The legitimacy of Jammu and Kashmir as a part of India is established in law and history, constitutional practice, and not merely a political accident. That is to say, Jammu and Kashmir has a legitimate legal basis, as a result of the Instrument of Accession, the Indian Independence Act of 1947, and the subsequent constitutional integration into the Republic of India. Illustration by The Geostrata THE LEGAL BASIS: THE INSTRUMENT OF ACCESSION On October 26, 1947 , Maharaja Ha

Imagine a time when the Romans believed in “ Roma Aeterna”, an empire eternal, invincible and destined to last forever. Today, what remains of that grandeur is a viral TikTok trend. The British Empire, once so vast that the sun never set, is now reduced to nostalgic relics like the royal family, gilded castles, and colonial territorial disputes. Illustration by The Geostrata This is history’s brutal lesson: Power is Transient. According to Modelski and Thompson’s Long Cycle T

The evocative music of a handloom is not merely the sound of weaving, it is a sound of civilisation. The delicate slide of natural cotton, the earthly scent of natural indigo dye, and the careful folding of a silk saree reserved across generations are more than fleeting moments. Illustration by The Geostrata They are fragments of a narrative that has been going on for the past 5,000 years: each of India, each of its unmeasured fabric, crafted by hand and entwined with soul. T

Folk music is a kind of traditional, often rural music that represents the cultural heartbeat of India. Anchored in oral traditions expressing the everyday struggles of human beings, folk music differs from other forms of music, like classical music, by being more rooted to the cultural realities of the rural population and the marginalised sections of society.  Illustration by The Geostrata In India, folk music is a tool of cultural identifiers of a diverse region. From the

The United States continues to maintain an extensive military presence in West Asia, which represents one of the most enduring features of post-Cold War geopolitics. Many analysts describe the American military presence in West Asia as a stabilizing influence. However, its actual effects have proven more complex than traditional narratives suggest. Illustration by The Geostrata US leaders from both Republican and Democratic administrations have used military capabilities to p

“Nonviolence is the greatest and the most active force in the world.”  Nonviolence, for Gandhi, is a principle which guided India’s struggle for freedom and framed a universal ethos for ahimsa. Mahatma Gandhi’s vision extended far beyond national freedom, his ideas included nonviolence and Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, standing for the interconnectedness of all individuals and underscoring the value of One Earth One Family , placing him well within contemporary cosmopolitan thoughts

The land of unfulfilled promises and contested identities-Balochistan- stands as one of South Asia’s most complex and misunderstood...

Nepal is a country with a journey of turbulence and transitions.  Nepal’s history of political journey is carved with monarchs, which...

For centuries, the essence of gender roles has persisted deep into the roots of our society, shedding light on the division between males...

History, too, plays by the rule of the universe: everything is connected. India gained its independence on 15th August 1947, but the seed...

The history of the Indian freedom movement is incomplete without mentioning the contribution of women . Hundreds of women demonstrated...

The Two-Nation Theory, which posits that Muslims and Hindus constitute two distinct nations, was more than a religious or political...

“Pakistan today has defied its own name, as there is nothing Islamic about it, no Republic in it and people do not live to see another...

The region, defined with a spiritless title of ‘Hindi Belt’, has always held a vibrant significance in the nation-building process of...

‘If China wants Tibet to stay with China, then China must create the necessary conditions for this. The time has come now for the Chinese...

Blink and you might miss the centuries of South Asian textile artistry and symbolism, with a flick of an Instagram trend. Our everyday...

India is a plural society and a culture imbued with considerable doses of syncretism. Pluralism as a moral value seeks to ‘transpose...

The year 2024 saw the government notify June 25 as Samvidhaan Hatya Divas . The decision for many did not come as a surprise, as the day...

Recently , addressing the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in Islamabad, the 11th Chief of Army Staff, Gen Syed Asim Munir Ahmad Shah,...

Layered in the depths of Indian history is the heritage of hand-spun fabrics. With a legacy that stretches over a thousand years, the...