Kashmir & Contradictions

There is no simple solution to the Kashmir impasse. What seems clear is that the present stand of the Indian Govt. is a trifle contradictory. In international fora, mediation is rejected on the grounds that Pakistan and India have agreed to resolve the Kashmir dispute bilaterally. When Pakistan approaches India for talks, it is told that Kashmir is an internal matter (despite India’s own claim to “Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir”). Within India, however, Kashmir is treated like a colony, unworthy of democratic rights. It is no wonder that the Indian Government’s attempts to entice the State into the national fold has failed to strike a chord with the Kashmiri people.                                                                                                                                                                                                           (Hindu, March 29, 2000)