It has now been six years since a bus service linking the two parts of the divided Kashmir Valley began as a means to allow divided families and others to meet. Over 15,000 Kashmiris have since used the service — 9,581 from Pakistan and 6,395 from India. After the launch of the bus service between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar in April 2005, another service between Rawalakot and Poonch was added in 2006 and the running of buses increased to once a week rather than fortnightly. The small step forward has already helped thousands over a relatively short period of time. Of course, much more could be done to bring together divided families on both sides of the LoC but for that a significant measure of vision and statesmanship is required of India’s and Pakistan’s leaders.
There have, over the years, been proposals on how this could be achieved. A ‘soft’ border for Kashmiris at the LoC has been suggested, as well as relative autonomy for the two parts of the territory. All of these offer practical solutions. Others can be thought about. But the problem is that those who claim to stand for the rights of Kashmiris, notably in Pakistan, insist that only a ‘final’ solution, a ‘conquest’ of the territory, can be the goal. This angry chorus from the hardliners and their allies makes it hard for governments in either country to move forward — and in the meanwhile, the people of the Valley, who have gained so much from a relatively minor measure such as the bus service, continue to suffer, wondering if a day will come when peace and serenity can be restored to their beautiful valley, which has, for decades now, known no lasting peace.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 17th, 2011.
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