India needs to understand that the absence of violence in the Kashmir Valley is not peace, and that development and dignity for all Kashmiris go hand in hand. Pakistan must recognise that violence will never bring peace for Kashmiris, and will imperil all Pakistanis.
On the face of it, this summer in India-Pakistan engagement has been defined by the discovery of Osama bin Laden, the revelations of David Headley and Tahawwur Rana, and the intense turmoil inside Pakistan that has unleashed another round of deadly attacks there.
Even so, as the Foreign Secretaries prepare for their next engagement in Islamabad at the end of June, it isn't these events but three significant processes that will define their immediate agenda, particularly on Kashmir.
The first is the successful conduct of panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir that were completed on June 18. Despite some violence in the initial phases, even the killing of a woman candidate by gunmen in Budgam, the voter turnout was between 70-80 per cent. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called it a “smooth ride” beyond his expectations, marking the first such election in 33 years not overrun by militant attacks, or “interference” from across the Line of Control (LoC).
In Pakistan's Kashmir (PoK) too, this weekend (June 26) will see Assembly elections and the selection of the next Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Pakistan's name for it). What has marked these elections from the previous ones is the intense involvement of national parties like the PPP and the PML (Nawaz), with senior leaders as part of the campaign, as well as the participation of the Sindh-based MQM, which for the first time is contesting each of the 41 seats.
While elections on both sides of the LoC are strengthening the processes on the ground, it is the talks between India and Pakistan that have been building bilateral engagement, with all three processes in significant, albeit coincidental, tandem. Since April this year, the Home, Commerce and Defence Secretaries have all met to discuss issues like Sir Creek and the Tulbul navigation project. As the Foreign Secretaries prepare to review the progress, they will have some cause for satisfaction. While no movement may have been made on Siachen, the blueprint for visa liberalisation, and one of their most expansive economic agreements ever, with Pakistan committing itself in print to granting India MFN status, are welcome. The two sides have agreed to move from the current “positive list” of items for trade to a “negative list,” as well as new investments in the fields of energy and fuel. Most importantly, each meeting has ended with a clear timeline of the next meeting to resolve issues. An optimistic view of India-Pakistan engagement would even be that these bilateral issues need no longer occupy centre stage, as their resolution is in sight — freeing up interlocutors to focus on the two intractable issues: Kashmir and terrorism.
When it comes to Kashmir, it will be important for them to look at not the formidable size of the gap between the countries, but the remarkable distance already spanned. It is now acknowledged that the two sides came close to a settlement in the past decade. In an interview to CNN-IBN in 2009, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh confirmed that he and Pervez Musharraf had come close to a “non-territorial” solution in Kashmir. While the Musharraf-Manmohan Kashmir four-step has been dismissed by many, let us consider the steps already implemented or are on the anvil.
The ceasefire along the LoC has held more or less since 2003. On our recent visit to Chakothi on the Pakistani side, district officials showed us how the end of daily firing between the armies has allowed them to develop homes and schools in 19 of the 22 blocks adjoining the LoC. On the Indian side, villagers returned to their homes in places like Kirni in Poonch after more than a decade this April.
The next step, of demilitarisation of the main towns in the Kashmir Valley, is also evident. Despite fierce protests over the Amarnath yatra, the Shopian deaths, and Tufail Mattoo's killing across the past three summers, it was the police and the paramilitary that had to deal with the situation, while the army remained in the barracks, the exception being a flag march in July 2010 on the outskirts of Srinagar and Baramulla.
Strengthening local governance is the next step. While both India and Pakistan are unwilling to discuss greater autonomy for the two Kashmirs, regular elections and relative non-interference by the Centres in the States, chronic two decades ago, is another positive sign.
Finally, the task of making borders irrelevant through cross-LoC linkages and through cross-border management of certain institutions. Despite the tensions post the Mumbai attacks in 2008, the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot bus services have continued, allowing Kashmiris to travel and see the other side for themselves, while truck trade has grown too — with officials discussing increasing the days of trade (from one to three), the crossover points (from three to five), the length of visas (to six months) and finally moving trade from the current, archaic, barter system to a banking one. These are all the steps, once unimaginable, but now leaving their imprint on Kashmiri hearts and minds. Interestingly, on various visits to Pakistani colleges, it is evident that the four-steps are now widely seen by young Pakistanis as the way forward in Kashmir, unthinkable a decade ago.
The reconciliation of the Kashmiris on both sides will, however, be incomplete without the return of Kashmiri Pandits to the valley. It is heartening to note that this summer both the Mirwaiz and Syed Ali Shah Geelani issued statements calling Pandits an “inseparable part of Kashmiri society.” The Mela Kheer Bhawani festival in June saw thousands of Pandits visit the Valley, though it may have been the recent election of Pandit woman Asha as the Sarpanch of Wussan village near Srinagar that caused the extra cheer.
