s Remarkable New Journey - Published : 24 January 2004 General Musharraf is smart. No one disputes that. But how long can he survive in a turbulent land called Pakistan where everyone from the military to mujahideen (armies of Allah) say one thing and do another? A snapshot of the “defender of the supreme national interest” following two unsuccessful assassination attempts on his life. A Question Of Arrogance - Published : 16 March 2004 ...of a very special people who want one set rules for themselves and a different set of rules for others. Kashmiri women be damned. They have suffered in silence in the past and they will continue to suffer in the future. Platform For Reprisals - Published : 25 January 2003 Nancy Powell's speech in Karachi, calling Pakistan a 'platform for terrorism' was remarkable for its candour, plainspeak and, perhaps, a friendly warning. Great Power Or Great Pity? - Published : 25 November 2002 India simply does not have the streak of irrationality and brute mentality necessary to become a great power in historical terms. What Indians are capable of is gathering "sympathy cards" from other great powers. The American Line Of Control - Published : 24 May 2002 Since American and Indian interests don't converge, what are India's options?. Perhaps the "Clinton option" that relied on his uncanny sense of what people wanted on a particular day? The Political Education Of Hurriyat - Published : 02-04-2002 Looking back at a March 1997 article that provides important perspective on the current happenings in the valley. Dialogue Over Diatribe? - Written: 04 February 2002 What explains Hurriyat's dramatic gesture on Jan 28, that it will "conduct a phased election of its own on both sides of the LOC? Indian Hawks And The American Plan - Published :14 January 2002 The American President and his entire security apparatus do not generally welcome and make time for second-tier leaders. So what explains the special treatment for hardliners and known anti-Americans? Framework For Peace In Kashmir - Published : 27 June 2001 Is it an international or a religious problem? One involving self-seeking politicians? Of a piece of real estate? Or a problem of the people and their aspirations? A Kashmiri perspective. The Encounter in Agra - Published : 02 September 2001 The article describes how Pakistan nearly achieved a great political victory at the 2001 Vajpayee-Musharraf summit on the heels of a military defeat at Kargil Click here to go to the top 2. ARTICLES ADDRESSING INTER-COMMUNITY DIALOGUE ON THE PRESUMPTION THAT ALL POLITICS IS LOCAL : An Imperfect Storm: The Summer 2008 Uprising in Kashmir - Published : 19 July 2008 Unlike the sustained uprising in Kashmir in 1990 which was mostly orchestrated by Pakistani trained operatives, the uprising in the summer of 2008 was mostly indigenous, spontaneous and massive. Yet it began and died after ten days of bloody upheaval under rather strange circumstances. What prevented the latest insurgency from becoming a “perfect storm?” The author conducts a post-mortem of the uprising. Presentation on the Kashmir Dispute at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution - Published : 08 November 2007 Presentation at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution during the conference entitled "The Role of the International Community In Resolving the Kashmir Dispute", George Mason University, Virginia, USA. Economic Pathways to Normalization in Kashmir- Published : 20 July 2004 A critical review of past, present and future choices during a speech by Dr. Sazawal at the US Institute for Peace (USIP) in Washington, DC. CBMs: Help or Hindrance for Resolving Kashmir Conflict? - Published : 24 February 2005 Text of speech delivered at the International Kashmir Peace Conference entitled "Peace Initiative in South Asia: Exploring Possible Options for Kashmir", organized by the Kashmiri American Council, (KAC) held in New York City on February 24-25, 2005. The Kashmir Dispute and Building a Peaceful South Asia - Published : 14 July 2005 Text of Dr. Sazawal's speech at the Kashmiri American Council (KAC) seminar hosted in Washington, D.C. Can the Youth Succeed if Elders Have Failed Them? - Published : 9 August 2005 Kashmiri youth face many challenges today. Apart from traditional challenges faced by the younger generation in any society, Kashmiri youth have to bear the undue burden of growing in a culture of violence and fractured civil order. Even more debilitating is the euphoria in the civil society for role models who have done nothing to merit recognition other than create mayhem and disorder. In effect, parenting has taken on a whole new meaning in today’s Kashmir. A Symmetrical Inter-constitutent Dialogue - Published : 22 April 2002 A letter sent to the U.S. government officials in the National Security Council (NSC) and the State Department following interactions with Kashmiri Muslims in Geneva and a meeting with a senior Pakistani official in Washington, DC. The letter identifies key human rights and political issues on both sides of the divided Jammu and Kashmir, and proposes concurrent inter-comunity dialogue on both sides with specific goals to establish consensus positions for future negotiations with India and Pakistan. The Fall And Rise Of Farooq Abdullah - Published : 01 October 1996 On June 20. 