Turning the Corner in Kashmir
BACKGROUND
Toward the end of September, the Indian government unveiled a major policy shift to address the volatile Kashmir situation. A new 8-point plan would appoint a group of interlocutors to dialogue with civil society groups; release all youth currently detained or arrested; offer relief money to affected families; assess the development needs in Jammu and Ladakh regions; reopen all schools and colleges; and offer an infrastructure building grant.
Separatists were not impressed. Syed Salahuddin of the United Jihad Council and others like the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) rejected the plan, stating that any resolution process must begin first by recognizing the region’s disputed status. However, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, welcomed the plan by the Indian government and expressed hope that it would ultimately lead to the resolution of pressing political issues.
Meanwhile Pakistan has recently made overtures to include Kashmir on top of the agenda for talks with India with a results-oriented approach for peace and stability in the region. At the 2010 UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Qureshi urged the international community to help persuade India to settle old disputes involving Kashmir in accordance with UN resolutions.
DEVELOPMENTS
The partition between India and Pakistan in 1947 left nearly half a million people dead and 1 million displaced from communal violence. 565 states had to decide which nation to join at the time of partition. Because Jammu and Kashmir (J and K) was located between the two partitioned states, its ruler, a Hindu with a predominantly Muslim population, signed a “standstill” agreement with Pakistan that left trade, communication and travel uninterrupted. After Pashtun tribesmen from Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province invaded J and K, the ruler Maharaja Hari Singh requested armed assistance “in return for accession of the state to India.” The accession left external affairs, communication and defense within India’s jurisdiction. The accession was signed with the understanding that it was temporary and that a plebiscite election would be held, at which point the future of Jammu and Kashmir would be voted on once and for all by the region’s residents.
Pakistan objected to the accession, claiming that the standstill agreement with Pakistan was in effect and that the instrument was signed under duress. The First Indo-Pak War ended with the establishment of a Ceasefire Line, which was later re-designated Line of Control (LoC) after the signing of the Simla Agreement in 1972. The LoC – itself under dispute – gives India and Pakistan each a de facto parcel to oversee. Two additional wars have followed, and the dispute between India and Pakistan lingers till today around the governing structure and security of Kashmir. The plebiscite never happened, and India has blamed the security situation for not holding it.
A 2005 CSIS report notes that lack of investment and job growth and sluggish agricultural production is a serious concern along the Line of Control. The region’s youth have been falling victim to the international conflict in multiple ways. Many feel disenfranchised and find that joining the militancy is the solution. Schools in Kashmir valley only recently reopened after 100 days of closures due to clashes, protests and vandalism. Local officials have witnessed a decline in student attendance in the region, as security concerns remain. For example, Kupwara and Baramulla districts have seen a 12 and 25 percent decline in student attendance. Many private schools have remained shut after incidents of vandalism.
Research shows that children who grow up in conflict zones face psychic disorders, mental trauma and confusion as they go through their childhood years and youth. Drug abuse by children below the age of 16 is soaring, and post traumatic stress disorder is prevalent among children and youth in Jammu and Kashmir. It is reported that nearly 50,000 to 80,000 orphans are affected by the humanitarian crisis in Kashmir, and many are being picked up for forced labor by militants.
A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report released in 2006 contends that human rights abuses committed by both Indian security forces and militants is “fueling the cycle of violence” in Jammu and Kashmir, and that people are living in fear. The report further contended that the Indian government has failed to end widespread impunity for human rights abuses in Jammu and Kashmir, where Indian security forces have committed acts of torture, targeted killings and attacks upon ethnic and religious minorities, in addition to armed clashes with militants.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has underscored the importance of restraint. Groups like Organization of Islamic Conference have advocated for resolving the Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan through peaceful negotiations, in accordance with UN resolutions. Pakistan suggested that India change its approach and policy on the Kashmir issues, and that the dispute cannot be resolved within India’s constitution, leaving the solution up to the Kashmiri people. There was speculation among the international community and press that both India and Pakistan would hold talks alongside the UN General Assembly. While Pakistan asserted that the Kashmir dispute was about exercising the right to self-determination, India held Pakistan responsible for its growth and security challenges, and not rooting out terrorist networks operating inside Pakistan. Both India and Pakistan held that Kashmir is an “integral part” of their existence.
A special report by United States Institute of Peace suggested that commerce along the LoC could help in creating jobs and economic growth within communities and help mitigate the conflict. Officials reported that trade along the LoC between the Pakistani- and Indian-controlled parts of Kashmir was worth millions of dollars, with potential for far more. However, the unrest causes 50,000 small-scale enterprises and 400,000 “other establishments” to remain closed. With unparalleled mountain vistas and beauty, in a safer environment the tourism industry alone could be worth billions of dollars more.
ANALYSIS
Human rights abuses are a major concern in the Kashmir region. Both Pakistan and India should demonstrate their respect for human rights by cracking down on militants and security personnel who engage in violent activities. By targeting potential terrorist networks in Pakistan and working to eliminate “encounters” in the Indian region of Kashmir, Pakistan and India will respectively begin building trust and confidence, which will prevent new violent clashes. Due to unending security concerns that have continued for decade after decade, Kashmiris are distracted from focusing on education, jobs, and maintaining a routine lifestyle. The announcement of the 8-point plan by India is a step forward in assessing the needs of the Kashmiri people while reducing security-related fears in the region. The committee should keep its focus on economic growth as a strategy to prevent youth from engaging in violence. This has never been a sustained effort in the past, which is why opposition groups remain skeptical. Jobs for Kashmiri youth are central to promoting growth, especially in the tourism sector, and helping small and medium-sized businesses prosper in the region. Engaged youth are less likely to want to fight.
The second component of confidence-building measures is to fully engage the Kashmiri people in the political process and advance the public diplomacy campaign from the perspectives of both the Indian and Pakistani government. The public diplomacy campaign should utilize the local newspaper, television, radio stations and Internet to spread the message about the vision to achieve growth and prosperity with peace as the main prerequisite.
The reality of Kashmir is militarized governance, where India controls Jammu, Kashmir Valley and the Ladakh region, while Azad Kashmir and northern areas are controlled by Pakistan. Indian armed forces penetrate through every aspect of civic life – from educational institutions and places of worship, to public places and hospitals. As part of the new engagement strategy with civil society groups and political parties, the Indian government should focus its energy towards renewing the environment to promote tourism and job growth which will alleviate poverty and illiteracy. The Kashmir problem is not isolated in the neighborhood. With Operation Enduring Freedom continuing in Afghanistan, and the security and development related challenges in Pakistan, the Indo-Pak dialogue must resume, with regional security as a primary focus. Pakistan should squarely deal with terrorism and root out any potential terrorist networks that can harm India and jeopardize the success of dialogue. Finally, resolving the bitter and bloody Kashmir issue is in the interests of Kashmiris and all their neighbors.
Niki Shah is a frequent contributor to Foreign Policy Digest.
