Kashmir belongs more to Central Asia: Prof Gregory Gleason

Professor Gregory Gleason, visiting Kashmir as part of the International Conference on Central Asia currently underway at Kashmir University, says that Kashmir belongs more to Central Asia than to South Asia, owing to its glorious ties with the region in terms of culture, traditions, religion, etc. Professor Gleason, who teaches political science at the University of New Mexico in the U.S., describes the efforts made by India and Pakistan on Kashmir as insufficient as he discusses the pros and cons of Kashmir being the venue of an International Conference on Central Asia with Kashmir Observer Chief Correspondent M Farooq Shah.

Excerpts of the Interview:

• You've been one of the special invitees to the International Conference on Central Asia. What does this conference mean to you?

The Conference is an important turning point, I believe, for the studies on Central Asia, in the United States but also in other countries around the world, particularly the European Countries and the countries of Central Asia. Previously, we thought of Central Asia primarily as the countries of the former Soviet Union. Increasingly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, we began to think more broadly about Central Asia. And then, of course, after the events of September 11, American involvement in the coalition for operation "Enduring Freedom" in Afghanistan, we began to realise that there are cultural, linguistic and close potential trade relations among all the countries of the region. So most of the scholars have now begun to think of Central Asia in terms of an historical and broader definition.

• Why wasn't this conference, which has been described as of 'Unprecedented significance', held somewhere else, Delhi for instance?

Well, I think the important aspect of the venue in Kashmir is that Kashmir is very clearly a Central Asian region. It is a region that has close associations with other cultures in Central Asia, in particular Uzbek culture, culture of Tajikistan, culture in Turkmenistan. The idea of holding the conference in Kashmir is the idea of bringing to the attention of scholars and policy makers and journalists and hopefully eventually the general public that there are close connections in the region.

• Could you say a little more on that when you say Kashmir is very clearly a Central Asian region?

To be honest with you, when I arrived in Kashmir, I immediately recognised the kind of kindred relationship with the Central Asian Countries. There are cultural features and characteristics in Kashmir that remind me very much of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and other countries we've traditionally regarded as the central Asian countries. I have to say that is not the same feeling that one feels when one arrives for instance in Delhi.

• Could you outline the significance of holding a conference of this scale in Kashmir a little more explicitly?

I think one of the important aspects of holding the Conference in Kashmir is that many of the scholars in the outside world who've worked on issues of economics, politics, government, international relations, history and cultural studies in the region have not themselves focussed on the regions around Jammu and Kashmir. Therefore, this is an important re-orientation of the work in the interests of many scholars around the world. I think it is important because it highlights the connectedness of Kashmir with other countries of the region. It's not enough, I would say because very little is known about Kashmir and its relationship with other countries in the neighbouring Central Asia. It is the first major effort to bring to attention of the International scholarly community and the professional organisations in the outside world such as the Central Eurasian Studies Society based in Harvard University that Kashmir belongs more to Central Asia.

• Kashmir, you know is a landlocked territory where a conflict is raging and with an uncertain political future. How are ordinary Kashmiris going to benefit from this conference?

I think scholarship is always to the benefit of ordinary citizens in all the regions of the world. Scholarship in the long run will have an influence but scholarship is not politics and policy making itself. It does not have the direct impact. It rather is a way of accumulating knowledge and understanding that can lend the policy makers more wisdom to do decisions about policies. Its immediate effect is, I think, to be understood in terms of the long-term affect of increasing human understanding of that region.

• As far the human understanding you're talking about, Kashmiris are unable to move freely between its own divided parts. How do you view that?

That's certainly a human tragedy. But it is not a unique situation, there're similar situations in many regions of the world. These kinds of issues certainly have to be resolved in a way that is equitable for all the interested and involved parties.

• India and Pakistan have embarked on certain measures with regard to the connectedness of the divided parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Do you think that suffices the requirement given the level of sentiment involved among the peoples of the divided parts?

I don't think that those particular steps themselves suffice the requirement but I do think the confidence building measures are an important sequence that would be necessary for any kind of unification of the divided groups of people. In this particular case, it seems to me that what we can hope for is a more extensive set of measures taken to improve relationships between the countries to reduce the amount of tension that has been created by disagreements in the past.

• How does Kashmir figure in what you've described as 'The idea of Greater Central Asia'?

Kashmir is a natural corridor between India and other parts of the Asia, Europe and other parts of the Eurasian landmass. I think it can play a very important role in the idea of Greater Central Asia. Most important aspect of that idea is it is not just a concept or a geographical description rather it is an idea of the importance of maintaining close ties between people who've kindred interests and more pragmatically people who've economic mutual interests in trade and greater economic development.

• You've said that there's a greater need for inter-state co-operation without changing of borders or reorganising institutions. What exactly do you mean by that?

We live in a globalized world today. It is a powerful force today and is primarily driven by technology not by the intentions of the people in Berlin or Moscow or Washington. In this globalized world however, the unsettling aspect is of changes in the existing border situations. That however, does not mean that there can't be mobility of capital, movement of people, or movement of ideas across those borders. I'm very much in favour of the idea of trans-border or cross border communication between the countries.

• As an expert, do you think there's a need for a third party mediation on Kashmir?

To be honest with you, I'm still at the point of gathering information on the subject. It is not clear to me how a third party mediation on Kashmir would differ from present circumstances but what I can promise with you is to reflect on the question, think about the question and gather more information to get an idea what would be the international theory given the interests of the various actors involved.

• But both India and Pakistan have failed to resolve their differences on Kashmir for well over five decades now. Do you, as a political science teacher not think that it is the right time for the international community to tell them that enough is enough?

I certainly think that this is the right time for India and Pakistan to think seriously about their differences on Kashmir and hammer out an equitable solution acceptable to the all actors involved in the region. The International community certainly has a role to play but the responsibility ultimately lies with the actors directly involved in the conflict.

• As an expert from outside, how do you visualise Kashmir 10 years from now?

I see a prosperous Kashmir 10 years from now where human rights are protected; where people are free to speak their minds; where people are tolerant; where businesses are protected through legal a regulatory system that allows for open businesses but not frequented by monopolies or economic dominations.

Prof Gregor Gleason visited Kashmir in 2005 and I interviewed him for Kashmir Observer.