– By Siddhi Joshi
Kashmir stood elegantly like a diamond crown over the centuries as the contours in the Indian subcontinent changed- the sounds of rushing rivers, beautiful lush green forests, lively lakes, embroidered shawls, and Pashmina, and the scent of saffron permeated the air. However, today, against the waves of Jhelum, lurking under the dungeons of fears and an identity struck in limbo and nothingness, today Kashmir lies cold in the odors of gunsmoke. A pendulum oscillating between ‘terrorist’ and ‘traitor,’ the people of the valley have been de-humanized, their humanity shunned away and muted under the garbs of jarring TRPs, Geopolitics, and Nationalism.
A common person cares for a roof of peace overhead, the future of the generations they birthed, and ordinary everyday life. A common person in Kashmir cares for the tug of war between its various stakeholders to end. The Kashmir story is one of the polar narratives. On the one hand, there is a section of Kashmiris whose icon is Burhan Wani, and then the other is a section of people who say that the Kashmiris are all anti-nationals. This binary leaves little space for a middle ground or a nuanced understanding of the issues at hand. An alternative narrative must be established amid these extremes.
Power: A Radical View by Steven Lukes is a landmark work in studying the social reality of power. Lukes’ third dimension of power deals with people’s willingness to act in ways that appear to be against their most basic interests. The third dimension is essentially the set of means by which the powerful influence the powerless to behave as they like without force or violent restriction, for example, by establishing a pervasive ideology or false consciousness system. Given the global ramifications of the Covid-19 outbreak and nationwide lockdown constraints, Kashmiris have been disadvantaged more than ever by a shortage of high-speed internet amid the usual significant armed deployment. As a result, Pakistan continues to spread anti-India propaganda, exploiting communication barriers as fodder to create hostility among Kashmiri youth. The formation of new militant groups like The Resistance Front is a ruse to portray Pakistan-backed militancy as an indigenous movement, demonstrating that Islamabad will continue to improvise and adapt in the face of any communication restrictions, blockades, or bans.
In Kashmir, a generation has grown up observing and experiencing the intersectionality of violence, terror, and religion in their daily lives and absorbing imported worldwide narratives about Islam that gained in popularity in the early 2000s. The internet, smartphones, and social media made it easier to infiltrate and distribute extremist doctrines that appealed to the public’s desire for death, jihad, and mujahideen heroism.
The recruitment of young people as over-ground workers and sympathizers by terrorist groups opened up new narratives on jihad and the Islamic caliphate as a departure from political concepts such as the right to self-determination, influenced by global Islamist movements based on the supremacist idea of caliphate and jihad. The politicisation of demographics and identity-based politics fueled and added to identity conceptions at the local level in Jammu and Kashmir. Recruiters instill a sense of victimhood in their recruits, and law enforcement notices it in the criminal. There is, however, an enabling space, as well as enablers who must be enabled.
It is impossible to overlook the realities of insurgency and proxy war. However, community-led organisations must attempt to address the factors that lead to radicalization and recruitment in hostile situations like Kashmir by interacting with the drivers and varied actors of conflict, particularly the youth and women.
The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1325 on 31 October 2000, emphasising the importance of women’s participation and role in all aspects of peace and security, including conflict prevention, resolution, and peacebuilding. Peace and gender equality are inextricably linked. According to overwhelming evidence worldwide, women’s empowerment is a powerful force for economic growth, social and political stability, and long-term peace. Equality of genders and women’s participation in the workforce, self-dependency, empowerment, and income generation are linked to higher GDP per capita; equal access to land and other agricultural inputs can boost agricultural productivity, and involving women in peacebuilding increases the likelihood of violence ending. It is no surprise that women are less exposed to the effects of violent extremism in cultures and communities where gender equality indices are higher.
Drones, airstrikes, and ground troops can slow extremists’ progress, but they cannot fight extreme ideology or build resilient families and communities. Women who are empowered are the best drivers of growth and hope for peace. They are the best defence against youth radicalization and the recurrence of violent cycles. Women and girls are the first to be attacked; thus, promoting their rights must be a principal focus in the response.
Kashmir today is like a woman’s body- countless armed men’s battleground. We must let her and her children reclaim her prowess and spirit.
References :
onducted a total of five underground nuclear tests, breaking a 24-year self-imposed moratorium on nuclear testing. Pakistan followed, claiming 5 tests on May 28, 1998, and an additional test on May 30. The unannounced tests created a global storm of criticism, as well as a serious setback for decades of U.S. nuclear nonproliferation efforts in South Asia. On May 13, 1998, President Clinton imposed economic and military sanctions on India, mandated by Section 102 of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA), and applied the same sanctions to Pakistan on May 30. Some effects of the sanctions on India included: termination of $21 million in FY1998 economic development assistance; postponement of $1.7 billion in lending by the International Financial Institutions (IFI), as supported by the Group of Eight (G-8) leading industrial nations; prohibition on loans or credit from U.S. banks to the government of India; and termination of Foreign Military Sales under the Arms Export Control Act. Humanitarian assistance, food, or other agricultural commodities are excepted from sanctions under the law. 
