Beyond Capability The Sustainability Question in Reclaiming POJKGB

Seventy-eight years after Partition, the call to reclaim Pakistan-Occupied Jammu, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan (POJKGB) resurfaces with renewed urgency. The question, however, is no longer whether India can reclaim these territories. The real question is: can we sustain them?

This is not a matter of sentiment or symbolism. It is a matter of strategic foresight, demographic realism, and governance preparedness.

1. Military Capability Is Not the Issue

India’s armed forces are among the most experienced in high-altitude warfare. The Kargil conflict, surgical strikes, and sustained counterinsurgency operations in Kashmir have demonstrated operational readiness. Most recently, Operation Sindoor India’s decisive multi- domain retaliation following the Pahalgam terror attack showcased the country’s ability to execute precision strikes across land, air, and sea. The operation neutralized key Pakistani assets, demonstrated tri-service coordination, and reaffirmed India’s capacity to act under the nuclear shadow. If the objective were purely military, India could act. But military success is only the beginning. Sustainable integration demands far more: civilian infrastructure, political legitimacy, economic rehabilitation, and long-term security stabilization. These are not short-term wins they are generational commitments.

2. Demographics Have Shifted Irreversibly?

Over the past seven decades, the population in POJKGB has undergone systematic demographic engineering:

- Displacement of original Dogra, Shia, and non-Muslim communities

- Radicalization through madrasa networks and ideological indoctrination

- Erosion of cultural and linguistic ties with Jammu and Kashmir

Reclaiming territory is one thing. Reclaiming hearts and minds especially those raised under anti-India narratives is another. Any reintegration effort must grapple with the psychological and generational alienation that now defines the region.

3. Governance Vacuum and Institutional Absence

Unlike Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, POJKGB lacks:

- Panchayati Raj institutions

- Independent judiciary

- Transparent electoral systems

- Civil society frameworks

India would need to build governance from scratch not just administratively, but socially and culturally. This is not a plug-and-play exercise. It requires deep state capacity, sustained investment, and a patient, participatory approach.

4. Diplomatic and Strategic Calculus

A military move would not go unnoticed. China, a stakeholder in Gilgit-Baltistan via CPEC, would react. So would the Islamic world and Western powers invested in regional stability.

India must weigh:

- The risk of two-front escalation

- Potential economic sanctions or diplomatic isolation

- The long-term reputational cost of perceived aggression

The smarter path may lie in diplomatic assertion, information warfare, and supporting internal dissent not tanks and troops.

5. Reframing the Narrative: From PoK to POJKGB

The term “PoK” is reductive. It erases the distinct identities of Jammu, Kashmir Valley, and Gilgit-Baltistan each with its own history, grievances, and strategic value.

A more accurate framing Pakistan-Occupied Jammu, Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan (POJKGB) is not just semantic. It is a strategic necessity. Precision in language reflects precision in policy.

Conclusion: The Real Test Is Not War, But What Comes After India’s claim over POJKGB is legally sound and militarily feasible. But reclaiming territory is not the same as reclaiming people. The real challenge lies in winning minds, rebuilding institutions, and sustaining peace.

This is not a sprint. It is a marathon of statecraft, storytelling, and strategic patience.

The question is not can we, but should we and how...

The Sultanate of Stability: A Personal Reflection

Between 2013 and 2018, I had the privilege of living in what I call the Sultanate of Stability. In a region often defined by spectacle, rivalry, and turbulence, this nation stood apart. While its neighbors dazzled with flamboyance, wrestled with conflict, or competed for dominance, the Sultanate chose a quieter path — one of steadiness, balance, and quiet strength.

My life there was modest, and perhaps that modesty was a gift. I traveled in shared taxis, squeezed between strangers who never felt like strangers for long. I also took the buses, where the journeys were slower, but the conversations more lingering — workers, students, and families all moving together in a rhythm that felt communal rather than transactional. These rides revealed the pulse of ordinary life, stories of work, family, and hope told with a simplicity that made me feel part of something larger.

I wandered through the souq not as a tourist but as a commoner, bargaining for spices, dates, and fabrics alongside locals. The souq was not a performance for outsiders; it was a living, breathing marketplace where tradition carried on in its natural rhythm.

Yet my experiences were not limited to the everyday. I also stepped into the polished lobbies of upmarket hotels and sat beneath the grand arches of the opera house. What struck me was how little the people changed across these settings. In many societies, wealth and status alter behavior — the more the money, the more distant the manner. But in the Sultanate of Stability, I found a rare constancy. Whether in a crowded bus, a shared taxi, or a chandelier-lit hall, the warmth of the people remained the same: welcoming, friendly, and unpretentious.

