Kashmir Dichotomy!

Why is it such a big problem for Indian Government to resolve the Kashmir Issue? Or for that matter, for anyone who is concerned with the cause, viz. Kashmiri pundits, Kashmir Muslims and Pakistan. The answer is the dichotomy in the approach to solve the problem.

One side of the picture, which is visible to the world, is the rightful ownership of the geographical paradise, which is Kashmir. Graced with the natural beauty, enhanced by the climatic ambiance and abundance of natural resources, makes it a great place to live and work in. Any human being in his right mind would want to inhabit such a serene and enthrallingly romantic place. And owing to its breathtaking scenery and historic heritage, it becomes a hot tourist spot as well, translating into accretion of foreign currency. Therefore, making it a lucrative job to govern the valley, for any administrative body. Anybody who rules Kashmir will no doubt be generating a huge revenue through tourism.

Also, it doesn't take an economist of the caliber of Amartya Sen, to figure out that any eco-friendly industry (apart from tourism) will be an ideal way to rejuvenate the sinking lifestyle of the inhabitants of Kashmir. The first and foremost example being the IT industry. There is a tremendous shortage of high-earning jobs in the valley of Kashmir, and the moment a Software Technology Park opens up in Srinagar or around it, in no time the focus of the wayward youth of Kashmir will be diverted towards the avenues of wealth generation instead of focusing on violent entanglements which are brought about by sheer idleness of mind.

The point is, if it sounds so simple, then why hasn't this solution been implemented so far? Why would the Government of India not take the needed steps towards these apparently easy way to the betterment of the state of affairs in the valley. This question now brings us to understanding the other side of the picture.

What could be the reason, that no government in last 60 years has been effective in finding a solution for the Kashmir problem? Why not take the route of industrialization, modernization of the valley if it can bring this perpetual problem to an end?

Based on the Indian political scenario, the only thing that comes to mind is that maybe the people who are ruling the country are not qualified enough or are deprived of the common sense, to look at the straightforward and amicable solutions. I would say, people who are in fact ruling a huge nation of diverse demographics, can't be so dumb as not to know what can bring this absolutely unproductive turmoil in the Valley of Kashmir to an end.

The dichotomy as I suggested in the very first paragraph of this article, is the need of the politicians to have some soft issues to arouse the nation's sympathies and achieve electoral victory. If there is a complete social harmony and no communal or extremist violence in the country, and if we focus on technological advancements and economic growth of our country, it render our politicians incapable of these petty thefts, by which they fill their Swiss banks accounts. Those in power, no matter how they got their, want to take the opportunity ensure a financial stability for their next ten generations to come. And they believe they can't achieve all that if they really work for the betterment of the country.

The politicians of our country, generally suffering from myopic vision, have consistently failed to see the long term benefits of engaging in healthy practices of managing the resources of our country, which can bring us at par with the countries like US and UK and can in turn improve their (politicians') standard of life too. Instead they have spent their lifetimes manipulating the major portion of our population, that is still illiterate, into believing that they are the only hope for the underprivileged. They have been twisting and bending the laws and constitution of our country to their own benefits such as burying their criminal past under the complicated intricacies of the law and generating new opportunities to commit more crimes. And they have consistently been acquiring wealth as if there was no tomorrow.And we, the citizens of India are to be blamed for giving such parasites the responsibility to run our country.

We need to understand that, for them Kashmir is not about the sentiments of the people who are the integral part of the history and geography of the Valley, it's not about bringing a status-quo, it's not even about providing a better platform for the citizens of this country to flourish on; it is just a matter of keeping some burning issues alive (like Gujarat, North-East, Reservations etc.) to keep their votebanks. So that they can get reelected to the same position and continue conning the certain segments of the people of our country as well as the whole world that we are abreast with the developed nations, and the credit goes to our most able leaders, when internally we all know that we are rotting because of the inadequate administration and governance.

The icing on the cake is the fact that now even some Kashmiri pundits have joined the rat race to gain political control over the Valley and are demanding a separate state, which they claim is the right solution to the problem. Kashmiri pundits, who are not even 10% of the population of the Valley claim themselves as representing the entire state and being capable of governing it independently. This is a stark indication of the politicization of a sensitive issue of reinstating harmony in a disturbed state. And as long as the unreasonable greed of these corrupted human beings is not satiated, we will never be able to achieve a good solution to this problem.

In my view, the only good solution to the problem is the end of political propaganda, which has been carried on, on the expense of innocent Kashmiris, who could never understand that they were always being used for a cause that had nothing to do with the improvement of their lives. And a more vigilant involvement on our part, in exercising our rights of choosing the right people to lead our country.