Daily Times

“The people of Kashmir have lived in conflict since I was a child, since my mother and father were children, since my grandparents were young.” (Malala Yousafzai)

Kashmir has become a crossroad and flashpoint between Pakistan, China and India. Presently, a boundary or frontier, the Line of Control (LOC), gulfs the region into two sections, with one section administered by Pakistan and the other by India.

The Kashmir dispute has blighted millions of lives and soaked lives of thousands of innocent people. Different reports reflected that more than 43,000 inhabitants of Kashmir have been killed since 1989. According to the Human Rights report, 60,000 are dead or missing. Just ask any Kashmiri in the world, have they lost anyone whom they knew? Believe me, a “NO” will be rare. Kashmir dispute is one of the biggest issues in the history of the subcontinent. This dispute is the major cause of rivalry between Pakistan and India. Pakistan has a stance that Kashmir is predominantly occupied by the Muslim majority, so India must vacate the region. The question is how many people from Kashmir want to become part of Pakistan or India. Kashmir has three sub-regions: Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh. In Kashmir Valley; Muslims are in majority (95 per cent Muslims), but in Jammu and Ladakh non-Muslims (Hindus and Buddhist) are in a majority. In Jammu, there are 66 per cent Hindus, 30 per cent Muslims and four per cent others but in Ladakh, there are 56 per cent Buddhists, 46 per cent Muslims and three per cent others.

Most of the Muslims want to be with Pakistan; many want to have a separate state. Similarly, many non-Muslims want to be a part of India, but most of them want a separate and independent state. The region of Kashmir is extremely cold, hilly, snowbound and land-locked, but the strategic location is quite attractive for Pakistan, China and India. Indus water is the main source of this region, and it has the key importance for Pakistan and India. If Pakistan lost its control on Kashmir, it would also have to face the water scarcity in future.

There is a perception in the world that Hindus’ status in Pakistan is not good enough but Muslims are enjoying the social, economic, political and cultural status in India. The Muslims are the key players to Indian industries and even politics.

Just look at the history of Kashmir, when the last Dogra ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, announced Kashmir as an independent and free state, the locals of Punchh, who were revolting against the Dogra rule, found an opportunity to seek the help from Pashtuns of Pakistan to up-heal and overthrow the Dogra Rule. Maharaja Hari Singh had perceived the threat to his kingdom and he pursued Indian help and ultimately signed the Instrument of Accession, which allowed India to enter into Kashmir. Eventually, India Army pushed back Pashtuns and had taken control over two-thirds of Kashmir. Before the signature on the instrument of accession, Nehru announced he would take this issue to the UN. After that, the UN had ordered a ceasefire. A referendum was declared in Kashmir, but due to some uncertain reason from both Pakistan and India, it couldn’t happen and Kashmir’s destiny was defined as a disputed territory. After that, Nehru asked the assembly to add Article 370 in the Indian constitution as well as Kashmir’s constitution. The United Kingdom planned to create a rivalry between Pakistan and India to further suppress them.

Solmanise and enact the status quo and ultimately convert the LOC into a permanent border. Many Pakistani leaders were in the favour of the permanent border, but they didn’t make it public due to the fear of the coup in Pakistan. What can be the best solution to the Kashmir dispute? General Musharraf had given an appropriate four-points agenda to resolve the dispute but it couldn’t be applied, unfortunately. The Mushraf’s agenda included demilitarisation and “self-governance with joint supervision mechanism, free trade without restriction, self-Governance or Autonomy but not independence, phased wised withdrawal of troops from the region.”

The independent Kashmir is the only potential solution to the issue, but it has become Hornet’s nest for both Pakistan and India

Pakistan has constantly and steadily preferred it as the best available solution to the dispute. The independent Kashmir is the only potential solution to the issue, but it has become Hornet’s nest for both Pakistan and India to call it a day, which they are not prepared to do. Any referendum likely to lead to a majority vote for independent Kashmir would be opposed by both the countries. The Chenab formula is another way out to deal with the dispute. This formula was first suggested in 1960 and was about the division of Kashmir on the line of Chenab river. According to this formula, the Muslim majority would be within Pakistan’s border. This formula is against the referendum and independent Kashmir but through this formula, Muslims of Kashmir can get rid of from the cruelty of India. This looks highly implausible but if you see India we developed as a peaceful nation. India has a large Muslim population in the world. Indian people are more accommodative in spite of so much diversity. Yeah, I agree many incidents have happened in the past, but there is no civil war in India as compared to other countries like the US and abolishing slavery and American-Indians in Brazil. For China-occupied Kashmir (COK), India requires to talk and negotiate with China. Practically speaking, China has no benefit of controlling COK, except the road that crossed Aksai Chin to a China province Xinjiang. It is quite possible that India can provide this road to China and have control over the rest of Aksai Chin. In agreed conditions, Aksai Chin belongs to China, GB and Azad Kashmir to Pakistan and Jammu and Ladakh to India. But it is important to remember that no country wants to lose any territory because almost all these territories are already under the control of respective countries.

China has a strong influence in the region. Under normal conditions, Pakistan’s political leadership may have to face opposition from the military establishment for any treaty or agreement with India, but due to China’s influence, this can be resolved. How is it beneficent for Kashmiris? The line of control would be replaced with a permanent border, and the Kashmir Valley would become free from the militants and obviously, it will bring normalcy back in the most beautiful valley of the world. The tourism industry of Kashmir will flourish, and it will bring more prosperity and peace in the region.

It all depends on the leadership of the Asian states to work for the solution of Kashmir dispute and they must show the world that they can settle the conflicts and differences like mature and civilised nations. The leaders who will work for the freedom of Kashmir would become the potential nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize for resolving a very old dispute and promoting peace and harmony in the world. So the result is status quo stagnation. However, this stagnation does not have to be violent or adversarial. It can be the actual solution. If both sides accept the LOC as the border and divide this once and for all, then the violence can stop for good. It is an idea that has been floated by Pakistani, Indian, and some western leaders. But it seems to fall through each time. Will the Kashmiris accept it? They may not like it, but what choice do they have being between a rock and a hard place? Is it time for everybody to stop fighting, accept reality and make peace? Making the LOC the permanent border may not be the perfect solution, but at least it is a solution and a chance for the Kashmiri people to get back to a normal life. Kashmir only belongs to the inhabitants of J & K. According to the UN resolution, it is the legal, political and moral rights of Kashmiris to decide their future. Kashmiris say that no one has given them a chance to say who they are. One party calls us their ‘integral part’ and the other says Kashmir is its “jugular vein.”

The writer is a PhD scholar in media and crime, CSS coach and the author of different books