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The Telegraph India
Aug 14 2018
Centuries old Armenian Church throws light on Assam connect Dhubri veterans recollect presence of structures made by diaspora during stay
GAURAV DAS Aug 14, 2018 00:00 IST
14regChurch_4C.jpg The church in Dhubri district. Picture by Gaurav Das

Guwahati: The rediscovery of what is believed to be an 'Armenian church' in Dhubri has reignited curiosity among heritage connoisseurs and local administration to find its roots and the extent of Armenian influence in lower Assam.

With its obscure past and unique architecture, the church has been a topic of mystery among elderly locals of Dhubri town, and how with its stature as a well-connected port Dhubri had drawn people of different origins from distant places, including Armenians.

The church's architecture is unique; a mix of Armenian style amalgamated with Assam-type house architecture. Compared to other British era structures it stands apart. It has three arch-shaped glass windows along with a central triangular shaped dome.

The Armenians arrived in India before the British. They had a considerable presence in Kerala and Bengal. In Calcutta, the Armenians contributed to the city's commerce as a thriving business community and helped build some of the most prominent landmarks.

Heritage Conservation Society of Assam (HeCSA), a registered society working towards the conservation and preservation of Assam's pre- colonial structures, recently shared a photo of the Armenian Church, sparking interest among heritage connoisseurs.

"The structure throws light on an intriguing chapter in Assam's history. Till now, it was only known that Armenians had a significant presence in Bengal during pre-colonial time. Assam's heritage is something we should study and help establish with fact-finding missions. It is important to know what influence they had in Dhubri district. The cold trail of their supposed presence should be reignited by research," said Jayanta Sharma, secretary of HeCSA.

Armenia, a former landlocked Soviet republic, became the world's first Christian country more than 1,700 years ago, in 301 AD, and has a large diaspora across the world.

The key to the mystery surrounding the church and the presence of Armenians in Dhubri lies with the surviving older generation which has witnessed some of the remnants of what the Armenians left behind.

Among them is octogenarian S.K. Bose, a writer and connoisseur of the region's socio-economic and cultural aspects. Bose was born in Dhubri and had witnessed some of the elaborate Armenian structures, including a graveyard. "There was a graveyard about 50 meters from the church. I vividly remember around 12 to 15 Armenian graves. Among them were two of children. This signifies that the Armenians had a significant presence. They were traders who could have arrived in Dhubri during the 18th century or early 19th century. But the graveyard is no longer there. Modern construction prevailed over it. Only old records could show the exact date," said Bose, who is into numismatics.

"The church has stained glass called sun-catcher, with a central triangular shaped dome at the top. This aspect cannot be found in other British structures. There is a greater need for preservation. But the local administration has shown interest. Last week there was a meeting in Dhubri on how to conserve this Armenian Church. But the onus was placed on establishing its legacy and finding evidence," said a source.

The British transformed the Armenian Church into a club which post-Independence came to be known as the Ladies' Club.

https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/north-east/centuries-old-armenian-church-throws-light-on-assam-connect-252067

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The Indian Express, India
Dec 20 2018
Ladies’ Club or century-old Armenian church? A mystery building in Assam’s Dhubri Assam’s conservationists believe that there might be a century-old Armenian Church in Dhubri but caught as it is in a bureaucratic quagmire, investigations have not made any headway.
Written by Tora Agarwala | Guwahati | Updated: December 21, 2018 12:45:02 am
armenian-church_759_feature.jpgThis Assam-type house in Dhubri, which now functions as a Ladies’ Club, is believed to be a hundred-year-old Armenian church.

Even today, among the older residents of Dhubri, a town in Western Assam, the debate about a dilapidated cottage on PM Dutta Bahadur road continues. For some, it is not more than what it appears to be: an old Assam-type house that has fallen into disrepair. Yet others believe it has a more intriguing provenance — that almost a century ago the structure was an Armenian church.