The first ministerial level meeting of QUAD was held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Before this, the QUAD had
AusIndEx is an exercise between India and Australia which was first held in 2015.The Australian 
On recommendations of the Japanese government, the four countries met at Manila, Philippines for ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) originally, but also ended up having a meeting of what we call the first meeting of four nation states on issues of 
On his official visit to India, Japanese PM Mr. Shinzo Abe reinforced the ties of two nations, i.e., Japan and India with his famous speech about 
In 2007, Japanese President Shinzo Abe resigned from his post citing health reasons. This had a significant impact on QUAD as he was the architect & advocate of QUAD. His successor, Yasuo Fukuda, did not take up QUAD with such zeal leading to dormancy of the forum. (
Japan earthquake and tsunami of 2011, also called Great Sendai Earthquake or Great Tōhoku Earthquake, was a 9.0 magnitude earthquake which struck below the floor of the Western Pacific at 2:49 PM. The powerful earthquake affected the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan’s main island, and also initiated a series of large tsunami waves that devastated coastal areas of Japan, which also led to a major nuclear accident. Japan received aid from India, US, Australia as well as other countries. US Navy aircraft carrier was dispatched to the area and Australia sent search-and-rescue teams. 
India and Australia signed the 
The India-Japan Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy was signed on 11 November, 2016 and came into force on 20 July, 2017 which was representative of strengthening ties between India and Japan. Diplomatic notes were exchanged between Dr. S. Jaishankar and H.E. Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India. (
The foreign ministry
The Officials of QUAD member countries met in Singapore on November 15, 2018 for consultation on regional & global issues of common interest. The main discussion revolved around connectivity, sustainable development, counter-terrorism, maritime and cyber security, with the view to promote peace, stability and prosperity in the 
The 23rd edition of trilateral Malabar maritime exercise between India, US and Japan took place on 26 September- 04 October, 2019 off the coast of Japan. 
After the first ministerial level meeting of QUAD in September, 2019, the senior officials of US, Japan, India and Australia again met for consultations in Bangkok on the margins of the East Asia Summit. Statements were issued separately by the four countries. Indian Ministry of External Affairs said “In statements issued separately by the four countries, MEA said, “proceeding from the strategic guidance of their Ministers, who met in New York City on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly recently, the officials exchanged views on ongoing and additional practical cooperation in the areas of connectivity and infrastructure development, and security matters, including counterterrorism, cyber and maritime security, with a view to promoting peace, security, stability, prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”
US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue was held on 18 December, 2019, in Washington DC. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper will host Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr. S. Jaishankar and Minister of Defense Shri Rajnath Singh. The discussion focussed on deepening bilateral strategic and defense cooperation, exchanging perspectives on global developments, and our shared leadership in the Indo-Pacific region.The two democracies signed the Industrial Security Annex before the 2+2 Dialogue. Assessments of the situation in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Indian Ocean region in general were shared between both countries. (
The foreign ministers of QUAD continued their discussions from the last ministerial level meeting in 2019, on 6 October, 2020. While there was no joint statement released, all countries issued individual readouts. As per the issue readout by India, the discussion called for a coordinated response to the challenges including financial problems emanating from the pandemic, best practices to combat Covid-19, increasing the resilience of supply chains, and enhancing access to affordable vaccines, medicines and medical equipment. There was also a focus on maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region amidst growing tensions. Australian media release mentions “We emphasised that, especially during a pandemic, it was vital that states work to ease tensions and avoid exacerbating long-standing disputes, work to counter disinformation, and refrain from malicious cyberspace activity. Ministers reiterated that states cannot assert maritime claims that are inconsistent with international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).”
On September 24, President Biden hosted Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan at the White House for the first-ever in-person Leaders’ Summit of the QUAD. The leaders released a Joint Statement which summarised their dialogue and future course of action. The regional security of the Indo-Pacific and strong confidence in the ASEAN remained on the focus along with response to the Pandemic. 
The QUAD Vaccine Partnership was announced at the first QUAD Summit on 12 March 2021 where QUAD countries agreed to deliver 1.2 billion vaccine doses globally. The aim was to expand and finance vaccine manufacturing and equipping the Indo-Pacific to build resilience against Covid-19. The launch of a senior-level QUAD Vaccine Experts Group, comprised of top scientists and officials from all QUAD member governments was also spearheaded. 
Although the Tsunami Core group had to be disbanded on fulfilment of its purpose, however the quadrilateral template that formed remained intact as a successful scaffolding of four countries, as stated by authors Patrick Gerard Buchan and Benjamin Rimland in their diplomatic brief about QUAD ( you can access the brief at 
Secretary of State Colin Powell stated that the Core Tsunami Group was to be disbanded and folded and clubbed with the broader United Nations led Relief Operations. In a Tsunami Relief Conference in Jakarta, Secretary Powell stated that 
Soon after the Earthquake and Tsunami crisis, humanitarian reliefs by countries, viz., US, India, Japan, and Australia started to help the 13 havoc-stricken countries. The US initially promised $ 35 Millions in aid. However, on 29
At 7:59AM local time, an earthquake of 9.1 magnitude (undersea) hit the coast of Sumatra, an Indonesian island. As a result of the same, massive waves of Tsunami triggered by the earthquake wreaked havoc for 7 hours across the Indian Ocean and to the coastal areas as far away as East Africa. The infamous Tsunami killed around 225,000 people, with people reporting the height of waves to be as high as 9 metres, i.e., 30 feet. Indonesia, Srilanka, India, Maldives, Thailand sustained horrendously massive damage, with the death toll exceeding 200,000 in Northern Sumatra’s Ache province alone. A great many people, i.e., around tens of thousands were found dead or missing in Srilanka and India, mostly from Andaman and Nicobar Islands of Indian territory. Maldives, being a low-lying country, also reported casualties in hundreds and more, with several non-Asian tourists reported dead or missing who were vacationing. Lack of food, water, medicines burgeoned the numbers of casualties, with the relief workers finding it difficult to reach the remotest areas where roads were destroyed or civil war raged. Long-term environmental damage ensued too, as both natural and man-made resources got demolished and diminished.
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