Guest guest Posted November 3, 2003 Report Share Posted November 3, 2003 "Kashmir Valley Proposal could kill two birds" A powerful bomb ripped through "Zaveri Bazaar" of Bombay a few days ago that killed more than 50 people and injured over 150. Security officials have confirmed the use of lethal RDX in the bomb, while India's Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani put the blame on Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, a pro-Pakistan Kashmiri militant group. Pakistan denied the accusation. Despite this and other atrocities, relations between India and Pakistan have been improving in recent months. Even though the peace process, which dissipated when the two nuclear-armed nations nearly went to war over an attack on the Indian Parliament in late 2001, inches forward at snail's pace, there is new hope for the Kashmir valley solution. Diplomatic ties have been restored, buses are crossing the border and officials are talking about resuming air links. What caught my imagination is the metaphorical aspect of the word "valley" to cobble this witty solution that is more of a pipe dream since it kills two birds with one stone. Having lived in all four regions of the United States during the last thirty plus years, I find both the natural and the man-made valleys of this country to be equally beautiful. Whether it is Silicon Valley in the west or Tennessee Valley in the south and others throughout this great country, these valleys are not only gorgeous to look at, but more importantly, powerful engines of wealth. In contrast, the conflict over the Kashmir valley is not only destroying the valley itself but is also thwarting both nations' progress by shying away foreign investors. Both countries direly need such foreign investment to make fu rther progress. One could argue that this simplistic view is flawed since the citizens of those two nations only see the problem from the inside with eyes that have seen hundreds of years of cultural and religious clashes. Still, their leaders do have an external view that is not very pretty considering the rampant poverty, illiteracy, backwardness and intolerance in both countries. After all, both India and Pakistan have plenty of land to build dream valleys away from the Kashmir valley if they were to expand their economies with the same flair as they do their animosities. Considering the enormity of the situation due to its nuclear war threat, should this Kashmir conflict be allowed to stay in abeyance? Three possible scenarios come to my mind as a way out of this predicament. In the first scenario, India and Pakistan must work out a new border understanding with America as the arbiter. Since the older, region specific strategies have changed drastically, I believe both India and Pakistan can be convinced of a fair arbitration by America to reach a lasting Kashmir agreement in clear view of the river waters as much as the juicy aid-plums that are the hallmark of America's foreign policy. One can envision joint patrolling and monitoring of Line of Control (LoC) between the two countries by Pakistani, Indian and American Forces. My challenge and purpose for writing this piece is in the articulation of the next two scenarios. These second and third options could put either country under great stress but they also have a windfall in store for the nation that shows the needful courage. Either India or Pakistan may choose to give up the entire Kashmir region to the other country in return for substantial aid from America to build its Silicon/Tennessee style dream-valleys to offset the loss of the Kashmir valley. It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that whichever country chooses to give up the Kashmir valley could very easily end up on the fast track to progress. In the case of India, it should expect to lift its more than 500-million poor from their sufferings as a result. For Pakistan, the progress should dry up the cesspool of Muslim militancy that its President Pervez Musharraf rightly observed to have "undermined Islam to a level that people of the world associate it with illiteracy, backwardness, and intolerance." If we were to use the yardstick of political and religious sentiments, one may find India to be the country with a demeanor more prone to detaching itself from Kashmir than Pakistan. This is so because the guiding philosophy for most Indians - the Bhagavad Gita, delves at length into detachment as a way to Nirvana. But I have a funny feeling that given the choice of a Silicon/Tennessee Valley-like substitution, both India and Pakistan may opt to give up the Kashmir Valley - a political situation that one could never imagine considering the hatred filled histories of these two countries. Now, that can pose another funny situation: if not Pakistan or India, which country would take hold of the entire Kashmir valley? I don't believe China or America would have much interest - perhaps we could make Palestine out of it and solve that burning issue at the same time. Hopefully, PLO will embrace it with additional American-aid and I am sure Israel will pitch in if need be. As a super-power, America has a unique position and the important role of peacemaker. Only its "aid-carrot" is needed to do the initial trick for the "big-stick" is well in sight of the entire world, to see and admire (and fear as well!). Dave Anand For my eBook, please visit: <A HREF="http://www.peoplesuperhighway.com/">http://www.PeopleSuperHighway.com</A> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.