A 100 years Stand-off ?

Only yesterday , our PM Man Mohan Singh declared in the UN General Assembly ,

Ø  State of “ Jammu and Kashmir “ is an integral part of India

Ø  There will be no compromise with the territorial integrity of India

Ø  The only basis for negotiations is Simla Agreement

Ø  India does not recognize earlier UN resolutions as a basis

On earlier day , Pak PM Nawaz Sharif had raised the Kashmir issue in the General Assembly during his speech ( I presume repeating earlier UN resolution re conducting a plebiscite ! )

Over the past 65 years , following opinions have been expressed ,

Ø  Various Indian Prime Ministers :

Ditto as Man Mohan Singh

Ø  Various Pak Prime Ministers :

Ditto as Nawaz Sharif

Ø  Right Wing political parties on both sides :

Let us invade the enemy country ( ala Israel ? ) and re-occupy our lost territory

Ø  Separatists on both the sides :

We want an independent country of Kashmir

Ø  Farooq Abdullah :

We must resolve Kashmir issue thru dialogue with Pakistan

Ø  Omar Abdullah :

Kashmir only “ Acceded “ to India. It has never “Merged” with India

Ø  Vasant Sathe :

The only workable solution is to convert existing LoC to an International Border between India and Pakistan

Ø  Sundry ordinary citizens :

Make both parts of Kashmir , a UN governed territory , where people of both India and Pakistan can travel freely ( without passports ) as “ Tourists “ – and get a warm welcome by people of Kashmir 

Rhetoric ( meant for public consumption ) apart , one thing ought to be clear to people – and politicians - of both the countries that any attempt to re-occupy the territory “ lost “ to the enemy ( ? ) country thru an armed invasion , would result in an all-out Nuclear War , which will,

Ø  Kill millions of innocent citizens

Ø  Get halted by American / Russian / Chinese intervention

I hope this realization looms large when Sharif / Singh meet today in New York

Vasant Sathe’s suggestion may prove to be the only practical – and peaceful , solution

It appears to me that only other Indian with a moral courage to translate this suggestion into pragmatic action , is Rahul Gandhi !

Or else , prepare for a 100 years stand-off !

·          hemen  parekh  (  29  Sept  2013  )