PoJK’s human rights crisis takes centre stage at University of Jammu
The Department of Strategic and Regional Studies (DSRS), University of Jammu, in collaboration with the POJK Visthapit Sewa Samiti, organised a panel discussion on “Human Rights Violations and Deepening Governance Crisis in Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK)”.
The panel discussion brought together academicians, research scholars, students, members of civil society and representatives of the POJK Visthapit Sewa Samiti to deliberate on the historical, political, administrative and human rights dimensions of the situation in POJK.
Dr. Shreeya Bakshi, Assistant Professor, Central University of Himachal Pradesh, addressed the historical saga of POJK. She provided an overview of the historical developments associated with the region and contextualized the contemporary situation within its broader historical trajectory.
Dr. Deepak Kapoor, President, POJK Visthapit Sewa Samiti, spoke on the history of Jammu and Kashmir, the background of POJK, and its polity and administration. He elaborated on the historical circumstances surrounding the division of the erstwhile state and discussed various aspects of the political and administrative framework in POJK.
Preety Choudhary, Member, POJK Visthapit Sewa Samiti, focused on human rights violations in POJK. She sought to examine the nature and dimensions of human rights concerns in the region, drawing attention to the experiences and challenges faced by the people living in POJK.
Damanjeet Singh, Member, POJK Visthapit Sewa Samiti, brought a personal and intergenerational dimension to the discussion. Referring to historical anecdotes narrated by his grandparents and the enduring sense of belonging to their ancestral homeland, he highlighted the emotional and cultural dimensions associated with displacement and memory.
Earlier, in her welcome address Prof. Suman Jamwal, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Jammu highlighted the importance of academic discussions on issues concerning Jammu and Kashmir and emphasised the role of universities in facilitating informed discourse on historically significant and strategically important regional issues.
The presidential address was delivered by Dr. Mohd. Monir Alam, Senior Assistant Professor, DSRS, who underlined the significance of examining the POJK issue through an interdisciplinary academic perspective. He emphasised the importance of historical understanding, contemporary developments and human experiences in analysing the complex dimensions of the region.
The discussion witnessed active participation from the audience, with students, research scholars, faculty members and civil society representatives engaging with the panellist on various aspects of the subject. The interaction provided an opportunity to examine POJK from historical, strategic, political, administrative and human rights perspectives.
The proceedings of the programme were coordinated by Dhruv Sharma and Suman Sopori, students of Semester I, M.A. Defence and Strategic Studies, who efficiently conducted the event. The vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Ganesh Malhotra.
The programme was attended by Dr. Ranjan Sharma, Dr. Sunil Kumar, faculty members from other departments of the University, members of the POJK Visthapit Sewa Samiti, representatives of civil society, research scholars and students.