Festering Kashmir dispute

Recently Pakistanis and Festering Kashmir dispute remembered the sacrifices rendered by Kashmiris in their struggle to throw off the Indian yoke. The arbitrary and hard line attitude exhibited by the Modi government in respect of Kashmir has elicited no international condemnation. The current Pakistani political instability has aided to non-resolution of Kashmir dispute and has provided India the opportunity to tighten its grip over the valley. It is often ignored that even Indian Muslims along with many non-Muslims living in India sympathise with the plight of Kashmiri Muslims and that the international insensitivity is extremely harmful to the Kashmiri cause. There is hardly any doubt that in the context of current political configuration, Kashmir has been definitely pushed to the sidelines. Added to the smoke is the uncertainty in Afghanistan that has encouraged Modi regime to begin parleying with the besieged Kashmiri Muslim leadership that is under duress.
The scenic Valley is enduring an unprecedented military control having no sign of losing its grip on the hapless people subjugated under the wrathful grip of the Indian Union. The Indian annexation of Kashmir is now sometime old with the international community turning a blind eye towards it. India has radically altered the geographic nature of the territory and has drawn a map that is completely incongruous in the eyes of the Kashmiris, Pakistan and China. The Indian government is taking one-sided decisions that are highly contentious in the eyes of all other stakeholders in the region.
The forced annexation of the Valley has opened up many festering wounds inside the Indian Union and may prove disastrous for it in the longer term. The hard-headed approach of Modi regime has conveyed a succinct message to disputants within India that the only way to get India to agree to any kind of demand is though force. This was precisely the lesson learnt by the Kashmiris that gave rise to indigenous violent struggle against Indian occupation that has not dissipated even after three decades of tremendous bloodshed.
The forced occupation of Kashmir was expected to elicit strong international denunciation and opposition but it has failed to materialise to the detriment of the Kashmiris. More instrumental in the muted international reaction is the remote geographical location of the Valley with hardly any international advantage attached to it. It however does not imply that the international interlocutors are not cognisant of the potential danger hidden in the after-effects of a drastic action taken by India that directly impacts upon the strategic considerations of nuclear-powered China and Pakistan. China is now directly in the fray and may try anything to get the situation reversed. It is certainly not a wise move on part of a xenophobic Modi regime to irritate already hostile neighbours with a long history of mutual acrimony.
Indubitably Kashmir remains a recognised international dispute and it has invited considerable international attention. The opinion against Indian action has already considerable time to firm up though almost all important political institutions have taken a note of it. The issue has tremendous potential to be galvanised and Pakistan is doing what it could. One of the basic difficulties is the lukewarm interest taken by international media in the issue and mostly it is due to heavy-handed control exercised by India. It is however a matter of time that media starts reporting in detail the excesses committed by India that may create a sense of urgency about the issue.
One thing is certain that the Kashmiris have shown no intention to budge and they will soon revive the insurgency, however low in scale, but it will be enough to get the international attention towards them. Modi regime may paint rosy picture of tremendous investment opportunities in the Valley but the fact remains that money always shies away from flowing into conflict areas. BJP’s hopes in the matter will soon be dashed and it may then be able to see the reality coming through. The portents of a general non-cooperation are already witnessed in the trading community and it would be foolish to expect that they will welcome foreign investment in their abode without their approval and consensus.
Pakistan is still the key stakeholder and it is mostly up to it to highlight the matter internationally. It can also use its deep ties with China to devise a consolidated policy aimed at frustrating Indian designs about the Valley. Pakistan has a vast reservoir of foreign diplomatic missions that could be tapped to play a proactive role. Moreover, large Kashmiri Diasporas in many countries can provide very productive assistance to Pakistani efforts. The emphasis should be on bringing to fore the atrocities committed by Indian forces on unarmed civilians including women and children. The battle is on and the current lull may soon end and potential of a massive uprising is already there. This has prompted the Modi regime to start backtracking as was evident by the meeting of Kashmiri leaders held by the Modi government. TW

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