This, I came to realize, was the essence of the Sultanate’s governance and culture. Outsiders might see a closely monitored system, but those who lived within it experienced a society where oversight was balanced by welfare, where tradition coexisted with modernity, and where safety was not a slogan but a lived reality. It was a place where leadership transitions were carefully managed, where long-term visions were pursued with discipline, and where the social contract was honored in practice.

All of this unfolded against the backdrop of a restless neighborhood. To the north, the Kingdom of Glittering Towers dazzled with its flamboyance, chasing global attention through spectacle. To the west, the Land of Endless Strife struggled with fragility, its people caught in cycles of conflict. To the east, the Dominion of Commanding Thrones projected dominance through wealth, influence, and power. And yet, in the midst of these extremes, the Sultanate of Stability endured as an oasis — not by accident, but by deliberate choice.

Its story is not one of spectacle, but of quiet strength. And for me, those five years were not just a chapter of residence in a foreign land, but a lesson in how stability, humility, and balance can shape both governance and daily life.

Purposeful Inclusion and the Pressures on Young Minds

“Father, is gender something you can just decide, like picking a shirt?”

The boy’s question was innocent, but it carried the weight of a global debate. The father paused, then chose to answer not with abstractions, but with stories.

He spoke of Ardhanārīśvara, the union of Śiva and Pārvatī. This was not a curiosity, he explained, but a symbol of balance—showing that creation itself requires both masculine and feminine energies. The purpose was cosmic harmony, not confusion.

He then told the story of Śikhaṇḍī in the Mahābhārata. Born female, later transformed into a male warrior, Śikhaṇḍī’s change was not whimsical. It was necessary to bring down Bhīṣma, who had vowed never to fight a woman. The transformation served justice, resolving a moral deadlock.

Finally, he spoke of Viṣṇu as Mohinī, a form assumed not for identity’s sake, but as a strategy to outwit the asuras and protect the nectar of immortality.

The boy listened carefully. He realized that in these stories, transformations were never ornamental. They were purposeful. They upheld dharma, restored balance, and resolved dilemmas that rigid binaries could not.

The father concluded: “Our tradition has always acknowledged diversity, but with context, purpose, and balance. It never asked children to decide their gender before they even understood their own bodies. It showed that identity can be fluid, but always in service of something greater—justice, balance, or truth.”

Beyond the Conversation

This is where the dialogue ends. But as adults, we must reflect on forces shaping young minds today—forces that cannot be part of a child’s conversation, yet weigh heavily on society.

• Pharma companies: What was once a cautious, therapeutic approach to gender dysphoria has, in some contexts, shifted toward medicalized pathways—puberty blockers, hormones, surgeries. These interventions, once rare, are now marketed more aggressively, creating lifelong dependencies. Vulnerable children risk being nudged into irreversible choices before they have even understood their own biology.

• School curricula: In the name of inclusivity, gender identity is being introduced at very early ages. While the intent is noble, the framing can overwhelm children who are still learning the basics of their own bodies. Instead of nurturing curiosity and patience, curricula can unintentionally push premature decisions.

• Social media: Platforms amplify identity debates in ways that are often performative. Algorithms reward extremes, peer pressure magnifies confusion, and children are exposed to global narratives without the maturity to filter them. For many, likes and shares become substitutes for genuine self understanding.

• Freely available adult content: With a few clicks, children encounter distorted portrayals of intimacy and gender roles. These images shape expectations before they have had a chance to form healthy, age appropriate understandings of relationships and identity.

Together, these influences create a powerful ecosystem that can push children into premature decisions, long before they are developmentally ready.

Closing Reflection

India’s civilizational ethos offers a different path. The Itihās and Purāṇas remind us that identity shifts are not about rushing children into choices, but about purposeful inclusion—where diversity serves balance, justice, and truth.

The real task before us is not to erase diversity, but to dignify it with wisdom and responsibility. As leaders, educators, and parents, we must ensure that inclusion is rooted in dignity, not in markets, algorithms, or imported binaries. Only then can we protect young minds from premature pressures and guide them toward a future where identity is not a burden, but a source of strength.