1994 Dr. Farooq Abdullah, the erstwhile chief minister of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. and I were invited by the Jammu & Kashmir Peace Committee to speak at a function held in the British Parliament with Sir Gerard Vaughan, MP presiding. Click here to go to the top 3. PRESENTATIONS AT THE UNITED NATIONS IN GENEVA : Commission on Human Rights Fifty-seventh Session in Geneva - Published : 11 April 2001 Agenda Item 13: Rights of the Child Intervention by Vijay K. Sazawal Integration of Human Development with Improved Relations in South Asia - Published : 10 January 2005 The following written Statement was submitted to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) for review and discussion ahead of the 61st session of the Commission in April 2005. The designated document number is E/CN.4/2005/NGO/134 dated March 3, 2005. Intervention in the Second Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council held in Geneva - Published : 27 September 2006 Intervention by the author on Agenda Item 2 dealing with global poverty during the Second Session of the Human Rights Council Session (18 September 2006 - 6 October 2006). Second United Nations Human Rights Council Meeting in Geneva - Published : 28 September 2006 "Self-Determination and Self-Governance in Kashmir" -- text of speech delivered by the author at the newly re-organized UNHRC's second meeting in Geneva. Click here to go to the top 4. SPEECHES IN THE U.S. CONGRESS, THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND AT VARIOUS SOUTH ASIA POLICY THINK TANKS : Statement to the U.S. Congressional Human Rights Caucus - Published : 03 August 1992 The maiden speech and participation by U.S. based Pandit activists in an event organized by the U.S. Congress on the Capitol Hill. Both the Indo-American Kashmir Forum (IAKF) and the U.S.organization that represents Kashmiri separatists were invited to testify. Official records indicated that Kashimiri separatists had hired a prominent Washington lobbying firm named Black, Manafort and Kelly to assist in their campaign at a cost of $500,000 per 6 months (payable in advance), whereas IAKF directors were professionals with regular jobs and no lobbying experience. IAKF testimony included a letter from the President of the All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) to the United Nation's General Secretary, Dr. Boutros Ghali, dated April 23, 1992. We also provided a list of the first 100 Pandits martyred in Kashmir from 1988 to April 1990. Resolving the Kashmir Issue: A Kashmiri Perspective - Published : 20 June 1994 This paper was presented in the British Parliament on June 20, 1994 when Dr. Sazawal was invited to speak along with Dr. Farooq Abdullah. Opening Remarks at a Bipartisan Capitol Hill Meeting - Published : 28 June 1995 The opening remarks made on behalf of IAKF at a bipartisan breakfast meeting on the Capitol Hill in Washington, DC Violence Against Kashmiri Hindus (Pandits) - Published : 18 September 2000 Prepared testimony for the Hearings on Religious Freedom in India and Pakistan, held by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), www.uscirf.gov, a bipartisan government body composed of twelve appointed commissioners who file reports with the U.S. government on issues pertaining to international religious freedom around the world. The Kashmir Autonomy Resolution And India's Integrity - Published : 12 October 2000 Conference on South Asian Politics University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA Kashmir: Is There A Chance For Peace? - Published : 12 December 2000 Panel Discussion on Kashmir, International Center for Religion and Diplomacy (ICRD) in Washington, DC Choices in Kashmir - Published : 18 April 2001 Counterpoint to Mr. Yasin Malik, Chairman of the JKLF, during the Kashmir Discussion Series at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC. The Problem of Jammu and Kashmir - Published : 3 April 2002 Presentation to the Kashmir Task Force of the U.S. - India Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, DC. The Challenge in South Asia - Published : 5 April 2002 Speech made at the annual meeting of the National Advisory Council on South Asian Affairs (NACSAA) in Washington, DC South Asian Security and US Policy Management - Published : 20 May 2004 Speech delivered at the National Advisory Council on South Asian Affairs (NACSAA) event at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. The meeting consisted of South Asian born policy experts, Washington Think Tanks, and U.S. State Department officials Recovering Pluralism and Citizenship in Kashmir: Possible Solutions - Published : 14 April 2005 Remarks delivered at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at The Johns Hopkins University, as summarized by the Henry L. Stimson Center, the only Washington D.C. think tank with an active program for Confidence Building Measures in South Asia. Kashmir Earthquake: Waiting For The Next Jolt - Published : 15 December 2005 Counterpoint to Mr. Yasin Malik, Chairman of the JKLF, on the Kashmir issue at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington, DC. Self-governance and Trans-nationalism in Kashmir - Published : 10 August 2006 Speech delivered at the National Advisory Council on South Asian Affairs (NACSAA) event at the Cosmos Club in Washington, DC. The meeting consisted of South Asian born policy experts, Washington Think Tanks, and U.S. State Department officials. Click here to go to the top 5. SPEECHES AND PRESENTATIONS TO KASHMIRI PANDIT AUDIENCES : Political Update: Kashmir - Published : 27 March 2008 There is always politics in the air where the State of Jammu and Kashmir (Kashmir for short) is concerned. But certain recent events have put a new spin on the old game of what is brewing next in Kashmir. This article appears in the April 2008 issue of the "Shehjar", the on-line journal published by the community. Protecting Kashmiri Ethos by Preserving Pandit Identity in the Valley. - Published : 10 February 2008 The "Vision Statement" emanating from a Roundtable discussion on preserving Kashmiri Pandit (KP) identity in the Kashmir