National Seminar on “Emerging Dynamics of India-Pakistan Relations”

Chandigarh, March 18, 2019: With suicidal terrorist attack on CRPF personnel recently in Pulwama district killing 40 personnel and India responding by Air strikes on the terrorist training camps of Jaish-e-Mohammad at Balakot, Pakistan, the relations between the two countries has led to severe escalation of tensions. Department of Defence and National Security Studies, Panjab University and Gyan Setu (Think Tank) conducted a one day National Seminar today on “Emerging Dynamics of India-Pakistan Relations” with Chief Guest as Sh. Manpreet SinghBadal, Honourable Finance and Planning Minister of Punjab; Vice Chancellor Panjab University, Prof Raj Kumar; Mr R K Kaushik, Commissioner Ropar Division, Lt Gen K J Singh (Retd),Maharaja Ranjit Singh Chair professor; Dr Jaskaran Singh Waraich, Chairperson, Deptt of defence and national security studies, Senior Eminent Veterans of Indian Armed Forces, Eminent bureaucrats ,Learned members of GyanSetu , staff and students of the Department. During the inaugural session, General K J Singh delivered the welcome speech and highlighted the importance of conducting such seminars to enlighten the understanding of the students who are the future generation of the country. Mr Kaushik, the key note speaker highlighted Historic relationship between the two countries and stressed upon the power of establishment in Pakistan. He also spoke about systematic brain washing which is carried out by means of text books and other media targeting the youth of Pakistan and creating hatred towards India. Vice Chancellor, Prof Raj Kumar stressed upon the relationship with respect to the economies of both the countries. He also said that the terrorist activities emitting from the soil of Pakistan has weakened its image globally. Chief Guest,Sh.Badal reiterated that relations between both the countries need to be seen from the prism of the historical perspective.He narrated the bitter memories of partition on both the sides. He also laid down the necessity to respect the Institutions like Judiciary,Election commission etc. and need to progress the economy of the country with higher growth rate. Dr Jaskaran Singh Waraich while giving the concluding remarks highlighted that the Department has conducted four seminars on issues related to Pakistan in last 3 years and also proposed to set up the “Centre of Excellence”for research on Pakistan studies in the Deptt. which is presently not run in any of the universities,Institutes or think tanks. Vice Chancellor gave an informal agreement to this proposal. The Inaugural session was followed by two technical sessions. First session was on the Geo-Political and Strategic realities of both the countries, chaired by Sh. K. C. Singh IFS, exAmbassdor to UAE& Iran with panellists as Maj Gen Amarjit Singh (Retd), Brig I J Singh (Retd) and Dr Shalini Chawla, Senior fellow, CAPS (Centre for Air power Studies). Second session was conducted on Security Dynamics chaired by Prof. Rakesh Datta, former member, NSAB with panellists as Lt. Gen. Gurdeep Singh (Retd), Lt. Gen. J. S. Cheema (Retd) and Air Marshall J. S. Chauhan (Retd). The seminar discussed the various issues between both the countries including the strategic culture of Pakistan and the relations in past, presentand the way forward.