Kashmir - Independence not an option

During the present crisis in Kashmir, surprisingly many public intellectuals have expressed forcefully their views on why Kashmir should be granted independence (or a plebiscite should be conducted, which in the current scenario, amounts to the same thing). From Swaminathan Aiyar to Arundhati Roy, from the logical to the hysterical, a lot of people seem to have given up on Kashmir. They try to present their analysis from different perspectives, some from the economic point of view (Vir Sanghvi), some from human rights (Aiyar) and some from no point of view (Arundhati Roy). Wow! As these redoubtable columnists must have reached these conclusions after due thought process, let me present what are the most likely outcomes if their wishes were to be granted (i.e. Independence to Kashmir or to any of its parts).

First major fallout would be that the sleeping separatist elements in India, the ULFA, the Maoists, the Bodos etc would all gain immense strength from such a division. Today Kashmir, tomorrow we may as well bid adieu to the India as we know of today.

Second, giving away Kashmir would, in no uncertain terms, increase the proximity of Pakistani threat to the rest of India. To understand this, one must appreciate that what is known as Kashmir valley is surrounded by rough terrain of mountains, valleys and jungles. This also makes the movement from the PoK to Kashmir dangerous for the miscreants. Giving Kashmir away or making it independent would be akin to Indian government building roads between the two Kashmirs, expressly for the terrorists. India would have a much more terrible time dealing with terrorism that it has now.

Third, there is a complete lack of any give n take option, when it comes to Kashmir. Suppose Pakistan had a piece of land in which India had some interest. Then, it might have made sense to barter one piece of land with another (quite common internationally for settling border disputes). But unfortunately or fortunately, there is no such situation here. So what exactly would be India's gains after giving in to the separatists demands. Nothing.

With all due respect to the intellectuals, they have got it completely wrong this time. Mood of people change and so will the mood in Kashmir. Separating Kashmir from India, because of any reason whatsoever, would be an extremely foolish step right now (I dont know how the situation unfolds in future).

Aiyar justifies giving independence to Kashmir on grounds of liberalism. This is an extremely narrow view. If being a liberal means giving people whatever they want, then anarchy would prevail in no time. Being a liberal only means respecting different opinions, debating about them but always, within the boundaries of law and the agreed constitution. Hoisting flags of Pakistan, degrading Indian constitution goes beyond the purview of liberalism. Yet, one can do all these things in India and get away. India has always been pluralistic. Lets stay that way.

Hai Kashmir!!!

This is the cry of a desperate heart. Like the proverbial phoenix, the problems in Kashmir keep rising every time one seems to think that everything is getting better. The state government had almost completed its term this time and another fair election would have gone a long way in solidifying the democratic spirit. Alas! That was not to be. Who is to blame? Opportunisitc PDP and its leader, the state government, the governor or the sleeping and utterly incapable our home minister. May be all of them and may be all of us. Dont know. The damn problem of Kashmir has become too big and complex to be understood by professional security experts, leave aside amateurs like me. Like a cronic cancer in India's face (geographically), Kashmir makes a mockery of our democratic principles and institutions.

It was ok for India to have a problem like Kashmir when India was a nobody in the comity of nations. Today, we almost single-handedly turn the tables on the developed nations at forums like WTO. Today, we can negotiate an exception of monumental consequences (Nuclear deal). But still today, we can not or are unable to do anything about the problem named Kashmir. What a pity!

I wonder if Kashmir would still be a problem for us when my generation reaches the half century. For our generation, Kashmir was heaven in books and has always been hell in reality. A bomb blast in Kashmir (and Jammu) killing 10 people generates markedly less awe than a similar event in any other part of India. It is almost as if we expect nothing better from Kashmir. Heaven turned into inferno. What a shame!

Long before, I read Tavleen Singh (India Today) in an article where she argued that its only a pro-hindu party like BJP which can negotiate and solve the vexed issue. To her credit, Vajpayeeji did cover a lot of ground in solving this problem. However, the current BJP and its leadership behave like they are the agents of ISI - doing everything to polarize Indians along communal lines. It has been a really long time since its leader displayed original thought process. The current problem in Kashmir presented (and presents) a golden opportunity to display some leadership skills. He wants to be known as the new Sardaar (Patel). Then why not display some of Patel's thinking - judicious use of cajoling and coaxing to further national integration.

It is foolish to expect anything from our current home minister. Our Prime Minister has many qualities but handling a politically vexed problem like Kashmir is not one of them. Likewise for our finance minister who is anyway busy fighting bad economics right now. The one person who has the right political skills to set things right is Pranab Mukherji. He must lead the all party delegation to come to a temporary solution for now.

Permanent solution is and is likely to remain a dream for a long while in Kashmir.