| Kashmir solution stares one in the face |
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Every recent visit by an Indian prime minister to the troubled state of Kashmir has infused new hope into the situation.
Every recent visit by an Indian prime minister to the troubled state of Kashmir has infused new hope into the situation.
While Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s earlier trip paved the way for what has been described as the first free and fair elections in the state since 1977, his successor Manmohan Singh’s visit has the makings of the opening of a new chapter mainly as a result of his decision to begin withdrawing troops from the state.
Arguably, even more than the Rs.240 billion ($5.3 billion) package of assistance promised by the prime minister, it is the departure of the soldiers that will be welcomed by the local people.
It will be a mistake, however, to regard the step as a response to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf’s proposal to demilitarise certain regions on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC). Instead, it is merely a reflection of the belief among policy makers in New Delhi and Srinagar that the time has come for a definitive gesture to win the hearts and minds of the people since the insurgency is at present at a low ebb, primarily because of a fall in terrorist infiltration from Pakistan.
True, the step may encourage the remnants of the militants to step up their activities. There was a shootout between them and the security forces not far from the venue in Srinagar where Manmohan Singh was to address a rally. But the decision to start withdrawing the soldiers evidently demonstrates a growing confidence in the security forces about their ability to control the situation even with lesser numbers at their disposal.
It is just as well, however, that Manmohan Singh clarified during his stay in Kashmir that he found the proposals of Musharraf to carve up the state into several regions on religious and ethnic lines unacceptable. His assertion that there will be no redrawing of boundaries, let alone give independence to certain regions or impose joint control over other areas by India and Pakistan or solicit UN intervention, will set at rest much unnecessary speculation.
By shooting down these balloons floated by Pakistan, the prime minister may have prepared a firmer ground for more substantive negotiations based on greater autonomy. It can seem strange to any long-standing observers of the Kashmir scene that such thoroughly unrealistic ideas could at all be aired. They may draw enthusiastic response from western chancelleries because of their customary inability to understand the complexities of the problem. But it is obvious that independence of a part of Kashmir can spark off a mad scramble for power by moderates and extremists, including Islamic fundamentalists, posing an immense threat to both India and Pakistan and to the stability of the entire South Asian region.
Similarly, any attempt by New Delhi and Islamabad to exercise joint control over Kashmiris cannot but create bewildering administrative and law and order problems, apart from encouraging the moderates and extremists to join hands in order to dictate terms to the two overseers. Similarly, the UN’s intervention will be a recipe for meddling by all kinds of outsiders, including the US, with specific (and hidden) agendas of their own.
The best course, therefore, is to sanctify the status quo by accepting the present partition of the state, which has been in existence for more than half a century. It is a solution that stares one in the face. There is no point, therefore, in trying to tiptoe around it and dealing with fanciful proposals, which are totally divorced from reality.
What is curious is that India has hinted more than once that it is amenable to accepting the Line of Control (LoC) as the international border despite all its rhetoric about Kashmir being an atoot ang (unbreakable part) of India. It is Islamabad that has rejected any initiative in this regard presumably becau
se it will mean that Pakistan will have to forgo any claim on the valley and on Srinagar, the jewels in the Kashmir crown. Although Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto is believed to have told Indira Gandhi during the 1972 Simla summit that he would try to make his countrymen accept this obvious solution, he didn’t have the time or perhaps the inclination to follow through on his suggestion.
What Bhutto conceded after Pakistan’s 1971 defeat might have been rejected by his successors because of the belief that India could be bled through a thousand cuts - the euphemism for insurgency - and forced to give up Kashmir. That was Islamabad’s strategy till 9/11. But ever since the Al Qaeda’s emergence and the collapse of the Taliban in Afghanistan (which Pakistan regarded as a place of strategic depth in case of a war with India), the situation has changed completely.
It is now India which is on a stronger wicket, with its widely admired democracy and thriving economy, while Pakistan is bleeding as a result of its entanglement with Islamic fundamentalists, which once earned it the epithet of a failed state. It is best, therefore, for Islamabad to forget its earlier dreams and accept the present-day reality of LoC as the border. In any event, the present improved relations between the two countries suggest that it will be a soft border any way, with a largely unhindered movement of people and goods. If the status quo is given formal recognition, Kashmir can be a paradise again.
(Amulya Ganguli is a political analyst. He can be reached at amulyaganguli@yahoo.co.in)
--Indo-Asian News Service
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| South Africa seen as India’s rival in outsourcing - Nov 22, 2004 12:38 IST |
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South Africa may emerge as India’s rival in business process outsourcing, thanks to its better infrastructure, low labour costs and cultural advantages.
The number of call centres in South Africa will double in four years, says a study, South Africa: An emerging offshore location, conducted by Britain-based independent market analyst Datamonitor.
Offshore agent positions are also expected to quadruple from the current levels, says the report made available to IANS. Agent positions are terminals from which call centre operators make and receive telephone calls to internal or external customers. Multiple agents can use the same agent positions during varying shifts in a day.