valley. The meeting was organized by activists from KP community of Northern California to which the author was invited. The meeting took place in the San Jose Hindu Temple on February 10, 2008. So you do not want to return permanently to Kashmir, what's next? - Published : 31 December 2007 The author addresses future options for Kashmiri Pandits in the 31 December 2007 issue of the "Shehjar", the on-line journal published by the community. Ushering New Hope For Disfranchised Kashmiri Pandit Refugees - Published : 30 April 2006 Presentation at the Kashmir Secular Alliance (KSA) Seminar on April 30, 2006 in Jammu, J&K Towards a Self-Reliant Pandit Community - Published : 15 August 2005 Internal perspective on the Kashmiri Pandit community, presented at the Chandigarh (India) meeting of the All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS) on 4th September 2005. A New Focus, a New Vision - Published : 16 January 2000 A historical perspective on Kashmiri Pandits published in the Kashmiri Samiti Delhi (KSD) monthly journal, "Koshur Samachar", New Delhi, April 2000 Pleading Our Cause in World Fora - Published : 01 December 1998 This article as addressed to the Pandit diaspora and printed in the "Koshur Samachar", the monthly magazine of the Kashmir Samiti Delhi (KSD) in December 1998. Kashmiri Pandits Demand A Homeland - Published : 01 January 1996 The year is 1492. King Ferdinand of Spain has given the Jews of Spain a choice - either convert to christianity or leave the country. Some 200,000 Jews flee for their lives. Half a world away, in Kashmir, the Kashmiri Pandits (KPs) are faring no better. Update of the essay originally written in 1993. A Strategy Document for Panun Kashmir (1993) - Published : 10 May 1993 At the request of the original core team heading the Panun Kashmir organization in Jammu (J&K), the author prepared a 1-page strategy document for an executive discussion in May 1993. While some elements of the strategy were eventually implemented, most were not as the core team split up and various factions pursued obfuscating goals. The author, who served as the first overseas coordinator of Panun Kashmir, resigned from the organization in 1996. The document was a template for creation of a political entity that remains the unrealized dream of Kashmiri Pandits even now. Understanding World Geopolitics & Its Impact On Kashmir - Published : 22 February 1992 This article describes sweeping changes taking place around the world as a result of the demise of the soviet empire and the emergence of radical Islam, and both factors have serious implications on peace and security in Jammu and Kashmir Click here to go to the top 6. ESSAYS ON THE US-INDIA NUCLEAR AGREEMENT : “Behind the Deal” from Outlookindia.com - Published : 22 August 2007 “As Difficult as 123” from Rediff.com - Published : 12 September 2007 Washington Post Story Featuring the Author - Published : 2 September 2008 The White House signing of the US-India nuclear bill passed by the U.S. Congress - Published: 8 October 2008 Click here to go to the top 7. ARCHIVAL RECORDS INCLUDING CORRESPONDENCE WITH VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS, CIVIL SOCIETY AND ADVOCACY GROUPS : Letter to the Chairman of J&K State Autonomy Committee - Published : 21 January 1997 Letter to and Response from the New York Times newspaper on Anantnag Communal riots in February 1986 - Published : 10 March 1986 Letter to the Indian Prime Minister following a private meeting at his official residence on January 18, 2006 - Published : 27 January 2006 Click here to go to the top 8. MISCELLANEOUS : The Kashmiri Hindu Shrines and Religious Places (Management and Regulation) Bill, 2008, as published in the Jammu & Kashmir Government Gazette - Published :  9 January 2008 The proposed Bill, however,was not introduced in the Budget Session 2008 of the J&K Legislative Assembly as was promised and no explanation is forthcoming from the J&K Government. Jammu & Kashmir Government order restraining Sale and Purchase of land belonging to Religious Institutions of Kashmiri Pandits in Kashmir Valley - Published : 16 April 2008 J&K Government passed an order that any future sales of any Shrine property by its management must be approved by a Deputy Commissioner (DC) before a Tehsildar implements any changes in a legal deed. The directive also directs DC's to review past sales involving Shrine properties. Click here to go to the top 9. IN APPRECIATION : Memories of an Ordinary Man Who Lived an Extraordinary Life - Published : 20 October 2005 A remembrance of a man with humble beginnings whose vision far exceeded his geographically small world constrained by family traditions and Kashmir’s culture of sycophancy. The author recalls the life and times of his late father to an audience of young people in Kashmir. Click here to go to the top   Shankaracharya Temple   Shiv Temple located on the ancient Jyeshteshwar shrine built by King Sandhiman (2605 – 2540 B.C.), refurbished by Kings Jaluka in 200 B.C. and Gopaditya in the 4th Century. Named after the famous Hindu philosopher Adi Shankaracharya who visited the temple in early 9th Century A.D.         Terracotta from Harwan   The town of Harwan, located 18 kilometers from Srinagar, was a flourishing Buddhist sanctuary during the Kushan period (2nd to 4th Century). The name of the town is a contraction of “Shadarhadvana“, meaning “Grove of the Six Saints”. The great Buddhist Council that reconciled 18 different schools of Buddhism was held in Harwan. The terracotta tile was most probably produced during the reign of King Huvishk in the late 2nd Century, who also founded Huvishkapura near the current town of Baramula.

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