The next step on Kashmir, however, will come only from introspection in New Delhi and Islamabad. The Indian government needs to understand that the absence of violence in the Valley is not peace, and that development and dignity for all Kashmiris go hand in hand. For its part, Pakistan's government must recognise that violence will never bring peace for Kashmiris, and will imperil all Pakistanis. Perhaps there's no greater proof of that than the case of terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri — who commanded 313 brigade raised by the ISI to fight India, but spent his later years planning attacks on the Pakistani military — from the GHQ attack in Rawalpindi to the Mehran naval base attack in Karachi — apart from his hand in the Mumbai attacks, the Marriott bombing and others. Kashmiri's death may be a mystery, but his diabolical life sends a clear message to Pakistan.
For both sides heading to their next round of talks, it is time to recognise that in the turmoil of India-Pakistan ties, a few windows of hope still remain. As an American pastor once famously said, “most people fail to recognise great opportunities because they come brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”
(Suhasini Haidar is Deputy Foreign Editor, CNN-IBN.)
Keywords: Kashmir issue, Indo-Pak talks
The back channel agreement should be a starting point, but not compromising India's sovereignty. However, the LOC border can be like an America-Canada border, but no joint control of anything.
Those who advocate the self determination in Kashmir Valley should give same rights to Baluchistan, NWFP and Sindhi people. In those states, there is far more human rights abuse. Pakistan has gone against the wishes of BG areas by changing their rights and should ask China to give back the territory, prior to any agreement
India Muslims, in their self interest, ask Geelani to stop in engaging in anti-India propaganda or he should go to Pakistan. Those Muslims who think just an area having a majority is entitled to be independent is ridiculous. India has more that 150 million Muslims in various parts of India while just five million Muslims in the Valley cannot live with India.
It was a mistake by India for not allowing others to migrate to Kashmir, like Chinese has done in Xinjiang.
There is one and only one solution, if both India and Pakistan agrees. Just swallow the ego and pride - no one wins in a war. Let us agree to keep LOC or a simillar line as permanant International border. There is just nothing wrong in dividing territories. Many countries in Europe did that. Bengal was divided, Punjab was divided. Gilgit will be a Pakistan State. Jammu will need to be a seperate Indian State. Ladakh will need to be a centrally administerd territory of India with some restriction on population movements. Kashmir valley need to be with India. There being Muslim majority cannot be a reason for otherwise. So, there iwll be an Indian Kashmir and Pakistani Kashmir, just like Indian Punjabis and Pakistani Punjabis, Indian Tamils and Sri Lankan Tamils. Nothing wrong with that.
Corruption stalls devlopment.Deprivation of devlopment is a form of exploitation and exploitation leads to degenaration of peaceful environment in the society.Therefore just absence of visible violence does not root out violence in disguise,which is mostly ethics of desatisfied desires.Slowing pace of progress is a form of exploitation and exploitation in the long run shapes violence in an organised manner.Society and government must be alert to alleviate obstacls to achieve an evolutionary peace process.
This gives me a sigh of relief for Pakistan has started collaborating with India to run the parallel projects of mutual development and trade.Yes, Kashmir's lifestyle has been obsessed by the military intervention, really hard to think of the life where there is always a fear that an innocent might be suspected as a terrorist. The need of the hour is that both countries should cooperate each other in fighting the rivals of the mankind, be it terrorist infiltration or poverty.
A Classic Portrayal Indeed!The only Positive Contributory Element towards Normalcy on both sides is to make it a People's Movement and Engagement facilitated by the Nation States. Win-Win has no Options.
As a person who has known J&K before India's independence, I am firmly convinced that Kashmir's future lies with India. But the India of Nehru, Gandhi and Azad. The people of Kashmir have instead been given the India of BJP and chauvinistic forces which anyone would reject. If GoI changes its attitude, this will change. And for the young generation, my advise is that to connect with the Kashmirs, the two main constituencies that India needs to depends on are the Kashmiri pandits and the Indian muslims. Together, they can play the major role in understanding that their right of self-determination lies in realizing this as part of the Indian union.
It seems that editorial has been written with highly optimistic view point. While the steps described in the article along with sending the interlocutors to understand the views of general public in Kashmir are very positive steps in right direction but the destination is too far away, and the journey fraught with many risks of loosing the track, to dream of resolution so soon. Nevertheless, the unrelenting effort to resume the talks is laudable on part of both GOI and GOP. GOI will do well to listen to genuine concerns of Kashimiri people to reduce some, if not all, powers of AFSA. This will strengthen the already established credentials of Indian Democracy. Pakistan, on the other hand, needs to understand that the resolution of the conflict is in its interest more than India because India is growing economically while it is still dependent on foreign aid.
