Interaction with School chairman on Kashmir

On 4 October 2018, the students of classes VIII and IX were privileged to interact with our School chairman, Mr. Prafull Goradia, on the Kashmir issue.

The session commenced with a reference to the history of the Kashmir problem- Kashmir had a Hindu ruler and a Muslim majority. Pakistan feared that the ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh would accede to India, and so they attacked Kashmir.

Students were encouraged to ask questions. The curious minds raised hands, eager to clarify doubts, and to know Mr. Goradias opinion on the matter. Sir elucidated upon the Indus River Treaty, Article 35A, the intentions of Pakistan regarding solving its issue with India, the Bangladesh issue and the elected prime ministers and the army Generals who toppled the democratically elected governments in Pakistan.

Mr. Goradia s informative talk was accompanied by a well-designed power point presentation which included pictures of kings, leaders and other notable personalities associated with Kashmir.

Next, the discussion focussed on a range of associative topics from the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971, Bangladesh Liberation war of 1971, the Kargil war of 1999, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the establishment of the LOC. Mr. Goradias eloquent narrative of the historical goings-on captivated the young audience with its lucidity and erudition. He vividly described the events taking place across the country. He also shed light on the infamous friendship between Sheikh Abdullah and Jawaharlal Nehru. Any talk on the Kashmir issue is incomplete without an understanding of Article 370. The controversial Article ( which accords a special status to Kashmir) was supposed to be a short term provision in the Constitution but continues till date. Mr. Goradia suggested that Sunnis should come forward to help the Indian government and appeal to the Kashmiris to make up their mind to do what is right and in their best interests, instead of being instigated by Pakistan.

The engaging talk highlighted the strategic and geographical importance of the state of Jammu & Kashmir for India- it helps us keep an eye on China (Ladakh) and Pakistan; the five rivers of our country either flow from or originate near Srinagar.

Mr. Goradia shared nuggets of information acquired during his trip to Kashmir. He had the opportunity to meet and engage in conversations with Kashmiri locals who said that presently the citizens of Kashmir wanted autonomy.

Sir told us how on a college trip, he had once stayed in a houseboat for a paltry sum of Rs. 4! He humorously challenged the students to find and stay in a houseboat for Rs. 4!

All the students thoroughly enjoyed the session and hope to have many more of these interactions with Mr. Goradia in the future.

Aadrita Goswamy, IX-D and Vedika Gupta, IX-D