Question

Discussion on Kashmir sounds like a property dispute between the rulers of India and Pakistan! What do the Kashmiris feel about it?

Answer 1

While bilateral diplomacy between India and Pakistan often treats Kashmir through the lens of territorial sovereignty and strategic control, the diverse populations of Jammu and Kashmir have distinct internal aspirations, political experiences, and grievances.

Diverse Perspectives Among the People of Kashmir

1. Aspiration for Peace and Democratic Dignity: The foremost desire across the valley, Jammu, and Ladakh is the cessation of decades-long armed violence, militarization, and cross-border terrorism, ensuring safety, normal civil liberties, and economic stability.
2. Sense of Alienation: Prolonged conflict, past political centralisation, human rights issues during counter-insurgency operations, and the erosion of autonomy have historically generated a profound sense of alienation among valley Kashmiris.
3. Internal Regional Diversity:
   • Kashmir Valley: The political discourse historically witnessed varying strands ranging from calls for greater regional autonomy and preservation of Kashmiriyat (composite ethno-cultural identity) to separatist tendencies.
   • Jammu Region: The predominantly Hindu and Dogra population has historically favoured complete, unconditional integration with the Indian Union and opposed Kashmiri political hegemony.
   • Ladakh Region: The Buddhist and Shia Muslim populations long demanded central administration and union territory status to escape governance domination by Srinagar.
4. Plight of Displaced Communities: The exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits in the early 1990s due to militancy highlights the tragic human dimension and the urgent need for their dignified return and rehabilitation.