ISLAMABAD, Feb 01 (APP): The India Study Centre (ISC) of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) on Thursday organized a seminar and exhibition on the theme of “Reflections of Resilience: Showcasing Kashmiri Identity Through Art.”
The primary purpose of the event, held in connection with the Kashmir Solidarity Day to be marked on February 5, was to go beyond the political and diplomatic lenses and to view the Kashmiri resistance from the art, literary and cultural prisms, an ISSI news release said.
The seminar brought together Kashmir movement’s political figures, academics, artists, and think-tank experts to share their insights on the distinct Kashmiri identity and the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination.
The chief guest on the occasion was SAPM on Human Rights & Women Empowerment Mushaal Hussein Mullick.
Besides ISSI Director General Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, the speakers included: Dr. Memoona Khan, HoD Fine Arts Department, FJWU, Rawalpindi; Sardar Waheed Khan, Commissioner, Muzaffarabad, Azad Jammu & Kashmir; and Altaf Hussain Wani, Chairman, Kashmir Institute of International Relations (KIIR).
A young Kashmiri artist, Zohaib Zaman, presented musical rendition of a patriotic Kashmiri song.
Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, in his remarks, expressed gratitude to the speakers, attendees, and the students who took part in the accompanying art competition.
He emphasized that art transcended the traditional boundaries of resistance and showcased the political struggle of Kashmiris under Indian illegal occupation and relentless oppression.
The art exhibition, organized today, underscored the power of artistic expression and encapsulates the essence of the Kashmiri struggle, he said.
Ambassador Sohail further said that the accompanying exhibition “focuses on the exquisite artistic prowess and the celebration of Kashmiri culture and literature. This also serves as a reminder that Kashmir is not a just regional hotspot, but also a matter of profound concern for the international community. A peaceful resolution of the dispute, upholding the right of self-determination of the Kashmiri people, remains imperative.”
He underlined that art was the voice of the unheard and each stroke of the brush or each word flowing from the pen was a reminder of the conflict-stricken land and the trauma, resilience and collective struggle of the Kashmiri people.
In this context, he recalled the poetry of Agha Shahid Ali, the cartoons of Mir Suhail, the artworks of Malik Sajad, and the novels of Basharat Peer and Mirza Waheed.
The ISSI DG advised not to assume art as just brushstrokes, but rather as an expression of emotions and lived experience of a people enduring unabated repression but still fighting for their rights.
He termed artists torchbearers of the stories of Kashmir that must touch global consciousness.
Later, the participants saw the exhibition and display of paintings, illustrations, artworks, and handicrafts, which was inaugurated by the chief guest SAPM Mushaal Hussein Mullick, flanked by other speakers and distinguished guests.
A short documentary on Kashmiri resistance towards illegal Indian occupation was also shown earlier.
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