Karl Inderfurth, “South Asia: The most dangerous place in the world?”

Karl Inderfurth recently finished his term as Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs (1997-2001). Mr. Inderfurth attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and subsequently earned his M.A. at Princeton University. He has served as the Deputy Staff Director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, US Representative for Special Political Affairs to the UN, with the rank of Ambassador, and Deputy US Representative to the U.N. Security Council. Mr. Inderfurth is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations (New York) and the International Institute for Strategic Studies (London).

Tanvir Ahmad Khan, “Prospects of a sustained peace process between India and Pakistan”

Tanvir Ahmad Khan served as Pakistan’s foreign secretary from 1989-1990. He was educated at Government College (Lahore, Pakistan) and Oxford University (England). Mr. Khan has held a numerous positions in the Pakistani Government over the years, including that of Ambassador to Bangladesh, Czechoslovakia, Iran, Ireland, France, Finland, and the Russian Federation, and as Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. He has also been the Chairman of one of Pakistan’s most prestigious think tanks: the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad (1998- 2000).

Muhammad Yasin Malik, “Kashmir: Underlying cause of insecurity in South Asia”

Muhammad Yasin Malik is a co-founder and senior leader of the Kashmiri All Party Hurriyet Conference (APHC) and chairman of the pro-independence Jammu-Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). Having led the armed resistance in Kashmir in the late 1980’s, Malik commands respect among Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control dividing Kashmir. His group, the JKLF, declared a unilateral cease-fire in 1994 and invited a dialogue to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Panel C

Saturday, April 7^th, 3:00pm

Cultural and Historical Perspectives

This panel examined the culture and history of the Pakistani and Indian peoples with special emphasis placed on the realms shared by the two countries. In particular, the panelists discussed the role of the linguistic, religious, and ethnic ties between these two peoples. The panel further considered the current territorial disputes within the context of the colonial legacy and the continuing effects of the Partition Era. In an attempt to promote conflict resolution, the panelists discussed ways in which religious institutions, media and the popular culture, and revisionist trends in the writing of history can be used to foster stronger bonds between the citizens of these two countries.

Chair:

Hugh M. Flick

Hugh M. Flick is the fourth Dean of Silliman College. He is a lecturer in the Religious Studies Department. Flick is a scholar of Sanskrit and Indian Studies with interests in folklore and mythology. He also holds a law degree and is a member of the Connecticut bar.

Panelists:

Agha Ashraf Ali, “Cultural and historical background of the conflict in Kashmir”

Agha Ashraf Ali is a historian and veteran educator who has seen it all, and unlike other prominent Kashmiris, he chooses to stay away from politics. He believes that the trust between India and Kashmir has completely broken down and that is the root cause of the present situation. He operates a school in Sirinagar and travels through Kashmir spreading peace and harmony through education.

Ainslie Embree, “A dilemma for South Asia: Self-determination for Kashmir”

Ainslie Embree is a Professor Emeritus of History at Columbia University, and is a noted scholar of modern South Asia, and nationalist and religious politics. He is the editor of the popular text book Sources of Indian Tradition and the author of Utopias in Conflict: Religion and Nationalism in India. Embree has served in the Royal Canadian Air Force and in the U.S. Embassy in Delhi. In 1997, he led a delegation of the Kashmir Study Group to Pakistan, which issued a report, "The Kashmir Dispute at Fifty: Charting Paths to Peace."

 Rajmohan Gandhi, “Unopened books and books of fire: History and the Subcontinent”

Rajmohan Gandhi is a historian, biographer, commentator and former Member of the Rajya Sabha (Indian Senate). He served as the Editor of the Indian Express and Himmat Weekly, and has written books on Mahatma Gandhi, Vallabhbhai Patel, and Chakravarti Rajgopalachari. He was the leader of the Indian Delegation to the UN Human Rights Commission (1990), and co-founded the Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation. He was a Distinguished Halle Fellow at Emory University, and is presently a visiting professor of political science at University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.

Nafisa Hoodbhoy, “Women's quest for peace in India and Pakistan”

Nafisa Hoodbhoy, a journalist and a political activist, holds a graduate degree in history from Northeastern University. She worked as a staff reporter for the Guardian Newspaper in New York and for the largest English daily newspaper in Pakistan, DAWN. She reported and wrote commentaries on issues concerning women, social welfare, human rights, environmental issues, labor, NGOs, and Pakistani politics. Hoodbhoy’s work has also been featured on BBC, Channel Four, Lifetime Television and National Public Radio from Pakistan. She has served three times as an elected council member of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. Currently, she teaches at Amherst College.

 Sheema Kermani, “The problem of cultural identity in South Asia”

Sheema Kermani is one of the most highly acclaimed classical dancers in Pakistan, trained in both Bharata Natyam and Odissi styles of dance.  She has also choreographed a number of dances and among her well known productions is “Indus and Europa.” In 1981, Mrs.  Kermani formed the “Tehrik-e-Niswan”, an NGO devoted to raising awareness with regard to women’s issues through cultural activities, most notably through the stage, video, and television.  Since 1984 she has been teaching dance and continues to perform.  She has advocated women’s issues and general human rights in performances and conferences worldwide, including the 1995 Beijing World Conference.