The second opinion has generated fair amount of curiosity among heritage enthusiasts over the past few months. There were a series of media reports, even picked up by the international press, which culminated in the Armenian Ambassador to India, Armen Martirosyan, inviting the Heritage Conservation Society, Assam (HeCSA) to New Delhi to discuss the matter last month.

“Kot Armenia, kot Axom?” says Jayanta Sarma, Secretary, HeCSA, alluding to vast differences in the geographies of the two locations. “If one can come up with documentary evidence of the church, it will establish a new chapter in the region’s history.”

But it is this “documentary evidence” that has remained elusive, despite many efforts to find it. So far, evidence has been secondary, and at best based on hearsay. Kolkata-based SK Bose was born in Dhubri in 1937, and lived in a home located just a few minutes away from the building.

“Growing up, we would hear that it was an Armenian Church. It is very difficult to remember who told me but that was the general story passed around,” says Bose, who specialises in numismatics (the study of coins). Last week, when Bose — now in his eighties —was in town for a lecture, he “peeped into the old house”, which now functions as a Ladies’ Club. The colonial-era club was started by the British in 1935, and the tradition has been carried forward by a group of Dhubri women.
Armenian-Church-759_2.jpgThe cottage is in a dilapidated condition with a few windowpanes missing.

Bhoben Barua, a writer based in Diphu who has researched Armenians in India, says that according to the 1901 Census Report at least five Armenians were listed as living in Dhubri.

“They came to the region, possibly for business, even before the British in the mid-1800s. While they traded in salt, tobacco and betel nut, the British soon began to monopolise the trade. My conjecture is that is when they must have moved to Dhubri to trade in morapaat (the dead or dried leaves used to make jute),” says Barua.

Under the British, Dhubri was first constituted as a municipal board in 1883. Later it emerged as important port town (especially for the jute trade) and served as an entry point to Assam. “It was the only place which had a direct steamer link to Kolkata back in the day,” says Barua.

He further goes on to add that Armenians were known to build churches, not in the capacity of missionaries, but for their own use. “For example, if there were even five-six people, that would be enough reason to build a church,” says Barua. The Armenian churches in Chennai, Kolkata Surat, Mumbai etc — all of which are backed by proper documentary evidence — confirm the same.
Armenian-Church_759-2.jpgThe Dhubri cottage has certain architectural features that bear similarities with those of the Armenian Holy Church of Nazareth in Kolkata.

The Dhubri cottage has certain architectural features that bear similarities with those of the Armenian Holy Church of Nazareth in Kolkata: the coloured arch-shaped glass windows and a central triangular-shaped dome. “Despite these similarities, one needs to corroborate evidence to prove that it was actually a church,” says Bose.

HeCsa’s Sarma is keen to use something called a Ground-penetrating Radar (GPR) sensor (a geophysical method that uses radar pulses to image the sub-surface) to get the corroborative evidence needed. “But we cannot start until the Dhubri district administration initiates the process,” he says. Sarma has met with the members of the Directorate of Archaeology in Guwahati, who he says, are also keen to carry out a joint survey.

“But we, too, can start only if we get an official request. It is not a protected site yet — until the district administration notifies us, we can’t go and survey it for its historical importance. These are the steps we must follow,” says Deepi Rekha Kouli, head of the Directorate of Archaeology.

On the other hand, the Deputy Commissioner of Dhubri, AL Gyani, says that the administration can take steps “only if they receive a request from any other government department.”

“Also, the house belongs to the Ladies’ Club. How can the district administration intervene in a property which belongs to someone else? Even the High Court has passed a judgment regarding the same,” he says.

Armenian-Church_759.jpgConservationists are now trying to find proper evidence to establish the cottage’s provenance.

