The asymmtery in Indian policy stance is not a position of weakness. India being a secular state has to rise above the religious angst even while Pakistan galvanizes support via religious exhortation, terming it political, even while it is blatantly Islamic.
The Kashmir issue has served the purpose of uniting rest of India and retain its firmly founded secular ethos. Any sensible reading of the situation would infer that Indian stance has won acceptance of all major nations barring China.
The impasse presently at the LOC has no military situation. It is with this premise, a moving forward outlook is necessary.
Re: Indian stand so far has international legitimacy
by Ramesh on Aug 22, 2014 08:05 AM
The territory abstraction needs to be more nuanced in such analysis. It is better to differentiate between access to territory and its political domain. The private owners of land have real concern about second part.
If a formal division, unites the two nations, and creates a common market, as Mr. M J Akbar has written earlier about, recognition of LOC, per Shimla agreement, as a quasi-legal status, would atleast put the explosive issue in the backburner, thereby making way to prioritize development. The separatist would be shunted aside, so be it.
The main point is do we need any kind of relationship with Pakistan. Granted they don't want to relent even a nano millimeter from their stand why should we bother at all. Irrespective of any dialogue it is never going to lead to any kind of agreement and even if it does so they will never honor it. So we have to be ever vigilant and defend ourselves. Let us at least spare the farce of a dialogue.Best thing is to ignore them on all counts and severe all connections with them.
INDIA need not waste its time with Pakistan on Kashmir issue. There are more than one power centers in PAkistan, with different objectives for their own reasons. What is a long pending issue may get forgotten over a period of time , it is like caste issue in india. Let Army deal with border issues& infiltations as is being done now. Politicians perpetuate it. for without issues. You cannot. Emotionally fool. People.
Re: TALKS with. PAKISTAN
by P Dutta on Aug 22, 2014 07:50 AM
Likewise India need not waste time on Hurriyat, the pet dogs of ISI who are fed by ISI to bark incessaantly on their fellow Kashmiris in order to keep them constantly under threat. Their real homeland is Pakistan where they all they have been getting married or getting their sons/daughters married. In view of their close proximity with Pakistan, it will be in their own interest that they move to Pakistan permanently. However, they are cunning enough to enjoy the loyalty to Pakistan on the one hand and the freedom (of speech and nefarious activities) imparted to them by the Indian constitution. In any Muslim country they would have been beheaded or stoned to death for treason long back. India at least should arrange to dispatch them to their homeland first by persuasion failing which all of them should be taken a hilltop and thrown in Pakistan territory so that peace-loving Kashmiris be partners in and enjoy the development agenda of Kashmir that is in the offing under the present Delhi Govt.
Good concise and clear small article on Kashmir...but dont forget that pak has paid huge for this ridiculous obsession called Kashmir. It today stands as the biggest terror spreading country in the world with no worth mentioning industry to its credit.
Pakistan is basically a scheming country with no scruples for diplomatic niceties. It behaves like a sizophrenic personality with unpredictable behaviour to spite India at every International forum.Despite its own troubles home it thinks if they ferment trouble in kashmir they can divert attention of home crowd.It is repeatedly violating cease fire&hence it is high time India calls the bluff of Pakistan & call off any kind of connectionas as it practices cloak & dagger policy.
