4 Sept 2014

Anthropology of Gilgit-Baltistan, Northern Pakistan 16-1 (2014)

This may be of interest to Ladakh Studies members, particularly those interested in Gilgit, anthropology, and German speaks. The Department of Anthropology, Hamburg University has published a special special edition examining the anthropology of Gilgit Baltistan, It looks like a fascinating volume, with many interesting contributions in both English and German. The link is below,
http://www.ethnologie.uni-hamburg.de/de/forschung/publikationen/ethnoscripts/es-16-1.html

ANTHROPOLOGY OF GILGIT-BALTISTAN, NORTHERN PAKISTAN

This may be of interest to some of our readers, particularly those with an interest in Baltistan, Ladakhi anthropologists, or German speakers. The Anthropology Department of Hamburg University has published a special edition document the Anthropology of Gilgit Baltistan. It looks like an extremely interesting volume, with many interesting articles in English and German. Follow the The link is below to access the special edition. http://www.ethnologie.uni-hamburg.de/de/forschung/publikationen/ethnoscripts/es-16-1.html. 


3 Sept 2014

Kargil Workshop

As mentioned earlier about the one-day workshop in Kargil ahead of the conference, we are happy to inform that this is scheduled for Tuesday, 16th September 2014. The aim of the workshop is to share experiences, findings and research methodologies with new researchers. It will be attended by president, secretary, members and  youths from Kargil. If any member or adviser wish to participate/contribute, please let me know at the earliest. It will help us to organize transportation etc from Leh.

Sonam

The Other Kashmir: Society, Culture and Politics in the Karakoram Himalayas, Professor K. Warikoo



Ladakh Studies Member Professor K. Warikoo of Jawaharlal Nejhru University has recently published this edited volume, which may be of interest to our members. For more information, please follow the link below for more details and for the list of contributors:

http://www.idsa.in/book/OtherKashmir.html

The book is priced at INR 1495

The Karakoram Himalayas have unique geo-political and geo-strategic importance as the boundaries of South and Central Asian countries converge here. Abutting the borders of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, and India; and being situated in close proximity to Central Asia, the Karakoram-Himalayan region has been an important constituent of India's trans-Himalayan communication network in the continent and beyond. This region is the cradle from where ancient Indian culture including Buddhism spread in different directions to Central Asia, East Asia and South East Asia. The Karakoram-Himalayan region—what has also been called 'Northern Areas' of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir and comprising Hunza, Nagar, Gilgit, Baltistan, Yasin, Astore, Chilas, Koh-Ghizar , Gupis , Punial and Ishkoman—is the single largest territorial unit of the State. This area constitutes about two-thirds of the total area of 84,471 sq. miles of the entire Jammu and Kashmir State.

The region displays a wide diversity of cultural patterns, languages, ethnic identities and religious practices. The entire region has been a melting pot of different cultures and faiths—Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam. Whereas a variety of languages—Ladakhi, Balti, Shina, Burushaski, Gojali, Khowar etc. exist in the region, the cross-border linkages between various ethnic-religious groups turn this frontier into a complex vortex of geopolitics. The induction and settlement of Punjabis, Pakhtoons and the Taliban cadres by Pakistan as its calculated policy to colonise the Shia/Ismaili dominated region has not only changed its demographic balance but also led to the rise of sectarianism and religious extremism often leading to violence and conflict. At the same time, the region has been witnessing a new urge for revival of its indigenous languages, cultural heritage and social practices. The social and political aspirations of different indigenous ethnic-religious groups in Karakoram-Himalayas have remained suppressed due to the geopolitical and religious factors. The book is a collection of papers contributed by area specialists and experts from the region-Gilgit-Baltistan, Mirpur-Muzaffarabad and Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as well-known academics and strategic analysts.