About the Book

India and Turkmenistan, regions of the fabled Silk Road form an extended neighborhoodbound by common cultural, linguistic and historical destinies. 

In the century of a rising Asia, both India and Turkmenistanhold strategic geo-political significance. While India is a regional power with an increasing global influence, Turkmenistan is a key connector to Central Asia. The recently inaugurated Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran rail links, Shanghai CooperationOrganisation, Connect Central Asia Policy, Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline and many other projects represent ambitions of regional cohesion for economic prosperity and stability.

In a unique region of incredible diversity, there is plenty that holds India and Turkmenistan together; including the foundations that define their outlook to the world. While Turkmenistan completes twenty-one years of adoption of its policy of Positive Neutrality and Peace, India has historically been a key proponent of the Non-Aligned Movement and expresses its intent to pursue a doctrine of peace essential to its vision of 'vasudhaiva kutumbakam' i.e. the world as one family. 

There remains a large scope for cultural study, as well as people to people contact to strengthen mutual understanding between the two countries. This book is an effort to collect thoughts of experts on the India-Turkmenistan relations. 

About Author

Prof. Manu Mittal, a philologist, has been teaching at the Centre for Russian Studies, School of Language, Literature & Cultural Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, for the last thirty three years.Her current areas of work and research include India-Central Asia links and interactions, and the Indian connection to the fabled Silk Route.  She has travelled widely in India, Central Asia, Russia, the East, Europe and USA looking for commonalities and links. The Indian Council for Cultural Relations has invited her to travel and deliver a series of lectures in the Central Asian States on Indian-Central Asian links and other themes. She has authored many books and contributed many papers in different seminars in India and abroad.

Mona Agnihotri, a research scholar at Centre of Russian Studies, School of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, teaches Russian. She is a researcher in the field of cultural and linguistic connections between India, Russia and countries of Silk Road.  She has presented various papers in conferences on Silk Road, particularly on the countries of Central Asia. 

Contents

Foreword 

Preface 

Acknowledgements 

Introduction 

Politics, Neutrality and Peace

1.  Silk Road Region: Turkmenistan and India 

Manu Mittal

2.  Turkmenistan’s Neutrality Status and its Contribution to Peace and Development

Nirmala Joshi

3.  History of Neutrality and its Current Application

Amangeldi Rahmanov

4.  India and Turkmenistan: Way Ahead

Mohammed Afzal

5.  Neutrality and Peace: Turkmen-Indian Success in  Bilateral Relationship

A.A. Burynow

6.  Turkmenistan Celebrates 2015: The Year of Neutrality and  Peace

R.N. Anil

7.  Neutrality of Turkmenistan and Historical Origin of Turkmen‑Indian Relations

Rahmanberdi Godarov

Transport Corridor and Regional Cooperation

8.  Energy and Transit Routes: India and Turkmenistan

Sanjay Deshpande

9.  Revival of Silk Route: Turkmenistan’s Involvement in  Development of Transport Corridors and Regional Cooperation

Nivedita Das Kundu

Culture, History and Philosophy

10.  Cultural Heritage of Turkmenistan

Durdymyrat Kuleyev

11.  Sufism: The Mystic Path of Peace

Meeta Narain

12.  Message of Brotherhood and Fellow Feeling in Magtymguly’s Poetry

Akhtarul Wasey

13.  Revisiting the Principle of Neutrality and Peace through the Discourse of Magtymguly Pyragy

Naseem Ahmad Shah

14.  Rituals and Traditions of India and Turkmenistan:A Descriptive Study (Birth, Wedding and Death Ceremonies)

Mona Agnihotri

15.  Khamsas of Nizami Ganjavi and Amir Khusrau: A Comparative Study

Sharif Husain Qasemi

Region

16.  Afghanistan 2014: Challenges and Prospects

B.K. Sharma

Contributors

Index

Additional Info.