For years, a legal battle ensued between the Ladies’ Club and state government regarding the land the structure stands on. In August 2018, the Guwahati High Court ruled that the land — an L-shaped government-owned khas fallow property — would be shared with the Dhubri District Museum, and that the Ladies’ Club that would continue to function out of the cottage.

https://indianexpress.com/article/north-east-india/assam/armenian-church-5502724/

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SURVIVORS OF TIME
Merchants on a mission

Anusha Parthasarathy

 

http://www.thehindu.com/multimedia/dynamic/01535/30mparmenian1_jpg_1535235g.jpg

Special Arrangement Armenian Church
In the 360th year of Armenian presence in the city Anusha Parthasarathy visits monuments and streets associated with this trading community

If you walk along Armenian Street today, it is vastly different from the time when the merchantmen of Madras occupied it. Street stalls are buzzing with business, bikes are parked right along the road and where they are not, cars squeeze in. A sea of people trundle down the narrow road, and yet no one turns to even take a look at an old arched entranceway, sharing its wall with a crowded fast-food joint. The Armenians, who established a thriving settlement in Madras in the 1600s, will celebrate the 360th year of their presence in the city in September this year.

The earliest existence of Armenians in India dates back to the late 8th Century. A man called Thomas Cana, arrived along the Malabar Coast in 780 AD. According to Portraits of Hope: Armenians in the Contemporary World by Huberta Von Voss, not much is known about his origin or mission but he was lauded as someone who worked for the rebirth of Christianity. The Armenian presence in Madras however, became rather eminent in the 1660s. Madras: The Land, The People and Their Governance by S. Muthiah points out that the earliest Armenian tombstone dates back to 1663 and is of Coja David Margar. This was found near Little Mount. Hurberta Von Voss’ book though, also says that the Armenians of Madras were the first to discover the sepulchre of St. Thomas upon the Mount and took the Portuguese there in the 16th Century. In fact, it is popular knowledge that the church atop the Mount served as a lighthouse to guide Portuguese and Armenian ships around that time.

Even if there is no record of when exactly Armenians settled here, it was clear that they monopolised trade between India and West Asia on the one hand and Manila, a Spanish bastion then, on the other (according to S. Muthiah’s Madras: The Land, The People and Their Governance). They traded mainly in silk, spices and gems. In fact, the last Armenian to live here was Michael Stephen, who left the city a few years ago. And now, only a church, a street named after the community and a few lesser-known relics carry their stories.

The most visible Armenian monument in Chennai is the much-written about Armenian church, which was first built in 1712 and later rebuilt after the French siege in 1772. The first church was built of timber in the present High Court area with permission from the East India Company. The Armenians were given 50 pounds to manage the expenses of the church. This encouraged more traders to settle in and around the area. Vestiges of Old Madras by H.D. Love points out that the earliest Armenian church, situated in Old Black Town, as shown in Thomas Pitt’s map, was probably built shortly after the Company entered into a covenant with the Armenian residents in India. The new church, however, was consecrated in Aga Shawmier’s chapel grounds in George Town. The street on which the church is situated continues to be called the Armenian Street, where the settlers once lived.

Perhaps the most famous Armenian in Madras was Coja Petrus Uscan, who is remembered for constructing or donating to the many remaining Armenian relics in the city. S. Muthiah’s book says that he was the heir of a family that had trade relations with the East for generations. But he settled in Madras only in 1723, on his return from Manila. A philanthropist, he contributed to several religious institutions in Madras.

Significant inscription

Santhome High Road isn’t a place where one can wind back time. Cars rush past at breakneck speed and there is no time to stop and stare, even if the object of concern is a three-century-old Armenian inscription that faces the road. Just at the edge of San Thome Matriculation Higher Secondary School is St. Rita’s church (now chapel), towards which Uscan donated liberally. It was built by Armenians and an inscription on its east wall, in Armenian characters, says In Memory of the Armenian Nation, 1729. H.D. Love’s book points out that the event commemorated was the opening of the grave of St. Thomas, which took place in April 1729, to which Uscan was a witness.

Another inscription in Portuguese in the same church shows that it was partially rebuilt in 1740. The church, now a part of the school, is not on the mainstream heritage map.

