The theme of the lecture was “Challenges to Kashmiri Society: Social, Political and Environmental.” CUK Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir, Dean School of Education, Prof. N A Nadeem and Dean School of Social Sciences, Prof. G M Bhat were also present on the occasion.

Justice (Retd) Kirmani spoke extensively about various challenges that the Kashmiri society is confronted with. He began by referring to the global environmental challenges born out of human greed and related it to the issues and concerns in Jammu and Kashmir. He spoke about the institutional erosion and fragmentation of the social fabric that Kashmiri society has underwent during recent decades.

He spoke of the need for having a balance in various aspects of life in order to develop social cohesion around the values of compassion, concern and reinforcing social relationships. In this context, Justice (Retd) Kirmani extensively derived from the spiritual traditions and emphasized the need for a life with clear direction and purpose.

Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Prof. Mehraj ud Din Mir appreciated the implicit social message in the lecture and empathized with the young generation which as a result of the social erosion is pushed to alienation in the society. Appreciating the initiative, he asked the department to hold more such lectures in future.

Prof G. M. Bhat in his address endorsed the social message in the lecture and highlighted some of the issues related with the theme.

Department of Politics and Governance, Coordinator, Prof N.A. Baba presented the vote of thanks and appreciated Justice (Retd) Kirmani’s emphasis on the need for maintaining a balance in various aspects of social life particularly in the context of Kashmir society.