The Only Solution For Kashmir

The foremost step in conflict resolution is accepting the existence of any conflict. The Hindu nationalist mindset in India is unwilling but forced to acknowledge by internal and external pressures, that, Kashmir is an unfinished agenda of the partition of the subcontinent in 1947. This is the first step towards a resolution of the Kashmir dispute.

The death of Burhan Wani by the hands of the Indian Army in Kashmir, sparked the recent wave of bloody protests in the Indian held Kashmir supported by demonstrations from across the line of control in Pakistan. These protests, on one hand exposed the Indian apartheid in Kashmir under their control and on the other hand globally established the Kashmir conflict as a political dispute being constantly ignored by the Indian government.

Most recently, throwing the Indian nationalist position on Kashmir in the dustbin, UN Chief, Ban ki-moon slams killings in India-held Kashmir and calls for India-Pakistan dialogue. The UNO is seemingly under intense pressure by the successful Pakistani led diplomacy which calls upon the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. The UNO is otherwise being heavily criticized for failing to resolve all issues relating to the Muslim world with an epic failure in Palestine, Libya, Syria and the list goes on. The global mainstream media  irrespective of their allegiances is forced to take notice of the plight of Kashmiris in the Indian held half of Kashmir where Indian security forces have thus far killed and maimed in-numerous Kashmiris in a freedom struggle supported by Pakistan. India is diplomatically and informatively being successfully cornered to accept the political nature of the Kashmir dispute. The global formal and informal media and diplomatic channels are on fire in efforts essentially led by Pakistan, but the blood of innocent Kashmiris shed by Indian security forces is the main fuel burning this fire.    

The Indian government is under intense public pressure from around the world to resolve the Kashmir dispute. Same pressure constitutes the reason for the Indian government's positive response to offer of talks by Pakistan. Such talks have been held in the past as well, without substantial results, but succeeded in establishing certain confidence building measures.

It is in the interest of the Pakistani government led by Nawaz Sharif to resolve the Kashmir dispute, for such a scenario would surely curtail the Pakistani security establishment's hold in the power dynamics of Pakistan. Indian government led by Narendra Modi has invested a lot of political capital in the government of Nawaz Sharif and makes no secret of this fact. Does this mean Kashmir will get Aazadi? (Freedom). Most likely not, as both India and Pakistan won't relinquish any territory under any circumstances while both countries are holding almost equal parts of Kashmir.

Another important geopolitical dimension of the Kashmir dispute is the Indo-US and Sino-Pak strategic alliances. Both these strategic alliances put the nuclear armed India and Pakistan on yet another conflict path in regard to Kashmiri territory. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC is the most important element of The Chinese One Road One Belt (OBOR) initiative.The OBOR forms a strategic and mega-economic drive by China to free it's dependence on the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca which fall under direct US influence. By linking the Chinese region of Xingjiang to the deep sea port of Gawader in Pakistan, China has already found an alternative to the trade and commerce route with the Middle Eastern region and the rest of the world. In this regard, China is in the process of investing 46 million US Dollars in Pakistan for the development of the CPEC which also passes through the Pakistani controlled territory of what was originally part of Kashmir.

The entire situation gives China an ace in global geopolitics, fast tracking her rise as a superpower. This obviously doesn't sit well with the USA,  hence India is playing the part of the USA's strategic partner to openly confront the Chinese-Pakistan designs regarding the CPEC. However, this particular scenario has brought China in the picture as a direct stake holder in the Pakistani security interests. A headache again, for India and USA for sure, but there is only a limit until you can sabotage a nation which is dedicated to making a project of such magnitude a success. Both China and Pakistan under no circumstances will back down on the CPEC. China's prestige as a regional power and her desire to become a global superpower essentially rests on the success of OBOR, as well as the result of the South China Sea dispute to which the CPEC is an alternative.  India can either join in the development as offered by China or keep nagging and waging the proxy war it has already started against the project from Afghanistan through the mercenary elements that are available there in abundance.

Re-focusing back on to the Kashmiri dispute, and its just resolution, the only viable solution is to allow free movement between both sides of Kashmir in staged phases. This is in the national interests of China, India and Pakistan however negating USA. In doing so, India may join the OBOR project through the CPEC via Kashmir linking the two biggest global economies of the world. It would not only provide relief to the human tragedies of the Kashmiri people, but would boost the regional economy too. Such a solution to the Kashmir dispute would slowly but surely diminish the decades old rivalry between China-Pakistan and India creating a stable region and bringing in global investments, not to mention the people in the most populous part of the world would be able to live, free of fear, hate and constant war mongering.

It is the only viable solution to the the Kashmir dispute provided the nationalists and hawks in both India and Pakistan give a break to their ego based and testosterone fueled decisions.