Re-thinking Kashmir

Ralph:

China is the status quo power. It would be wrong to say both are revisionist. China may have been revisionist about it in the early 50s but after changing the facts of the ground they are very much the status quo power. It is India that runs after China trying to get some progress in the border case.

Pakistan is a revisionist entity in Kashmir. Strategically their mistake has been to allow a high degree of emotional involvement of the people in the national stake. All the Pakistani establishment has done is paint itself into a corner about selling a settlement to its own people. If India does a status quo on China, politicians may yell and scream but the people won`t be involved beyond a feeling of relief.

Kashmir is not worth all this stupid expensive nuclear deadly enemity between Pakistan and for the last 56 years. there are thousands times more benefits in peace and harmony between essentially the same people on either side of the border -- than this mindless daily fratricide of the flowers of the Hindu Muslim Sikhs and Buddhist communities.

the following that are -- the NON STARTERS -- and items not in fashion today`s subcontinental politics:

-- Plebiscite
-- Separation of Muslim Valley from Hindu Jammu and Buddhist Ladakh
-- Division of Indian Kashmir on communal or any basis
-- Exchange of territory under any pretext
-- ``Islami Hukoomat`` in the Muslim Valley -- an impossible nightmare
-- Independence under any circumstances

so what remains is :

-- full autonomy for each section of Kashmir on either side of LOC governed by the Kshmiris themselves with -- Defense, Foreign affairs and Finance -- in the hands of India and Pakistan for their respective Kashmiri regions......
-- LOC not as an International border but as a Kashmiri Border manned by the Kashmiris
-- a secular democratic governance in BOTH Kashmirs with ironclad guaranteed rights of minorities -- as equals...

the Indians are ready .... to bury the Hatchet -- if only Musharraf is...

If Musharraf can bring his army and all the the leaders of the mainstream parties (that will be the day) and all the the fringe lunatic brigands -- together -- toward the consensus to solve the `core issue` of Kashmir......

.....then all his sins and criminalities will be forgiven by the history...and he will live immortalized in the history of the subcontinent as the GREAT UNITER not as -- the Great Divider -- which he is right now of his own country....

Pipe Dream?....

btw Beena -- a great write up...blessed are the peacemakers..

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

Why make a film on Kashmir? Why not make one on Taliban in Afghanistan or power relations in rural Pakistan or Balochistan/NWFP madrassas or women in jail for zina ?

Why is virtually every bit of activism is directed at India?

Shoaibzafar

Post #2

Quote:

---

countries but it is also a topic which has given a lot of benifits to the film industry of India and Pakistan. Some of the top hit movies of India are on the subject of Kashmir. (I don`t think India would like to lose this subject by solving the problem of Kashmir)

---

That maybe true about Pakistan.

As to India, IIRC on an average around 700/800 movies are made/released in a year (around 150 are in hindi language rest are in other regional languages). Out of these, can one tell, how many are made on the subject of J&K? Leave alone the hit ones how many altogether in a year? And then, also inform how many have been made in the last 25 years..and/or even before that.

Point is, what is the basis of this assertion that movies made on the subject of J&K have given lot of benefits to Indian film industry, and because of that they would not like to see J&K imbroglio solved?

stuka #3

``That is alway the case....``

Not true. In the context of Indo-China, neither India nor China is the real status-quo power. Both are `revisionist` powers but neither has made that difference a core issue.

The world is full of such examples. We are dealing here with a very particular country with a very particular worldview.

The events in Kashmir in the past few months, where a score of people from occupation army are regularly being despatched to the Narkh by Kashmiri freedom fighters, indicate that the freedom struggle is and it always was indigenous. Now that Pakistan has a certificate of good behaviour from both Hindus and their papa amrika, all those who balmed poor mullah must realize the truth.

#1

That is always the case when one is a status quo power. India is content with what it has, hence no need to have it as a core issue. In fact India would not like it to be an issue at all.

What good would that do Pakistan?

From : Shoaib Zafar

Kashmir is not only the issue for the establishment of peace and existace of two countries but it is also a topic which has given a lot of benifits to the film industry of India and Pakistan. Some of the top hit movies of India are on the subject of Kashmir. (I don`t think India would like to lose this subject by solving the problem of Kashmir)

Hmmmm . . . another article on Kashmir.

Let me try to, if I may, place the view from my perspective as an equally avid watcher?

a) Kashmir is a ``core`` issue for Pakistan. It becomes a reason for Pakistan`s very existence. I see this in all forums in and about Pakistan.

b) Kashmir is a ``core`` issue for Indo-Pak relations. Kashmir is, therefore, a ``core`` emotive issue for Indian and Pakistani news media, especially in the Punjabi/Hindi/Urdu belt.

c) Kashmir is not a ``core`` issue for India. Truly, Kashmir is not a reason for India`s existence. I do not see Kashmir cropping up in all forums about India.

+++

The day Pakistanis understand this, will be the day India & Pakistan dialogue emerges from the dark cave its been in for the past few decades.

Now, next question - does it suit the benders of minds, the perception builders, to portray this?

+++

Thank you.