(To be continued…)

 

The Times of India
April 5 2019
300-year-old Armenian plaque restored
Kamini Mathai| TNN | Updated: Apr 6, 2019, 06:46 IST
68747904.jpgA mason works on the plaque in Saidapet
CHENNAI: As the mason plasters on the final touches to the concrete border around the 300-year-old Armenian plaquein Saidapet, social media in Armenia lights up with celebratory messages.

 

The plaque, which commemorates the building of the Marmalong bridge in 1726 — the oldest across the Adyar River — by Armenian merchant Coja Petrus Uscan, had disappeared from sight a few years ago owing in part to neglect and to construction work along the Saidapet Bridge. But now, the Armenian consulate in the city, in collaboration with the highways department, has managed to restore the plaque in its original spot.

“In February, a group of 20 Armenians had visited the city and they went to see the plaque,” says Shivkumar Eashwaran, honorary consul general of Armenia in Chennai. “They were upset that the plaque was virtually underground. There was an outcry in Armenia and in India,” he said.

 

Eashwaran was directed to the highways department, which helped dig out the plaque and restore it to its former glory. Most of the plaque was underground and had to be dug out using a crane.

 

“It was restored last week. We are building a granite structure around it to protect it,” said N Shanthi of the highways department.

“There was a celebration in India and Armenia when we shared pictures of the restoration. The Armenian press has covered it as a matter of pride,” says Eashwaran. The plaque will be officially unveiled after the elections in May.

The Marmalong Bridge was built at Rs 1 lakh and dedicated to the city. Uscan had decided to settle in Madras after coming to the city in 1724 and paid not only to build the bridge but also for its upkeep.

The Marmalong bridge was replaced by the Marimalai Adigal Bridge. The plaque has inscriptions in Persian, Armenian and Latin.

Three years ago, history enthusiasts in the city created a Facebook page “Retrieve the Uscan Stone” to draw attention to save the plaque.

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The Times of India
Feb 4 2023
Age-old Armenian church reopens in Chennai
KAMINI MATHAI / TNN

CHENNAI: Three years after its last service, the 251-year-old Armenian Church will reopen this Sunday at 10am. And Ashkhen Khachatryan, one of just five Armenians living in the city, cannot wait.
The church service, she says, is being held in remembrance of Reverend Harutyun Shamvonyan, considered the father of Armenian journalism, who died on February 9, 1824. Shamvonyan, the publisher and editor of the first printed Armenian journal ‘Azdarar’, published in Madras in 1794, was also the vicar of the church in Madras for four decades.
“The extended Armenian community in south India is excited. We are having Armenians coming in from Bengaluru as well. The church will be packed,” says Khachatryan, coordinator for the Indo-Armenian Friendship NGO for South India. The service is being conducted in Armenian by Reverend Father Dajad Tsaturyan, pastor of Armenians in India and manager of Armenian College and Philanthropic Academy, Kolkata.
“During the 17th and 18th centuries, we had a huge Armenian community in Madras but now it’s down to five. The last time we met at the church for a Christmas get-together. But there was no Christmas service, just a meet up,” says Khachatryan. “We were inviting the clergy from Kolkata every year since 2016. But we had to stop due to the pandemic. We are glad we can restart the tradition,” says Shivkumar Eashwaran, Consul General of Armenia.
The Armenian Church was built in 1772. Next door is a churchyard where almost 350 Armenians, including Shamvonyan, have been laid to rest. The church is famous for its belfry, where each bell weighs 150kg. The caretaker rings the bells every Sunday at 9.30am as well as when an Armenian visits the church. This Sunday, the bell will ring in a new beginning.
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The Federal, India

Feb 10 2023

The church where the rich merchants of Armenia sleep

MT Saju

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“This tablet is placed as a tribute of affection by JA Johannes Esquire of the firm of Johannes Brothers, merchants of Madras, over the mortal remains of Zechariah Johannes, his eldest and beloved son, who died on 26th September 1859, aged 17 years and four months,” reads a white marble tablet placed below the belfry of the 251-year-old St Mary Church on Armenian Street in Chennai, the one and only Armenian church in Tamil Nadu. Even though Chennai was a major centre of the Armenian traders in the 17th and 18th centuries, many left the place after India got independence due to various reasons. Today, only two Armenians live in the city. There are barely 200 Armenians living across India with Kolkata housing the highest number of Armenians at about 75.

