KASHMIR CONFLICT RESOLUTION: CHALLENGES AND
SOLUTIONS
OUTLINE:
I. Introduction:
● Thesis Statement
Although, there are enormous challenges and obstacles in
the way of Kashmir conflict resolution, however, it’s possible only when
both Pakistan and India acknowledge that Kashmir belongs to
Kashmiris, thus treat it as such.
II. The Diagnosis and Analysis of Kashmir Conflict:
1. How and why the Kashmir conflict between India and
Pakistan Started?
2. What is the Legal Status of Indian Occupied Jammu and
Kashmir? Position of India and Pakistan over Kashmir?
3. Who are the direct and indirect actors involved in the
conflict? What are the interests of the Parties?
4. Where are the dynamics of the Kashmir Conflict currently
leading? Kashmir after August 2019.
III. What makes the conflict of Kashmir Protracted that every
effort to have peace in the past failed? What are the key
challenges?
1. In the past various attempts have failed due to the
non-compromising stances of both Pakistan and India.
2. The people of Kashmir, as a potential main party to the
conflict, has never been made part of any dialogue.
3. The Issue of Kashmir has been used as political rhetoric on
both sides of the border, resulting in jingoism and
damagoguing.
Example:
a. Narendra Modi included his agenda of abolishing
Kashmir’s special status in his political manifesto to
gain popular support of Hindu nationalists in the
election.
b. In Pakistan, the incumbent government was accused of
‘selling the Kashmir to India’ after the Indian abrogation
of Article 370 and 35A of the Indian Constitution.
4. Indian growing influence in the world is preventing the
resolution of Kashmir.
Example:
a. The UAE conferred their kingdom’s Highest Civilian
Award on Indian Prime Minister Narender Modi at a
time when the whole of Kashmir was under siege.
b. Most of the Islamic countries even did not condemn the
Indian atrocities in Kashmir. The OIC inaction is
another prime example.
5. The Indian aggressive posture in foreign policy is another
obstacle preventing the Kashmir issue from resolving.
6. The growth of redical Hindu Nationalism is posing a threat to
not only Kashmiri Muslims but the Muslims of India as a
whole.
Example:
a. The Indian Citizenship Amendment Act, the Babri
Mosque verdict, and the issuance of domiciles of
Kashmir to non-kashmiris.
7. The US support is a green-light for India to conduct any
atrocity and excess with complete impunity.
8. The image of Pakistan as a sponsor of terrorism is relegating
the indigenous Kashmiri struggle to mere ‘cross-border
terrorism’.
9. The inaction of the international community is another
set-back in the Kashmir conflict resolution.
IV. How can the Kashmir Issue be solved? What solutions are
available and how to implement it?
1. Steps towards conflict resolution:
a. Pakistan must stop referring to Kashmir as their integral part.
Respect the kashmir’s Right to self-determination.
b. Pakistan should endeavor to reach the voices of Kashmiris to
the world.
c. Pakistan should improve its image in the world ensuring that
its soil is not used for terrorist activity anywhere in the world.
d. Pakistan must not use the Kashmir issue for political gains.
e. Pakistan should understand that there is no permanent friend
and foe in international affairs, thus should create space for
improving its relationship with India.
f. Pakistan’s economic independence and internal stability is
the sine qua non for the resolution of the Kashmir Issue.
g. Pakistan should bring the maximum number of Muslim
countries together to demand immediate resolution of the
Kashmir issue.
h. Pakistan should convince the US to assert pressure on India
to come to the negotiating table.
i. India has to realize that it cannot win Kashmir by the use of
force.
j. India must rethink its aggressive posture in foreign policy in
light of its deteriorating relationship with neighboring
countries.
k. India should improve its image as a democratic country from
a radical nationalistic one.
l. India must restrain its media from warmongering and
propagating hatred.
m. Talks over Kashmir should be multilateral involving the true
representatives of Kashmir.
2. Analyzing alternative solutions:
a. Indian held Kashmir becomes part of Pakistan.
b. Pakistan recognizes the status quo and the Line of Control
as an international border.
c. Indian Held Kashmir gain independence.
d. Pakistan and India divide Kashmir on the basis of
demography.
e. Pakistan and India both administer Kashmir.
3. How to implement the solution agreed upon.
a. There must be a truce between Pakistan and India over
LOC.
b. India must withdraw all its troops from Kashmir and Pakistan
must guarantee that it will not provide support to any armed
group in Kashmir.
c. UN Peacekeeping mission should ensure the implementation
of agreement.
d. Kashmir must be provided some years of prosperity and
complete autonomy to decide its future in peace without any
mental or physical duress or coercion.
e. India, under international scrutiny, should be provided with
the opportunity to improve its image in Kashmir by providing
opportunities and peace.
f. Local aspirations should then be recognized through a
plebiscite.
g. Whatever the outcome of the free and fair plebiscite may be,
it should be respected by both parties.
h. The implementation of the choice of Kashmiri must be by the
United Nation and its bodies.
V. What could be the best and worst case scenario for
conflicting parties in the Kashmir conflict?
1. If the Kashmir issue gets resolved, all three parties and the
region as a whole can benefit from it.
a. With the help of Pakistan and China, India can become a
permanent member of the UNSC.
b. India and Pakistan’s military expenditures will be reduced
and that money could be diverted to development purposes.
c. Peace in and stability of Afghanistan could be reached and
sustained.
d. Hostility in the region will be reduced as a whole.
2. In the worst case, the Kashmir issue can escalate a
full-fledged war between India and Pakistan and that could
reach the scale of nuclear war.
VI. Conclusion.
