22-Oct-2020: Two day national symposium on “MEMORIES OF 22 OCTOBER 1947” inaugurated at Srinagar

A two-day national symposium and exhibition on “MEMORIES OF 22 OCTOBER 1947” organised by the National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation & Museology (NMI) of Ministry of Culture was inaugurated by Lt Governor (LG) Jammu and Kashmir Shri Manoj Sinha at Kashmir International Conference Centre today. Union Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel also graced the occasion through video conferencing mode.

The event is significant as it was on 22 October, 1947 that Pakistan made an attempt to invade Kashmir in the guise of Operation Gulmarg. The two-day National Symposium on 22 & 23 Oct 2020 and the Exhibition commencing on 22 Oct 2020 is an attempt to deliberate upon the records and history of this deceitful attack and subsequent victory of India. The evidences of the treacherous attack by Pakistan, stories of resistance and bravery of Kashmiris, narrative of Indian Army victory over the invaders need to be told to people.

Prominent dignitaries including Secretary Ministry of Culture Shri Raghvendra Singh, Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Shri BVR Subramaniam and Advisor to LG Shri Baseer Ahmad Khan were also present on the occasion.

Lt Governor Shri Manoj Sinha, while delivering his address, said that though a lot of time has passed since the 1947 invasion attempt, the wounds have still not healed and the people of Kashmir will soon come to know about the truth behind the events. He said that terror is the real enemy of humanity and the stories of terror unleashed by Pakistani raiders need to be told.

Shri Sinha said that everybody in Jammu and Kashmir has suffered deceit at the hands of Pakistan because of which the state lags behind in development. He added that though there will be obstacles in making J&K the most developed region of the country, the administration is fully prepared to meet them.

Addressing the gathering through video conference, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel remarked that the attempted invasion of 1947 was the first attack on the newly gained independence of India, and the nation will never forget the contribution of the Indian armed forces and local people who fought the invaders and played a decisive role in turning them back.

Earlier delivering the Welcome Address, Shri Raghvendra Singh said that the narrative of the past over 70 years is based on preconceived notions and there is a need to bring out the real stories in front of people. He said that the time has come where we need to decide whether or not we need to change the narrative.

Advisor to LG Shri Baseer Ahmad Khan said on the occasion that being a local, he had first-hand experience of what the place and its people had to go through. He said there is an ever growing need to expose the nefarious designs of Pakistan and make the younger generation aware about how Jammu and Kashmir has suffered at the hands of the neighbouring country.

Saluting the efforts of Maqbool Sherwani, Shri Khan said that there were many from the local population who put up a brave fight against the intruders but unfortunately their contributions are not recognised.

Delivering the Note of Thanks, Ms Manavi Seth, in her address, said that the event is a tribute to the valour and bravery of Kashmiris and will serve as a first step towards setting up of a museum dedicated to the Memories of 22 October 1947.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha also inaugurated an exhibition on the occasion. The Exhibition on the ‘Memories of 22 Oct 2020’ comprise of graphic panels and videos showcasing a chronology of events as well as prominent narratives of the invasion on 22 Oct 1947 and subsequent unfolding of actions.

The inaugural session was followed by sessions in which various eminent academicians, researchers and distinguished personalities presented papers and presentations on various subjects related to the 1947 attack. The speakers on the occasion were Prof Raghuvendra Tanwar, Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd), Dr Mukulita Vijaywargiya, Sh Maroof Raza, Sh Ajay Jugran, Lt General Gurmeet Singh (Retd), Prof Kapil Kumar, Prof Amitabh Mattoo, Sh Iqbal Chand Malhotra, Shri Ashutosh, Major General SV Thapliyal (Retd), AVM Arjun Subramaniam (Retd), Dr Ramesh Tamiri, Maj General Devesh Agnihotri (Retd), Prof Deepankar Sengupta, Shri Sushant Sareen and Lt Gen PJS Pannu.

21-Oct-2020: A National Symposium and Exhibition on “Memories of 22 October 1947” to be organised at Srinagar by National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology

A National Symposium & Exhibition on “MEMORIES OF 22 OCTOBER 1947” is being organised by the National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation & Museology(NMI), at SKICC, Srinagar, Kashmir. The National Symposium, a two-day event, is being held on 22 & 23 Oct 2020. The Exhibition will commence on 22 Oct 2020. Lt. Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Manoj Sinha will be  the Chief Guest of the programme. Union Minister of Culture and Tourism (I/C) Shri Prahlad Singh Patel will grace the occasion via web presence. The Chief Secretary, Jammu & Kashmir, Shri B. V. R. Subrahmanyan and the Secretary, Ministry of Culture, CEO, DMCS and VC, NMI Shri Raghvendra Singh will also be present on the occasion.

22 October 1947 has marked Indian history with evidences of betrayal and a legacy of valour. On 15th August 1947, India attained Independence after being subjugated to the colonial regime for almost two hundred years. At its birth as a young independent nation in 1947, one of the most protuberant difficulties India was forced to face was the choice given to the erstwhile Maharajas of India to be an independent country, or to a part of India or to be a part of Pakistan. To quote Shri Raghvendra Singh, Secretary Ministry of Culture, ‘For Mohammed Ali Jinnah and his newly created Pakistan, it would completely negate his two nation theory if the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir decided to opt for India.’ On 22 October, 1947 Pakistan invaded Kashmir. The invasion, ‘Operation Gulmarg’ was result of months of planning and involvement of the topmost leaders of Pakistan including Pakistan’s then Prime Minister, Chief Minister of the North West Frontier, Members of Muslim League and Pakistan Army.