The population of Armenians may be dwindling, but their history is flourishing. A church and a street in the name of Armenians in Chennai stand testimony to it. Madras is where many significant historic events of Armenia took place. Constructed in 1772 in Georgetown in Madras, the St Mary Church stands testimony to many historic events. The first Armenian journal ever printed in any part of the world was published in Madras in 1794. As you enter the church, you see a decorated burial of Haruthiun Shmavonian (1750-1824), an Armenian priest and editor and publisher of the first Armenian journal called Azdarar (Intelligencer).

Considered the father of Armenian journalism, Shmavonian published Azdarar for 18 consecutive months until 1796. “I saw a copy of Azdarar at the central library of Armenia when I visited the country in 2007. We don’t know how he printed it and where in Madras he did it. We couldn't locate it anywhere in the city,” said Michael Stephen, who was caretaker of the church between 1992 and 2004.

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Jan 7 2024




Chinsurah’s Armenian Church: A Monument That Breathes Life Once a Year




Enshrined in the heart of Chinsurah, West Bengal, stands the Armenian Church, a monument that breathes life but once a year. It’s doors remain sealed throughout the calendar, opening only on January 6th, a date of profound religious significance for the Armenian community. This annual awakening of the church marks the celebration of Armenian Christmas, the Nativity of Christ, and His Baptism.



Keeping Traditions Alive

This solitary day of activity in the church is punctuated by the ‘Blessing of Water’ ceremony, a ritual commemorating Christ’s Baptism. Despite the absence of a local Armenian population in Chinsurah, the tradition lives on, kept alive by Armenian students from Kolkata. The church, while closed to outsiders, becomes a spectacle for the locals, who gather around its perimeters to observe the festivities from afar.






A Historical Monument

The Armenian Church of Chinsurah, a structure steeped in history, was founded in 1695 by Khojah Johannes Margar and completed by his brother Joseph in 1697. This makes it the second oldest Christian church in Bengal. The church was dedicated to St. John the Baptist and within its sacred grounds lies the grave of its founder.



Architectural Features

A notable architectural feature of the church is its steeple. Added in 1822 through the generous contributions of Mrs. Sophia Bagram, the steeple stands as a testament to her munificence. The church, despite having over a hundred graves within its premises bearing witness to the historical presence of Armenians, is bereft of a contemporary Armenian community in Chinsurah.


https://bnnbreaking.com/world/india/chinsurahs-armenian-church-a-monument-that-breathes-life-once-a-year/


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March 20 2024





Opinion | Echoes of Resilience: The Hindu and Armenian Journey




Hindus and Armenians share several striking similarities. Both communities have suffered territorial losses, witnessing the creation of new nations on lands once integral to their civilisations



In the words of British writer Annie Besant, “Hinduism is the soil into which India’s roots are stuck, and torn out of that, she will inevitably wither as a tree torn out from its place. And if Hindus do not maintain Hinduism, who shall save it? If India’s own children do not cling to her faith, who shall guard it? India alone can save India, and India and Hinduism are one.”


Hindus and Armenians share several striking similarities. Both cultures bear the weight of ancient civilisations, enduring centuries of history on their resilient shoulders. Each has confronted existential threats from expansionist empires harbouring genocidal intentions, yet has managed to persevere against the odds. Both boast revolutionary heroes, such as the Chapekar brothers and Soghomon Tehlirian, who bravely sought retribution against the oppressors of their people.


