Report on the Release of Kashmir Chronicles (1986–2023)

 "Nehru's four blunders created problem in Kashmir", says Union Minister Dr Singh

 

 

17 May 2025, New Delhi: “With Pulwama, a new approach was born. Operation Sindoor is its sequel,” said Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences. Terming Operation Sindoor a turning point in India’s strategic doctrine, he lauded the Modi government’s handling of national security and foreign policy.

 

Dr Singh was speaking at the book launch event of Kashmir Chronicles (1986–2023), authored by Dr. Vijay K. Sazawal, an eminent nuclear scientist based in USA.

 

The event held in the Constitution Club of India was organised by the India Policy Foundation and attended by several distinguished persons from politics, defence services, civil society and academia.

 

In his address, Dr Jitendra Singh praised Prime Minister Modi for giving the armed forces full freedom to act, noting the shift from reactive to proactive defence. “Now, we can choose the time and place of engagement,” he said, calling Operation Sindoor a “technological showcase” of indigenous capability —representing the goal of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

 

“The next national goal is Viksit Bharat and the next agenda is PoJK—which only Prime Minister Modi can deliver,” he added.

 

He further noted that three levels of strategic messaging have gone. First is to the domestic audience where the citizens know that India is technologically and tactically prepared to meet any threat. The second is to Pakistan which has become aware that India is no longer the India of 1965 or 1971. The third is to the international community that India is now a rising power whose diplomatic credibility is firmly established.

 

Speaking about the book, Dr Singh lauded the Kashmir Chronicles as a “well-documented, well-researched, and well-chronicled” account of the Kashmir conflict—something, he noted, “only a scientist could have achieved with such precision and discipline.”

 

Dr. Singh asserted that Jammu and Kashmir suffered not one, but two partitions. The first was the partition of India that happened in 1947 and the second occurred with the loss of area, known as Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), which he described as being “given away on a platter” due to the hurried declaration of a ceasefire — a move he labeled the first Nehruvian blunder.

He further stated that the second misstep of the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was taking the matter to the United Nations; the third was the implementation of Article 370, and the fourth was the Indus Water Treaty—an “unfair agreement” in which India lost control over its major rivers to Pakistan.

He described the Islamic radicalisation behind militancy in Kashmir as a key motivator for violence, citing the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits as one of the gravest cultural and humanitarian consequences.

 

“It was an assault on Kashmir’s composite culture,” he said. In this regard, he mentioned that Kashmiri Pandits gave Kashmir its erudition, literature, and ethos. And without them, it is missing in today's Kashmir.

 

He highlighted the tragic incident in Pahalgam, where people were killed after being asked their religion, as a “vindication of what we have been saying for decades” — a grim testimony to the religiously motivated violence in the region.

 

Dr. Vijay Sazawal, throwing light on his book, highlighted that The Kashmir Chronicles is a multi-layered narrative that mirrors the complex realities of the Kashmir issue itself.

 

“Between 1989 to 1999, India saw seven Prime Ministers, and the lack of consistent leadership and policy direction severely affected Kashmir. There was no formulation of a coherent policy, and the quality of leadership was intensely poor,” he noted.

 

Dr. Sazawal pointed out that the crisis unfolded at a time when the country was in disarray, and the gravity of the situation in Kashmir was largely hidden from the Indian public.

 

Instead of addressing it as a national issue, the successive Indian governments framed it as a bilateral conflict with Pakistan.

 

This mischaracterisation allowed external actors to exploit the situation.

 

He presented evidence of how the United States played an active role in internationalising the Kashmir issue. He argued that the All Parties Hurriyat Conference was initiated under U.S. influence, and forums like the U.S. Institute of Peace hosted retired generals and diplomats to deliberate on attempts to carve out Kashmir as a separate entity.

 

“The book is a record of how India’s foreign policy was undermined by external forces,” he explained.

 

Brig. Brijesh Pandey (Retd.), drawing on his 17 years of service in Kashmir and seven years in information warfare, brought attention to the underutilised domain of perception management.

 

He highlighted that while India has effectively deployed hard power, it has lagged in the use of soft power, which is critical for long-term peace.

 

He quoted the Rig Veda as the source of the first mantra of perception management — emphasising the importance of transforming language and vocabulary to shape public opinion. “This is something Dr. Sazawal has done masterfully in his book,” he noted.

Reflecting on policy failures of previous governments, he spoke about the flawed surrender policy of 2013, which allowed 5,000 individuals—some involved in radical activities — to return with families without any deradicalisation framework. “We’re still paying the price for that,” he said.

 

He urged that conflict beneficiaries must be curtailed and that India must strengthen its information warfare capabilities. “We are at a moment where we have everything on our side — political will, a strong economy, capable armed forces, high moral ground, and public support. Now is the time to consolidate and build lasting peace,” he asserted.

 

Dr. Kuldeep Ratnoo, Director of India Policy Foundation, gave introduction of the book by posing a fundamental question: What does Kashmir truly mean to the rest of India? Is the connection driven by its ancient history, its link to India’s national pride, or the narratives built around it over time?

 

He emphasised that Kashmir has been a cradle of intellect and knowledge, a beacon of Indian civilisation long before the advent of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, or Prophet Mohammed. “For us, Kashmir is not just a region — it is our soul, our spiritual nucleus,” he said.

 

Reflecting on post independence history, he noted that the Kashmir issue could have been resolved during Indira Gandhi’s era, when most of her advisors were from Kashmir, but a lack of political will allowed it to worsen.

 

Today, however, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has begun to effectively address the challenge. “There is now greater clarity among Kashmiris themselves about where their true welfare and future lie,” he remarked.

 

Dr. Ratnoo also highlighted the critical role of science and technology in the success of Operation Sindoor, calling it a symbol of India’s evolving strength in both defence and strategic communication.

 

Shri Girdhari Lal Raina, former MLC from Jammu and Kashmir, delivering vote of thanks, commended the Modi government for its efforts in reshaping the international narrative on Kashmir.