Srinagar, August 17 (Vijay Kumar) – Experts on Monday called for a close cooperation between the different Eurasian and Central Asian regions, asserting that there can be no lasting peace without cooperation and no cooperation without peace. They were speaking at the inaugural function of an international conference at the University of Kashmir on Monday. The 3-day conference, third of its kind in the past three years, is organized by the varsity’s prestigious Centre of Central Asian Studies (CCAS).
Prof Greagory Gleason from University of Mexico, USA, in his keynote address, said while building relations, the different countries must give due credit to legacy of their past, competition over resources and anticipation of the future. “Situation is different in the world today. There are two choices available to countries. The choice by which they get what they want and the strategic choice where they think others are deciding for them. If the latter is our goal, let’s take a rethink. Ideas are more powerful than any weapon. No one will disagree that America now has the most advanced weapons, but no weapon has been created which builds, creates and produces something good,” Gleason said.
He emphasized that there was no possibility of peace without co-operation between different countries and no co-operation was possible without peace.
Referring to Samuel Huntington’s theory of Clash of Civilizations, Prof Gleason said, “When we hear that the fault lines of civilizations will become the battle lines for the future, many of us take strong exception. There is no reason this has to happen. There is every reason to prevent it from happening.”
In his presidential address, the KU vice-chancellor, Prof Riyaz Punjabi said that two-decades was small a period to assess the growth and stability of different independent counties. “These countries or states are still going under transition. We have to keep in mind that they have their own cultural and historical past and identity. These societies are emerging back in the wake of identity consciousness, though they are multi-ethnic,” he said. “So you have to conceive their right of identity.”
He referred to the visit of Shah-i-Hamdan (RA) to Kashmir. “Shah-i-Hamdan (RA) came along with hundreds of people from different regions leaving a profound impact on the socio-cultural aspects of the society,’ Prof Punjabi said.
The VC said there was need to revive the Kashmir’s linkages with Central Asia like the opening of Silk Route. “It is my dream to have a ride on a horse-back from Kashmir to Central Asia via Silk Route.”
Saidbeg Saidov, Ambassador, Republic of Tajikistan in India, called for improving relations between Central Asian countries and India. “Central Asian countries have a lot of natural and mineral resources and India has a huge potential to co-operate with Central Asian countries,” he said. “Together we should work for the security of the region because security is the first opportunity to co-operate.”
He referred to different ways of cooperation like sharing and construction of electricity power projects, highway and railway projects besides the cooperation in the filed of industry and information technology.
Ms Irina Abdyevna Orolbaeva, Ambassador, Republic of Krygstan in India, asserted that there was an international understanding that peaceful and stable Central Asia was important because of its strategic location, natural and energy resources. “The political, social and economic changes in all Central Asian countries in the past few decades give evidence to the importance of this region, which belongs to Eurasia as a whole,” she said.
The conference was attended by scholars and experts from different parts of the world, members of civil society besides the senior KU academics and officials, including the registrar, Prof S Fayyaz Ahmad.
The conference coordinator, Prof Mushtaq A Kaw, underlined the aims and objectives of the conference. “The conference aims at providing subject experts and analysts a dispassionate platform to debate the crucial issues confronting different Eurasian regions,” he said. “We earlier focused on Central Asia only, but we have now expanded the sphere of debate and discussions to Eurasia, Afghanistan and Europe keeping in view their importance.”
The Director, CCAS, Prof GM Mir, highlighted the achievements and contributions of the Centre. “We regularly host the international conferences on issues of vital importance to our society besides signing MoUs with different Central Asian countries for collaborative study in the mutual areas of interest,” he said. Senior CCAS professor, G R Jan, presented the vote of thanks.