Moreover, both communities have suffered territorial losses, witnessing the creation of new nations on lands once integral to their civilisations. They have also experienced the unsettling reality of historical enemies aligning against them. In addition, both Hindus and Armenians have found themselves confronting Western indifference and ignorance, bordering on Hinduphobia and Armeniophobia, respectively, in the contemporary world.


Those who harbour animosity towards our existence exhibit striking parallels amongst themselves. Their intolerance is palpable, mirroring a worldview wherein the dominance of their community is deemed inevitable. They display a resolute unresponsiveness to peace proposals, often resorting to warmongering tactics. Furthermore, they demonstrate a preposterous tendency to distort history, selectively discarding facts that do not align with their narratives.



THE STRENGTH OF ACCEPTANCE: HINDUISM’S LEGACY OF TOLERANCE

In ancient times, long before Christianity had made its way to Europe, the apostles of Jesus Christ journeyed to distant lands, including Armenia and India, to preach the gospel. Among them, Bartholomew and Thaddeus introduced Christianity to Armenia, while Thomas the Apostle brought the teachings of Christ to India. Notably, within the global spiritual movement of Ananda, founded on the principles of Swami Paramhansa Yogananda, a revered Hindu Yogi, Jesus Christ holds a central place of honour. His portrait adorns the Altar of Ananda, and devotees pay daily homage through prayers. In his renowned work, ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’, Swami Yogananda writes in Chapter 33 about the Mahavatar, a prominent Hindu Yogi also known as Babaji, affirming, “The Mahavatar is in constant communion with Christ.” According to Ananda, Christ appeared to the revered yoga master, Babaji, entreating him to dispatch a messenger to the Western world to disseminate the teachings of original Christianity.


By nature, Hindus have long exhibited a remarkable tolerance, if not outright acceptance, of diversity, owing to the inherent variety within their own faith. This inclusivity has made it relatively easy for them to embrace Armenians within their communities. Over time, Armenian settlements flourished in various Indian cities such as Agra, Gwalior, Delhi, Narwar, Surat, Calcutta, Bombay, Madras, and beyond.


However, the Turkic rulers of India, like Jehangir, did not share the same tolerant outlook as the Hindu populace they governed. According to Mesrovb Jacob Seth’s account in his book ‘History of Armenians in India’, there is documentation of Jehangir’s endeavour to coerce two Armenian Christian children into converting to Islam. Despite facing pressure, the two brothers, Zul-Qarnain and Iskanderus, remained steadfast in their resistance to conversion. Even after being forcibly circumcised in 1606 on Jehangir’s orders, at ages fourteen and eleven, respectively, they adamantly refused all attempts to sway them from their Christian faith.


Across the annals of history, Hindus and Armenians have faced orchestrated hate campaigns by their adversaries. The dilapidated Armenian churches in Eastern Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as the ruined Hindu temples in Pakistan, serve as stark reminders of the animosity directed towards us, now entrenched within their foreign policy agendas. Turkish, Azerbaijani, and Pakistani pseudo-intellectuals have perpetuated historical negationism, fabricating narratives devoid of credible evidence, to sever the ties between Armenians and Hindus with their ancestral lands.


The rebranding of well-documented Armenian churches as Caucasian Albanians and the appropriation of Udi Christian heritage in Azerbaijan are alarming developments. According to a report by the Cornell-led Caucasus Heritage Watch (CHW), decades of high-resolution satellite imagery document the systematic destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan since the late 1990s. Likewise, a report commissioned by Dr Shoaib Suddle and presented to Pakistan’s Supreme Court underscores the deplorable condition of temples and Hindu places of worship in Pakistan, as detailed in a Dawn report.












SHEDDING LIGHT ON DARK PASTS: HINDU AND ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

Despite the staggering loss of at least 664,000 and potentially up to 1.2 million Armenians during the genocide orchestrated by the Ottoman Turks, Turkish intellectuals faced vehement criticism when they issued an online apology for the Armenian Genocide in 2008. Their act was met with fierce opposition from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as reported by The Guardian newspaper.


