Renowned Indian intellectual, columnist Dr Ved Pratap Vaidik passes away at 78
World
He was an expert in international affairs
LAHORE (Dunya News) - Renowned Indian intellectual and columnist, Dr Ved Pratap Vaidik, passed away at the age of 78.
He was an expert in international affairs and authored thirteen books on various topics. Dr Vaidik had also been a regular columnist for Dunya newspaper for ten years where he covered a wide range of issues.
Dr Vaidik was born in Indore on December 30th, 1944, and earned his PhD in International Public Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University in 1971.
He was well known for his keen interest in the Russo-Afghan war, Afghan foreign policy, and the Afghan-US war. He was also an advocate for the rights of oppressed Kashmiris and wrote extensively on the subject.
In 2013, Dr. Vaidik joined the Dunya Media Group as a columnist. His first column, "Pak-Afghan Talks Entangled in Taliban's Gauntlet," was published on February 14th of that year, and his last column, "Foreign Policy: Bharat Baghlen Jhank Raha Hai," was published just a day before his passing.
During his time with the Dunya Media Group, Dr Vaidik covered a range of economic issues in South Asia, including extremism in India, India's relations with its neighbors, and India-Pakistan tensions and their resolution. He was also the author of several books, including "Soviet American rivalry in Afghanistan," "Indian foreign policy new pointers," "Afghan, yesterday, today and tomorrow," and "Mushaqqati Bharat".
Despite his accomplishments, Dr Vaidik came under severe criticism in India for meeting with Hafiz Saeed Ahmed in Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks. He also met several politicians in Pakistan, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former army chief General Pervez Musharraf. Dr Vaidik's passing has been mourned by many, and his contributions to journalism and international affairs would be remembered for years to come.