Vindication by colonial masters

 काही दिवसांपासून हा विषय डोक्यात घोळतोय याचे कारण Economic Times मध्ये आलेल्या एका बातमीने ज्याचे शीर्षक होते "Indian software engineer becomes US citizen in rare ceremony at White House hosted by Trump". खरच इतकी मोठी गोष्ट आहे का ही ज्याचे इतके कवतुक व्हावे? असं आहे का की कोणी पहिल्यांदाच भारतातून अमेरिकेत गेलं आहे आणि त्या व्यक्तीला त्येथील नागरिकत्व मिळालं आहे? तसं असतं तरी देखील मला वाटते की या गोष्टीचा कवतुक सोहळा नको करायला. एखाद्या परक्या देशाचे नागरिकत्व स्वीकारणे हेच माझ्या मते कमीपणाचे आहे, म्हणून मी आजच्या लिखाणाचे शीर्षक हे ठेवले आहे "Vindication by colonial masters". 

अमेरिकेत किंवा कुठल्याही दुसऱ्या प्रगत देशात जाण्याची, काम करण्याची, शिकण्याची महत्वाकांक्षा असणं यात मला काही गैर वाटत नाही, पण आपलं स्वत्व सोडून त्याच्याच मागे लागणं हे मला पटत नाही ("American Dream" ही नवीन गोष्ट नाही). अमेरिकेत शिक्षण घेऊन परत आलेल्या लोकांचे प्रमाण सध्या अधिक आहे, मी असे मुळीच म्हणत नाही की जे जातात ते परत येत नाहीत. पण मुद्ध हा आहे की परत आलेली व्यक्ती ही आकाशातून पडली असल्याचे भासवत, कुवत आणि संधी असून देखील स्वतःच्या देशात राहूनच त्याच्या प्रगतीसाठी खारीचा वाटा उचलणाऱ्या कित्येक लोकांना खिजवले जाते. ज्याचे कोणाचे American Dream किंवा इतर काही प्रयत्न असतील ते त्यांनी आवश्य करावे पण इथे राहणाऱ्यांनी त्यांचे कवतुक सोहळे बंद करावे.

WITH GREAT POWER THERE MUST ALSO COME -- GREAT RESPONSIBILITY

India that is Bhārat has always been a place which has celebrated diverse views and opinions, we have had a history of celebrating Vāda as a form of learning.

For us humans it is hard to imagine life of a country as our understanding of time is with a very narrow lens. But then, to better understand the journey of freedom of speech in our country I propose to divide the phases of freedom of speech into three periods,

• Ancient Bhārat

• Colonial period

• Republic in 1950

Ancient Bhārat symbolizes the epitome of freedom of speech where the public were free to speak up without the fear of repercussions. An example from Rāmāyaṇa which demonstrates this freedom is the Sītā Agniparīkṣā. The public of Ayodhyā were free to question the chastity of their own queen (Sītā) and the King of Ayodhyā (Rāma) had to abide by the prajādharma and Sītā did prove her chastity by undergoing agniparīkṣā. With the benefit of hindsight, we might disagree with the event as hard to digest the fact that such an incident even took place and put this in the category of hate speech. It was the reality of those time as the Rāmarājya allowed the prajā this extreme level of freedom without fear.

In contrast, the colonial period be it middle eastern or western exudes extreme level of suppression where every opposition to the ruler fell into the category of sedition (hate speech) and suppressed. There have been multiple instances where the public rose against the tyranny of the colonial rulers for which extreme levels of punishments sentenced by the courts. One such example is when Veer Savarkar sentenced to Andaman Jail (Kālāpāni) for two consecutive life imprisonments, totaling fifty years on the charges of sedition which included primarily authoring books and articles against the British Government. Few of his works banned from publication by the then British government were Biography of Giuseppe Mazzini (Italian Nationalist leader), The Indian War of Independence 1857, etc.

In the present times, we see the freedom of speech hovering between these two extremes like a pendulum. We had times when the State has been extremely suppressive on the Freedom of speech by going to the extent of banning books or music and in instances declaring Emergency. On the other hand, we have seen times where public has come out on streets to express their protests like the Maratha Andolan (Maharashtra) in 2017, Jan Lokpal Andolan in Delhi in 2011. Though we did not see the solution to the outrage, except a few instances of use of water cannon or batons the Governments were receptive and allowed such protests on the streets.

Usually, we see that freedom of speech changes basis the convenience of the ruler / Government but that may not always align with the Constitution of India. The quote from the movie Spiderman “With great power comes great responsibility” relates back to the text in the Constitution which grants freedom of speech but with reasonable restrictions. Usually, we all are aware of freedom of speech as one of the fundamental rights in the constitution, however, very few realize that this right is restricted. There are occasions where to express our opinion we inadvertently restrict someone else’s right to express, and which gets in the category of hate speech.

