Gilgit-Baltistan and its Saga of Unending Human Rights Violations, by Alok Bansal

In general, the contemporary and historical narrative of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is mostly woven through the prism of Kashmir issue, disregarding comprehensive information about strategically important regions like Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). In the study of India–Pakistan relations, most scholars and analysts tend to overlook GB, which explains the sparse literature on and information about the region. Through this book, Alok Bansal, makes an honest attempt to enlighten the readers about the geographical, demographical, cultural and strategic importance of the region, asserting that ‘it as an important part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir’. According to him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on the eve of Independence Day in 2016 that mentioned the human rights violations in GB was the first time India overtly mentioned the region as part of India. This, the writer believes, opened the eyes of the Indians and increased their curiosity to know more about this isolated region under the control of Pakistan.