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| Radio helps reach out to Indian expatriates - Nov 22, 2004 12:37 IST |
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An attempt to reach out to the Indian diaspora via the airwaves of Australia is drawing attention as an encouraging success story.
Indian expatriates in Australia can hear their own languages on the air - even if only for a few hours each week.
Australia officially argues that community radio initiatives can play a role in enhancing the mutual understanding and cooperative spirit that underpins the tolerant and harmonious Australian society.
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| South Africa 230/4 at stumps - Nov 21, 2004 13:27 IST |
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South Africa Saturday were 230 for four at close on the opening day of the first cricket Test against India at the Green Park Stadium here.
Andrew Hall (78) and Boeta Dippenaar (46) were together at stumps.
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| Muslim leader opposes Kanchi seer’s arrest - Nov 21, 2004 13:25 IST |
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All India Muslim Personal Law Board general secretary Maulana Syed Nizamuddin flayed the arrest of Kanchi Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi.
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| Manmohan wins Manipur hearts amid shutdown - Nov 21, 2004 13:23 IST |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday sought to win hearts in Manipur with promises of peace and development and was loudly cheered even as a boycott call by rebels ensured a shutdown in most parts.
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| Manmohan launches historic Manipur railway project - Nov 21, 2004 13:21 IST |
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Till Saturday, bizarre as it may sound, the northeastern state of Manipur had a mere 1.5 km of rail track.
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| Jubilation as Manmohan hands over historic Kangla Fort - Nov 21, 2004 13:17 IST |
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Hundreds of people in India’s troubled northeastern state of Manipur shed tears of joy as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday formally handed over to the local government the historic Kangla Fort, a symbol of Manipuri culture and pride.
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| Give up arms, Manmohan urges Manipur separatists - Nov 21, 2004 13:15 IST |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday appealed to all separatist groups in Manipur to give up arms and open peace talks with the government.
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| Bohra cleric goes missing - Nov 21, 2004 13:11 IST |
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A leading cleric of the Bohra sect has been missing for two days, police said.
Amil Saheb Abdul Qadir, 28, an influential figure of the sect, went missing Thursday while returning to Surat from Mumbai by Ajmer Express.
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| India hopes to bid for 2016 Olympics: Manmohan - Nov 21, 2004 13:9 IST |
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India hopes to bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Saturday.
We are hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games and would like to bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, the prime minister said while addressing the ninth convocation of Manipur University here.
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| Manmohan reaches out to Manipuris, urges rebels - Nov 21, 2004 13:7 IST |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday called upon militant groups to shun violence and talk peace during a hectic day-long visit to Manipur when he launched work on its first railway network, and promised to review a controversial anti-terrorist law.
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| Hall leads South Africa’s charge in first Test - Nov 21, 2004 13:5 IST |
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Andrew Hall scored an unbeaten 77 to help South Africa to 230 for four after Anil Kumble threatened to spin the visitors out on the first day of their first cricket Test match against India at the Green Park here.
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| HDFC hikes home loans rates by 50 basis points - Nov 21, 2004 12:59 IST |
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Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC), the country’s largest housing finance company, Saturday announced an increase of 50 basis points in its floating interest rate on home loans.
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| Manmohan extends healing mission to Manipur - Nov 21, 2004 12:55 IST |
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday extended his healing mission from Jammu and Kashmir to Manipur as the people of the insurgency-hit state defied a curfew imposed by an underground outfit and came out in large numbers to cheer him.
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| Advani, BJP fast for Shankaracharya - Nov 21, 2004 12:54 IST |
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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president L.K. Advani Saturday observed a day’s hunger strike against the arrest of Hindu pontiff Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi even as the party snapped ties with Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK over the issue.
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| Madras High Court declines Kanchi seer bail - Nov 21, 2004 12:54 IST |
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A Madras High Court judge Saturday rejected the bail application of Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi, while another judge posted for Monday a state plea to extend his police custody by one more day.
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| 60 percent vote for Madhya Pradesh urban bodies - Nov 21, 2004 12:52 IST |
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Amidst stray incidents of violence, between 60 to 65 percent of voters Saturday cast their ballots for electing representatives to the 144 urban bodies spread across Madhya Pradesh.
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| Indian shares seen in consolidation mode in week ahead - Nov 21, 2004 12:50 IST |
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After touching a nine-month high in the past week, India’s benchmark share market index is expected to consolidate its gains in the coming sessions with investors adopting a cautious approach.
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| Pakistani visitors add to Punjab cultural galas - Nov 21, 2004 12:48 IST |
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Leading cities in Punjab are awash with colourful cultural events, and making the mood even more festive is the bonhomie with Pakistani participants.
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| Aishwarya may appear in ’Rush Hour 3’ - Nov 21, 2004 12:47 IST |
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Bollywood icon Aishwarya Rai may find herself in Rush Hour 3 after Sheeraz Hasan, producer of a US entertainment show, initiated talks between the actress and Hollywood director Brett Ratner.
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