A clear interpretation of the Article 19 of the Constitution of India is a responsibility of each citizen that way we will be able to express our thoughts and opinions without restricting rights of our fellow citizens.

Closing narration in the 1962 Amazing Fantasy #15 – Spider-Man. Script by Stan Lee and used in the Marvel movie by the name Spider-Man attributed to Uncle Ben as advice to the young Peter Parker (Spider-Man).

 https://gazetteers.maharashtra.gov.in/cultural.maharashtra.gov.in/english/gazetteer/VOL-II/REVOLUTIONARY_III.pdf

Constitution of India Article 19(1)(a) read with Article 19(2).

Urdu Film Industry

Few days back saw Dil Chahta Hai probably for the 3rd or 4th time. This movie was released in 2001 and was a big hit. This time it was different instead of watching I was analyzing and shocked how a film can influence the culture. We assume that Bollywood films are in Hindi however, this statement acts as a camouflage and the actual language is Urdu. I have no doubt that my generation thinks that they talk in Hindi however, they are actually using Urdu to communicate without realizing the impact.

Language is the vehicle of imbibing culture. The local sayings are very much linked to the culture of the society. Imitations or translations for the purpose of knowledge is agreed but here there is nothing Bharatiya. The inherent culture of this country is made a joke on these same platforms and we the Bharatiya Janata who without realizing support this.

Sanskritized hindi is made fun of but appreciations for persianized / arabized hindi is rampant.

I am sure people who are reading this will ignore as an unnecessary waste of time. Still honestly urge you all to give it a thought.

The Sabrimala ConfusionMENSTRUATION ACROSS CULTURES A Historical Perspective

The Sabrimala Confusion

MENSTRUATION ACROSS CULTURES 

A Historical Perspective

Publisher: Vitasta Publishing Pvt Ltd

लेखक- Nitin Sridhar

तर आता हे पुस्तक निवडण्याचे कारण म्हणजे हे वाचून माझं अज्ञान माझ्या समोर ठिय्या देऊन बसलं। Indic Academy या संस्थेने लेखकांशी संवाद या कार्यक्रमात नितीन श्रीधर यांना बोलावले होते तेव्हा या पुस्तकाबद्दल अधिक माहिती कळली। लेखकाच्या बोलण्याने मी इतका प्रभावित झालो आणि ठरवलं हे पुस्तक वाचायचे। इतक्या कमी वयात असा विषय निवडणे याचेच मला नवल वाटले।

पुरुष असून या विषयावर लिहिणे कशाला या प्रश्नाचे उत्तर हे त्यांनीच त्यांच्या बोलण्यात सांगितले ते "की तुम्ही बायका नाही लिहीत म्हणून मला हा विषय लिहावा लागला"। आणि हे खरच आहे आपल्या anglicised बुद्धीला हा विषय झेपत नाही। 

मला देखील मी याचा फोटो टाकला तेव्हा काही लोकं म्हणाले होतो की तू कशाला हा विषय तुला काय करायचे आहे समजून घेऊन। मी वाचलं कारण मला वाटलं हा विषय मला कळला पाहिजे त्यामागचे शास्त्र हे माहिती पाहिजे। 

लेखकाने खूप अभ्यासपूर्ण लिखाण केले आहे, कुठेही संदर्भा शिवाय नुसतीच वाक्य टाकली आहेत असे नाही। नुसता हिन्दू धर्म नाही पण बाकी पंथांमध्ये धर्मांमध्ये काय पद्धती आहेत किंवा मासिक पाळीबद्दल काय विचार मांडला आहे त्यामागची कारणे या सगळ्याची माहिती दिली आहे। 

आयुर्वेदात मासिकपाळी बद्दल कोणत्या गोष्टी सांगितल्या आहेत, त्या case study चा आधार घेऊन पटवून द्यायचा प्रयत्न केला आहे।

Feminism च्या जगात या गोष्टी बोलणं देखील खूप मोठी संकटे ओढवून घेण्यासारखे आहे, पण hats-off नितीन श्रीधर यांनी हे कार्य पूर्ण केले। 

Conclusion: पारंपारीक पद्धती या नुसत्या पद्धती नसून एक शास्त्र आहे आणि त्याच्या बद्दल जितकी माहिती आपण मिळवू तितके आपण जागरूक होऊ। मग त्या परंपरांचे ओझे न होता तो आपल्या जिवनाचा एक भाग होतील।