About

Pandit Jonaraja: Father of
Genocide Studies

Pandit Jonaraja, the author or second Rajtarangini that comes after the Rajtarangini of Kalhan, was a Kashmiri Shaivite Bhatta Brahmin. His real name was Jyotsanakar, meaning the creator of moonlight. This poetic name was true to his being. He was an exceptional and sensitive poet, well versed in history, astrology, Ayurveda, Yoga and subtler aspects of all these disciplines. He was a renowned Sanskrit scholar. His year of birth as per the records available is estimated as 1389-90.

Like Kalhan he has written the history of Kashmir in poetry. But that is not all about him. He has recorded the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits in detail and delineated its aspects like the present day genocide scholars.

Jati Vidhwams—that is the word he uses for genocide. It is the nearest word to ‘genocide’, the word coined by Raphael Lemkin. He has even pointed out the special intent that motivates the perpetrator and given a very sensitive and vivid account of how an ideology radicalises a regime and effects a total change in its mode of operation that leads to genocide. He has made it clear that the mind of a perpetrator is at a very low level of maturity. That is the view held by present day genocide scholars also. He has defined genocide and his definition is almost equal to the definition given by Raphael Lemkin. His account of the first exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, if taken out of context is no different from the account of what the community faced in 1990.

Roots of the field of genocide studies are found in Pandit Jonaraj. He in every sense is “Father of Genocide Studies.”

The Team Behind

Tito Ganju

CHAIRMAN

An individual who has always tried to uphold the righteous conduct and rule of law as the guiding principle of life. Creativity and time management have been the assets in managing self and human resource. Conscious of social responsibilities and contribution towards implementation of human rights for building these right as the rudiments of robust society.

Has been imparting training to the legal scholars and law scholars since 2002 on the subjects, constitution law, International law, criminal law. and Juris prudence. Mr. Ganju is the editor of Epilogue Magazine and Epilogue News Network ( Analytical and Investigating Monthly Magazine on SAARC region which addresses important issues ranging from economy, politics, law and culture to security and strategy affairs in the region

Dr. Dileep Kumar Kaul

DIRECTOR

Working in the field of critical genocide studies, Dr. Dileep Kumar Kaul has seen the origin of genocide studies in the analytical tradition of Kashmir. His research is aimed at underlining the local colour of genocide of Kashmiri Pandits and how it has altered the meaning of Kashmir as a place.

Director

Sunanda Vashisth

Chief Academic Council

Sunanda Vashisht is a writer, political commentator and a columnist. She writes for several news portals and has been a columnist for Daily News and Analysis (DNA), India based newspaper published from Mumbai, India. Her bylines have appeared in Houston Chronicle, Denver Post, Indian Express, Economic Times, Swarajya, MyIndMakers and many others. Her area of focus has been conflict ridden state of Jammu and Kashmir and she has written extensively covering all aspects of conflict that is considered the most volatile region of South Asia. In 2015, she co-founded MyIndMakers- a new age media company that enables the exchange of global ideas and solutions. Sunanda Vashisht travels extensively around the world speaking about Kashmiri pandits and their plight. Sunanda has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from St. Stephen’s College in New Delhi, India.

Ramesh Razdan

Head (Public Relations)

Ramesh Razdan is an alumni of the esteemed Regional Engineering College Srinagar. Throughout his academic journey, He displayed a remarkable aptitude for learning and consistently achieved outstanding results. After completing his degree, Ge embarked on a professional path that led him to work with several prominent national companies. However, it was his passion for marketing and brand creation that ultimately drove him to become an entrepreneur. He discovered a unique talent for understanding consumer needs and crafting captivating brand experiences.
Beyond his professional pursuits, He strongly believes in the importance of giving back and has undertaken extensive philanthropic endeavors to support those in need. He brings a unique perspective to everything that he does. He is driven by a strong sense of purpose and a desire to leave a lasting, positive impact on society. Through his continuous efforts, He strives to create meaningful change and inspire others to join him on this journey.

Arti Agarwal

V.P. (Academic Council)

Agarwal is an alum of IIT Roorkee and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is the author of the book Cownomics. She is a researcher, historian and a public speaker. She is the Director of Ishittva Dharma Sansthapan Foundation and the founder of the Hindu Genocide project, where she and her team of researchers document crimes against Hindu communities around the world. She is a pioneer in the field of data collection, data analytics and academic documentation of genocides against Hindu communities. She is currently writing a book on the true history of Aurangzeb that busts all false claims on one of the most tyrannical rulers in the Indian Subcontinent.

Dr.Archana Koul

Member of Academic Council

Dr. Archana Koul is a strong research professional with a Doctor of Philosophy(Ph.D.) focused in Molecular Biology in Plants. She is working as a Research Scientist II in a Pharma company in North America. She has experience in molecular cloning for genetic expression, gene manipulation and recombinant DNA and protein technology, as well as experience in microRNAs. She has several years of Post Doctoral experience at various universities globally. She has been a gold medalist throughout her academic journey and is also recipient of several prestigious awards and fellowships. She has numerous research papers in international journals. During recent pandemic times, she worked on various aspects of Covid-19 virus.

Dr. Neha Kachroo Tiku

Member of Academic Council

Dr. Neha Kachroo Tiku is a Ph.D from University of Baroda and Master’s from SNDT University, Mumbai. She has done extensive research on ‘Impact Of Displacement On Kashmiris Living In Government Camps At Jammu”. As a part of her Ph.D and Master’s, she has published her thesis on the subject and got published in International Papers.

She has continued her on-ground work as an social worker in not-for-profit organizations like Sneha, HeMath, Panun Kashmir, etc and over the years, has proposed simple, measurable actions that will positively impact the lives of Kashmiris and broadly the humanity

Neha’s expertises lies in marrying the research world to actual on-ground social work with under-privileged, forcibly displaced and under-threat communities. This gives her a unique perspective on Genocide and community upliftment.