The Tribal Militia invasion of Kashmir backed by Pakistan army on 22 Oct 1947 unleashed a brutal series of plunder, rape, arson, looting and killing. The invasion marks the beginning of First Indo-Pak war and set in motion a chain of events that are still affecting the country. On 26 Oct 1947 the State of Jammu and Kashmir formally acceded to India and on 27 Oct 1947 Indian troops were airlifted to Kashmir. From 22 Oct 1947 onwards till the intervention of the Indian Defense Forces all days in Kashmir were blackened with the horrifying stories of mass plunder and vandalism where many lives were lost to the insatiable ambition of the invading Tribal Militia. During this need of hour many willing individuals rose up to the occasion and faced adversity with commendable will and bravery.

The evidences of the treacherous attack by Pakistan, stories of resistance and bravery of Kashmiris, narrative of Indian Army victory over the invaders need to be told to people. The two-day National Symposium on 22 & 23 Oct 2020 and the Exhibition commencing on 22 Oct 2020 is an attempt to deliberate upon the records and history of this deceitful attack and subsequent victory of India.

The National symposium is being attended by very prominent scholars and experts on the subject. The speakers are – Prof. Raghuvendra Tanwar, Lt. General Syed Ata Hasnain(Retd), Dr Mukulita Vijaywagiya, Maroof Raza, Ajay Jugran, Lt. General Gurmeet Singh(Retd), Prof. Kapil Kumar, Prof. Amitabh Mattoo, Shri Iqbal Chand Malhotra, Shri Ashutosh, Major General S. V. Thapliyal(Retd), AVM Arjun Subramaniam(Retd), Dr Ramesh Tamiri, Lt. General Devesh Agnihotri(Retd), Dr. Deepankar Sengupta, Shri SushantSareen, Lt. General PJS Pannu. Presentations being made at the Symposium represent a variety of pertinent topics, some of which are – ‘The Invasion of Jammu and Kashmir-October 1947: First Reports and People’s Response”, “Local Kashmiri Resistance to tribal Invasion of Kashmir in 1947”, “Battles for the Destiny of J&K”, “Contest of Narratives and Attempts in Cognitive Domains: An Analysis”, “Martyr Maqbool Sherwani: Memory, Myth, Imagination”, “Motives, War & Brutalities: Pakistani Army-Kabailees Aggression in Kashmir”, “The British Role in Invasion and consequent de facto partition of Maharaja Hari Singh’s erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir in 1947 and the impact of those actions till 2020”.

The Exhibition on the ‘Memories of 22 Oct 1947’ comprise of graphic panels and videos showcasing a chronology of events as well as prominent narratives of the invasion on 22 Oct 1947 and subsequent unfolding of actions. The exhibition panels depict – The Treaty of Lahore, The Treaty of Amritsar, The Popular Will of 1947, Economic Blockade of Kashmir, 1947- Towards Accession, The Invaders Backed by Pakistan, Pakistani Militia Leaders, Plunder in Muzaffarabad, Baramulla, The Church Attack, Maqbool Sherwani, the Hero of Baramulla, Instrument of Accession, Key Dates, The Gilgit Game, People’s Militia.

The National Symposium and Exhibition on the 'Memories of 22 Oct 1947' will outline shapes and contours of a future museum on the historical theme.

16-Sep-2020: Indian and U.S. Defense Delegations conduct Virtual Discussion on Defense Cooperation

The 10th Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) Group Meeting was held virtually on September 15, 2020.  The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Raj Kumar, Secretary, Defence Production, from the Indian Ministry of Defence and Ms. Ellen M. Lord, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, from the U.S. Department of Defense. DTTI Group Meetings are normally held twice a year, alternating between India and the United States.  This time, meeting was held via VTC on account of COVID pandemic.

The aim of the DTTI Group is to bring sustained leadership focus to the bilateral defense trade relationship and create opportunities for co-production and co-development of defense equipment.  Four Joint Working Groups focused on land, naval, air, and aircraft carrier technologies have been established under DTTI to promote mutually agreed projects within their domains. The groups reported to the co-chairs on ongoing activities and collaborative opportunities including a number of near-term projects targeted for completion on priority.

As evidence of their commitment to demonstrating the success of DTTI, the co-chairs signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) that declared their intent “to strengthen our dialogue on defense technology cooperation by pursuing detailed planning and making measurable progress” on several specific DTTI projects.

The co-chairs were also pleased to note that since the last DTTI Group meeting in October 2019, a DTTI Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for the identification and development of cooperative projects under DTTI has been completed.  The SOP will serve as the framework for DTTI and allow both sides to reach and document a mutual understanding on how to define and achieve success.  A publicly releasable extract of key elements of the SOP was also published in July as the DTTI Initial Guidance for Industry, and distributed through Indian and U.S. industry associations.

Further efforts to encourage U.S. and Indian industry to cooperatively develop next-generation technologies under the DTTI Group were highlighted by the 1st DTTI Industry Collaboration Forum (DICF), which took place virtually on September 10, 2020.  The DICF was convened by Shri Sanjay Jaju, Joint Secretary (Defence Industries Production), Mr. Michael Vaccaro, Director, International Armaments Cooperation, and Ms. Amy Murray, Director, Small Business Programs.  This forum offers an opportunity for Indian and U.S. industry to be directly involved in DTTI and facilitates dialogue between government and industry on issues that impact industrial collaboration. The results of the discussion were briefed to the DTTI Group co-chairs.