Daily Times

The border between India and Pakistan, known as the Line of Control (LoC) remains one of the most heavily militarized borders in the world. Both countries have fought four major wars since the divisions of the subcontinent into two sovereign nations, India and Pakistan, in 1947.

The usual ‘normal’ between the two states is a period when cross border firings and shelling’s are not taking place across the LoC. During the described phase of normalcy, at times, one can observe some sort of diplomatic activity between the two countries. Moreover, during such a phase of respite, promises and assurances go around pertaining to resolving all outstanding issues via dialogue.

The buildup of diplomatic activity to create a phase of normalcy is disposed to events, developments, and incidents which remain the principal cause behind the enduring conflict between the two countries. The issue of Kashmir and what happens there is one area that remains central to Pakistan’s age-old rivalry with India. During the last seventy years, countless numbers of protests have been organized by Kashmiris and a number of violent movements against India’s occupation have taken roots in Jammu and Kashmir. According to some estimates, so far, nearly 50000 thousand civilians have died in Jammu and Kashmir due to India’s excessive use of force in the valley. The last few years have been particularly worse: the BJP lead government under PM Modi has only further enforced India policy of using extreme violence to pacify any and all voices that ask for self-determination and the right to choose their future.

If one takes a look at the globally published commentaries and articles observing the human rights abuses in Kashmir over the past few years, the situation emerges alarming. Al-Jazeera recently published an article with a headline stating that ‘Violence breeds more violence in Kashmir.’ Another headline of an article published by DW noted this: How did Kashmir become so violent under Modi? The Quartz recently published an article with a headline ‘Pulwama is proof of Kashmir’s descends into chaos under Modi.’

There is enough evidence to support such headlines. According to an Amnesty International report, the indiscriminate use of pellet guns by the Indian military in Jammu and Kashmir has blinded more than 1300 people since 2016. A few days ago, more than 50 members of the European Parliament wrote a letter to the Indian Prime Minister expressing their concerns about the ongoing Human Rights violations against people in Indian occupied Kashmir. “We urge the Indian government to immediately end the use of pellet-firing shotguns in Jammu and Kashmir and bring all relevant Indian laws into compliance with international human rights standards,” read the letter. While I was writing this, two more innocent Kashmiris were shot dead by the Indian military.

The ongoing election season in India means that Pakistan’s call for holding dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues including Kashmir is likely to fall on deaf ears. However, that doesn’t mean that someone in Kashmir may not be planning another fateful event which could cause another crisis between India and Pakistan

The use of extreme force by India in Jammu and Kashmir has forced the valley’s youth into joining the path of violence. It’s disturbing to note that a record number of young and educated Kashmiris are joining the path of violence to counter India’s presence in the region. A simple Google search in this regard is enough to find out what the reality is. The Western and India’s own media have reported extensively that the rise of violence in Kashmir is driven by young and educated influencers that are worn-out of India’s extreme military use to crush their right of self-determination and growing human rights abuses. According to the Economic Times, around 200 Kashmiri youths joined ranks of various revolutionary groups in 2018. This development and reporting on the issue has become a daily routine: An article published around 24 hours ago by the Washington Post, stated in its headline that “From scholars into militants: Educated Kashmir youths are joining an anti-India insurgency.”

The recent attack in Pulwama that killed around 50 Indian soldiers and brought Pakistan and India, two nuclear powers, on the brink of war, was not with the context. As expected, India branded the attack as the work of Pakistani based insurgent groups. However, the person who carried out the attack was a local Kashmir whose family has been repeatedly humiliated by Indian soldiers. India’s war-mongering against Pakistan following the Pulwama attack proves that New Dehli doesn’t want to resolve the issue of Kashmir. The incursion of the Indian air force in Pakistani airspace cost New Dehli heavily: Pakistan not only downed an Indian plane but also captured its pilot. There have also been reports that an Indian MI17 helicopter which also crashed the day of the conflict was accidentally shot down by the Indian army’s itself.

The ongoing elections season in India means that Pakistan’s call for holding dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues including Kashmir is likely to fall on deaf ears. However, that doesn’t mean that someone in Kashmir may not be planning another fateful event which could cause another crisis between India and Pakistan. It’s time for India to sit across the table with Pakistan and the Kashmiri leadership to find a workable solution to the crisis. If India decided to continue on the same course of choosing military force over dialogue on the Kashmir issue and with Pakistan, then Islamabad is not likely to quit its diplomatic and political support for Kashmiris against New Dehli’s grave human rights violations.

The time is now for India to make peace with Kashmir and Pakistan!

The writer is a freelance journalist and a correspondent for The Diplomat, based in Lahore, Pakistan