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| Peace talks at JU via oil & gas | | Experts from Pakistan, Oman, Europe in town | | Early Times Reporter
Jammu | Feb 20
The peaceniks in India are looking at the development following return of democracy in Pakistan for pushing forward the Jammu and Kashmir peace process but far from the political buzz, the peace talk is heating up via oil and has in the city of temples –courtesy the University of Jammu.
It may sound little out of place as what could be the talking point at a University campus which can push forward the peace process. Obviously the sharp brains from across the world invited by the University of Jammu are not the direct ambassadors of peace but what they are talking here may eventually subdue the political animosities under the compelling temptations of economy.
Jammu and Kashmir is poor at surface but if dug little deeper, say the experts, the land can spring billion surprises. Underneath the barren surface is the huge reserve of oil and gas. Probably the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jammu understand that economy can be a force driving home heaps of peace, which is why oil and gas is talked about at the campus.
Though from roundtable conferences and working groups to the several rounds of parleys between India and Pakistan over past six decades could not bring any futuristic results but one thing has always been concluded that a mutual cooperation between both countries for mutual benefit can made them to shed the baggage of history. No wonder, if the most beneficial element of cooperation is 'unearthed' in Jammu and Kashmir, the bone of contention can turn into the bridge of collaboration.
That is what a two-day conference, on oil and gas organized by JU's department of Geology and University College of London's department of Earth Science, which kicked off today is exploring. For the peacemakers looking at the opportunities of cooperation between both countries this come as a surprise that the representatives of at least four leading oil and gas companies of Pakistan are here in the town for this purpose. They are part of a big contingent of experts from across the world gathered at the Jammu University to explore the oil and gas possibilities in Jammu and Kashmir.
Search of oil and gas deposits in Jammu Kashmir and Pakistan is likely to give boost to the economy of this region. "If we succeed in finding the deposits in this region, it will completely transform our state and will lead us to prosperity like the Middle East," says Prof Amitabh Mattoo, the Vice Chancellor.
The vice-chancellor said, "There are other sources as well like wind energy and solar energy, which could be utilised so that non-renewable sources like oil and gas could be conserved for future generations." He said, "Time has come when all of us should start working cohesively to save our planet earth for next generations."
This is the second major initiative of Jammu University on oil and gas exploration. Ealier, on March 23 last year the JU had organized a workshop on the subject which also saw international participation.
Jonathan Craig, geology head of oil firm Eni Milan, Italy, had said then that Jammu and Kashmir may well turn into a well of "white gold if proper research is done in quest of extracting oil and natural gas potential of the state".
"The rocks here are similar in character to those of the hydrocarbon-yielding infra-Cambrian sequence in oil-rich Oman, North Africa and natural gas-rich Pakistan", he had said,
Infra-Cambrian rocks were until recently considered devoid of petroleum but after the giant oil and gas fields of the world were discovered from these rocks in Siberia, Africa and other continents, the opinion has changed.
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