- 19 Jun 2012
Kashmir and the Indian state
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Resolving the Kashmir dispute
Only practical solution to Kashmir problem is to convert Line of Control into an international border.
MADISON, WISCONSIN, USA: This is with reference to Kuldip Nayar’s article “Kashmir and the Indian state” (June 20). Everyone knows what each party in the Kashmir dispute wants. Pakistan wants the whole of Kashmir to be a part of its territory, India wants the whole of Kashmir to be its part and a section of the Kashmiri population wants complete freedom. Pakistan talks of following the UN resolutions and carrying out a plebiscite in Kashmir without actually knowing what these resolutions really entail and what the conditions of holding a plebiscite are.
I believe that the only practical solution to the Kashmir problem is to convert the Line of Control into an international border, while allowing visa-free travel between the two parts of Kashmir. Any other demand by any side is not going to materialise even after the passage of a 100 more years. However, I also believe that keeping the Kashmir dispute alive is a big industry. Many parties benefit from this dispute. I am sure they will not like this dispute to be resolved lest their business closes down.
Rajendra Kalkhande
Published in The Express Tribune, June 22nd, 2012.
Reader Comments (14)
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Agree with you!
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I Think your statement is beyond reality.if POK citizens will be allowed going freely in IOK the militants will get a free trip to complete there ambitions and eventually as only one side does militancy it will soon be on the very same state again( with some possibilities resulting in war also).
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The problem regarding the visa free travel idea is that how will you know that the people from Pakistan side of Kashmir coming to India are really from that part? India has a law in place which prevents people from other states of India from buying land in Kashmir which is not the case in the Pakistan side. So how will you know if the guy coming over is a Kashmiri or a punjabi? Free travel is not workable unless there is an effort to identify genuine people from Kashmir. Even that effort is bound to be controversial. agree with the rest of idea.
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I second your opinion. The only logical outcome of this long standing problem is to have Pakistan keep our side of Kashmir and let India keep its part. The hawks of both sides wish to keep the entire Kashmir for themselves, but it would remain just a wish. Those who disagree don’t really appreciate the practical reasons; how would your persuade/force a passionate country to concede any of its land?
Once each country keeps its part of Kashmir, the people-to-people interactions between the either sides of Kashmir should slowly start until both sides arrive at a mutually agreeable approach.
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@Rana Amjad:
A very simple and practical solution and above that i am astonished that why people before us couldn’t think of that. But then we should also close down UN because its resolutions are use less and difficult to understood, more over next time big and powerful countries are allowed to invade and annex small chunks of prime border lands as per their will. Really a simple and practical solution!!!!!!!!
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Kashmir is not the only dispute which India is involved in. China’s claim of Arunachal Pradesh, demand for independence by oppressed Christians in the North East, as well as separatist calls in TN are all due to Indian policies. As far as Kashmir is concerned, all India has to do is to implement Article 370-B, which gives maximum autonomy to the state. This could temporarily silence those Kashmiris who want independence or secession to Pakistan.
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Some valid points…..however, only solution is for all three parties (Kashmiris, Pakistanis and Indians) to govern Kashmir as a separate entity for a period until a time when there is trust bewteen the neighbours and Kashmir can stand on its own. From a Kashmiri.
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You want to ignore the UN resolutions on Kashmir and ignore the wishes of the Kashmir people, you do so at your own peril. Eventually the people of occupied Kashmir will get their wish to join Pakistan because occupied Kashmir cannot be held against its will indefinitely. The same is true for Tibet or Palestine or any other occupied land.
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@Shakir Lakhani:
Seems you know more about India than an Indian.
Good luck to you and Pakistan.
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@huzaifa:
You seem to be knowing nothing about J&K.
{1} J&K acceded to India under the same Law under which Pakistan was created.
{2} Pakistan invaded J&K and was able to occupy the area which is under its control now and you call it ‘Azad Kashmir’.
{3} India complained to UN against Pakistan where India’s powerful enemies like UK and US got a resolution passed.
{4} First step and foremost condition of that resolution was that Pakistan was to withdrwal its forces from socalled ‘Azad Kashmir’.
{5} Till today, Pakistan has not fulfilled that condition, has not taken that first step as required by UN resolution.
Dear huzaifa,
There seems to be no other solution except to accept LOC as international border.Recommend
@Shakir Lakhani:
Have you heard about FATA, Waziristan, Gilgit-Baltistan, suppression in Balochistan? Do you know their geographical location? These areas are not in India but in Pakistan.
You, please, don’t worry about Arunachal Pradesh of J&K’s Aksai Chin.
Pakistan Claims whole of J&K of its own but do you know where is Aksai Chin?
I don’t think Pakistan has heard about Aksai Chin otherwise Pakistan could have been with India in its dispute with China.
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India and Pakistan don’t have any legitimate claim on Kashmir. Only the people of Kashmir do. The best solution is and will always be complete unity and independence. Kashmiris will never accept anything else, “even after the passage of 100 more years”.
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milanshekure, some useless Pakistanis are willing to ‘make peace’. But true Kashmiris and true Pakistanis are willing to eat grass for a thousand years if it means not making peace unless all demands are met.
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ET, where is your mantra of “freedom of expression” gone and since when you have started to omit the comments which are within your policy but not to your likes. i have been contributing the thoughts and comments since you started publication but have never face such discrimination, especially when ever logical and befitting response to Indians contributors( who write mostly anti Pakistan propaganda) is given you censor it. Kindly see my second remarks which are in reply to SL DUA and please confirm that i have not crossed any of boundaries, i have written facts from history( see who was Chankiya kottaliya and what was his doctrine) and answered being Pakistani. I will be not be discouraged from one odd incident and will keep on reading your news paper and contributing comments. I will be thankful for your impartial review.
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