J&K- Territorial Problem or Causality Dilemma?

3rd July, 2012

The Hindu published the overview of the report submitted by the J&K Group of Interlocutors in May, 2012; it’s criticism and their clarification for the so called misinterpretation by the critics viz. Samajwadi Party, JD (U) etc and various religious groups referred to as ‘azadi’ groups. The report basically provides several opinions as to how the Kashmir issue could be solved. The report seems it might be instructive rather than suggestive.

Although the crux is starting an informed debate on Kashmir. The editorial was written by Radha Kumar.

eOn April 30th 2010, in the Macchil Sector in Kupwara, three porters for the Indian Army from the Rafiabad district were killed by the Indian Army claiming them to be Pakistani militants in order to claim a cash reward for the same. On June 11th, 2010 a protest was initiated whereby, it is said, buses were burnt and the Indian standards for protests were well met by the young protestors. The police had to subdue this curfew using teargas that killed a young boy aged seventeen years old. This led to another protest, then again a young boy was killed, causing a merry go round of protests and young kids dying. It is quite mysterious as to how the same mistake is made and the same outcome is then generated by young people who are ever desperate to find new ways to support a cause.

So, it might be prudent to say that it was set up, a part of covert operations of Pakistan intelligence agencies, as the Indian Intelligence Agencies did claim.

People were killed, maybe secret operations were conducted, the police did its job which maybe messy.

The government of India answers to this problem with a Group of Interlocutors who would come up with possible ways and methods to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir in a peaceful and understanding way. The Central Government appoints these ‘peacemakers’ on the 13th of October, 2010.

Although a month before, Prime minister states he is ready for any dialogue with any group who did not espouse or use violence. They took a delegation to Kashmir and suggested ways to overcome this problem and an amount of $11000 was offered to the families who lost their children in the protest and freed all the students who were imprisoned during the protest. The students, of which some maybe a part of the Pakistan Intelligence Agencies’ covert operations, were released. This might question the credibility of Indian Intelligence claims, but nevertheless is continuous with the kindness and calm India is known for. Also, all but one of the 110 families accepted the money, in spite of the threats from different organizations for accepting money from the Indian Government.

Indian military messes up, people of Kashmir protest, Indian police and CRPF mess up protests, Indian government cleans up, then people of Kashmir accept Indian Government’s  supplies and then Indian Government sets up a Group of Interlocutors to find peaceful ways to find a solution.

After a Pakistani invasion in 1947, a king signing over Kashmir to India for military support, three wars, eleven UN revisions of policies to demilitarize the area, several curfews, in the end it just ends up like the story of the hen and egg, which came first? There are many problems to twist this tale. The two versions to this problem : Pakistani and Indian, has evolved from a problem to be sought to a causality dilemma as to who is right for achieving or wrecking what?