In India, the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus took place and has been recognised by the US-based non-profit International Commission for Human Rights and Religious Freedom (ICHRRF). It has recognised the 1989-1991 atrocities against Kashmiri Hindus as an act of genocide. As per the United Nations Refugee Agency, approximately 300,000 Kashmiri Pandits (Hindus) are reported to have left the region due to constant persecution from the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and other militant groups, like Hizbul Mujahideen (HM). Hizbul Mujahideen is designated as a terrorist organisation by multiple countries, including India, the United States, and the European Union.



REGIONAL ALLIANCES AND ANTI-INDIA SENTIMENTS: TURKEY, AZERBAIJAN AND PAKISTAN’S UNIFIED STAND

Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan have demonstrated a unified stance against Armenia while concurrently displaying anti-India sentiments on the global stage. Erdogan, who refuses to recognise the Armenian Genocide and aligns with the genocidal ambitions of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, underscored in the Pakistani parliament, as per reports from the Turkish news outlet Daily Sabah, that “Today, the issue of Kashmir is as pertinent to us as it is to you (Pakistanis)” and “there is no disparity between Gallipoli and Kashmir.” Erdogan has openly endorsed and actively supported Pakistan, which, reciprocally, lends support to Islamist terrorist factions in Kashmir. These groups perpetrate violence not only against Hindus but also Muslims, epitomising the intolerant worldview espoused by Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan.


According to a report from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, Pakistani education curricula propagate animosity towards Hindus, with a focus on historic revisionism aimed at exalting Islamic civilisation and disparaging the contributions of religious minority communities. Similarly, Azerbaijan, like its ally Pakistan, fosters hostility towards its adversary, Armenia. As reported by Faustin Vincent in Le Monde, Azerbaijan recently reissued maps of Nagorno-Karabakh with streets named after Enver *****, a Turkish leader associated with the 1915 Armenian Genocide. Despite Baku’s assertions to the international community about respecting the rights of Armenians in the region, his actions speak otherwise. Azerbaijan has consistently sought to undermine Armenian heritage and exacerbate tensions through inflammatory rhetoric targeting Armenians.



NAVIGATING THE DIPLOMATIC LANDSCAPE

In the complex arena of international relations, mastering the art of diplomacy is paramount for fostering successful diplomatic relations. Effective diplomatic engagement requires a delicate balance of strategy, communication, and negotiation. The art of international engagement requires finesse, foresight, and diplomacy. By adhering to these strategies, nations can cultivate robust diplomatic relations that contribute to global peace, stability, and prosperity.


It is now imperative for both Hindus and Armenians to awaken the West from its state of indifference and compel it to acknowledge the genocides perpetrated against their respective communities. The governments of India and Armenia must take the lead in this endeavour by formally recognising the genocides committed against Armenians and Hindus, respectively. Subsequently, they should engage in diplomatic efforts to encourage other nations to follow suit.


Furthermore, there is a pressing need for India, Armenia, and Greece to explore the possibility of forming a security alliance to address the escalating threats in their respective regions. These nations possess significant geostrategic advantages – India holds a prominent position in the Indo-Pacific region; Armenia is strategically located in the South Caucasus, serving as a potential gateway to Europe via Georgia; and Greece occupies a key position in the Eastern Mediterranean. By collaborating closely, these countries can effectively counteract the destabilising actions of Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan.


While advocating for peace in our regions and globally, we remain steadfast in safeguarding our national interests. Strengthening the bond between Hindus and Armenians is essential for promoting peace and stability in our regions and beyond. Hence, the importance of mastering the art of diplomacy in navigating the complexities of the global stage and fostering successful diplomatic relations is the need of the hour.


Arunansh B. Goswami is Advocate, Supreme Court of India; Sumit Kaushik, is PhD candidate, OP Jindal Global University. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.


https://www.news18.com/opinion/opinion-echoes-of-resilience-the-hindu-and-armenian-journey-8822137.html


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