Great stuff Suhasini! Not only should the border between two Kashmirs become irrelevant for people-to-people contacts, so should the border between India and Pakistan. The entire region needs to give its head a shake and ask "why has this region been a mess and what can be done for the next innings"!
The lack of an explicit mention of the Pakistani army is like ignoring the elephant in the room.
The article is a breath of fresh air of hope for the future in a toxic atmosphere of hatred, separation, violence and despair. LoC must be made permanent border. And then, let there be trans-Kashmir trade and people to people contact. To improve trans-Kashmir relations, an advisory council can be setup which is made up of reasonable and progressive representatives of both the parts of Kashmir -- the council can also look into rights of Kashmiris.
Is she making a class room presentation for 5 year old kids when she says: "The next step, of demilitarisation of the main towns in the Kashmir Valley, is also evident. Despite fierce protests over the Amarnath yatra, the Shopian deaths, and Tufail Mattoo's killing across the past three summers, it was the police and the paramilitary that had to deal with the situation, while the army remained in the barracks, the exception being a flag march in July 2010 on the outskirts of Srinagar and Baramulla".
It is truely laughable and seems was scripted elsewhere. Changing hats won't make brutality less pernicious. It is the demiliterisation of mind, the institutions, the response that Kashmir needs - not simply replacing the brutality of the Army with that of the paramiliteries. Truely pathetic piece of writing mired in ignorance and stupidity.
As a veteran of two Indo-Pak wars, I wish to say that we forget that the Kashmir issue not only involves Pakistan but China too. No one seems to know what precisely is India's policy on Aksai Chin. India's and China's special representatives have been meeting for years on end but no solution is in sight.
As regards Pakistan, the only practical solution is for India to take the initiative and convert the LOC into a formal Indo-Pak border, something that could easily have been done at Shimla since we held all the aces but was put aside by Indira Gandhi. In fact there is a tacit understanding between Islamabad and New Delhi to keep the Kashmir problem alive as it is more profitable to do so than resolve it. This was first apparent at Tashkent where we surrendered our superior military gaine of the 1965 war and affirmed later at Shimla. This apart, India should scrap the divisive Article 370 and create three separate states of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.
I am surprised at Mr. Abis Mir's statement that the "pandits left valley." - as if it was of their own accord. The fact is that they were hounded out of the valley by an organised pogrom. It is rather insensitive to exclude their aspirations in a solution to the Kashmir problem. A sincere opinion to my Kashmiri brothers and sisters: The one thing that most Kashmiris (and esp.separatists deliberately) have assumed is that the citizens of India hate them and are not interested in their welfare. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We all want Kashmir to prosper, and that Kashmiris live with the highest dignity. We understand what it must be to have an army presence around your daily lives. But when separatist leaders incite the common Kashmiri to wage a battle against the Indian state, and separate from it, and hobnob with Pakistan, the rest of India is of course alarmed. If it is only about army atrocities, we are with you and do hope justice is done.
India and Pakistan need to understand the Kashmir problem with seriousness, elections will not help as they did not in the past and we should not see at the situation with a biased view. Things are what they were in the nineties except that people are disillusioned of militants and their leaders and the biggest thing that could be seen in Kashmmir is that people do not respect the leaders who carry the so called movement and want to keep it alive for their interests and so is with the main stream parties who are engaged in plundering the poor mans bread.The people are concerned with the earning of the bread and politicans are mis-interpreting their emotions. As everybody knows that kashmiri pandits left valley and faced hardships and most of them are well settled now and are least interested in returning to the valley.The easiest way for the Govt of India would be to engage the people of kashmir in the development process, ensuring people to earn their livelihood.
As a Kashmiri who follows the developments in the state closely I find this article very superficial. Pakistan has lost value and resonance among Kashmiris long ago but still continues to be the cheif factor in the India media and political circles when it comes to looking at the Kashmir problem. And rightly so from the Indian point of view. This allows India to continue with its huge number of troops in the valley which armed with laws like AFSPA and DAA continue to make life of the ordinary Kashmiris especially the villagers, miserable. More alarming are the recent statements of the Army Generals snubbing statements from politicians who advocate for softer and more humane ways to address the Kashmir problem. Unless and until the Army is moved out of civilian areas, democratic institutions strengthened and justice ensured, peace will remain elusive. Indian media also has to rise above its nationalistic compulsions and report in an honest manner.
India also needs to realize that CBMs towards a status quo (India occupying Kashmir indefinitely) aren't a solution. Given the state of mind of Kashmiris, along with what has happened in the past, peace will only come in the form of Kashmiris gaining their inalienable right to self-determination.
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