Normalcy can prevail in the Kashmir region, and it can truly be called “Heaven on Earth”. Both countries, India and Pakistan, can come together to resolve the Kashmir issue and live in relative peace and harmony, this can be done with diplomacy and bi-lateral talks.The only way for India to install sense in Pakistan is through dialogue, restraint and brotherhood.
Unfortunately if you believe this then you are living in a fool’s paradise. Here are five steps to resolve this issue in five years –
Step 1) Implement President’s rule in Kashmir area (Valley not Jammu, Ladakh). Indefinite
This will allow the Indian Army and central government to move, make changes to the required infrastructure without local-state interference. In fact, there will be no need for a state government anymore as per these steps. Implement a permanent curfew, two hours relaxed per day only. The state and civilian population are in duress and face extreme violence from terrorism and external state enemies. So Kashmir is now under President’s rule with special designation as given during times of war or calamity. This will take care of any issues arising from a legal standpoint and the central government will be able to implement the following steps below. Next, stop all cross border economic and social exchange with Pakistan, Indians and Indian government should not do business with a terrorist state. And if someone does, they should be considered aiding and abetting a terrorist (in fact someone should file a petition against the government for doing this right now, they themselves are sitting on proof that Pakistan is a terrorist state).
Step 2) Exodus of Kashmiris from Kashmir Valley. 2 years
The problem with Kashmir Valley is that there are only Kashmiris. Therefore this – due to terrorism, the local law and order apparatus has failed, they are unable to guarantee safety and security of life and property for the locals, hence Kashmiris can only get safety outside of Kashmir. Initiate a mass migration of Kashmiris into hundreds of small camps in various parts of India. This is for their own safety and to protect them from terrorists. Kashmiris living in the camps can then trickle out of these camps into regular Indian society as they get settled into these areas. Kashmiris will fit perfectly well in states of Haryana, Bihar, UP, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, MP, Orissa, and Kerala where the state, government and the people, will be more than happy to help their fellow Indians. The migrant Kashmiris will be treated very well by the locals who would ensure they are made to feel at home. Kashmiri Pundits were displaced from Kashmir because of similar reasons, so there is precedent. In Kashmir the Indian government takes over entire villages and small towns for military and government usage where the civilian infrastructure is in place only to sustain a military and government establishment. The rest of the Kashmir Valley population need to integrate within mainland India. Kashmiris will have limited rights from here on in Kashmir, similar to what Indians have in Kashmir today. They will continue to have the same rights as any Indian citizen.
Step 3) Military Infrastructure. 3 years
Improve and increase existing military infrastructure, capabilities and presence as it will be needed, both for a Pakistan and China balance. New training facilities, army and air force divisions and infrastructure catered to launch and sustain a prolonged war campaign be built. Tourism, agriculture and all other key revenue generating economic and business development should be consolidated, owned, run and controlled by the government/military. Kashmir should be a military state and so the judiciary should also be handled by military or a fast track court central government court system. The Kashmiris that remain in Kashmir are there only as part of the local military/government infrastructure and related work. Others need to move out for their own safety due to the random terrorist attacks they will face while the army is able to help them. Indian government/military owns everything in Kashmir and then leases out units of assets to citizens and companies, as they do at any military or government facility. All this can be done and Article 370 can still be intact, something that the Kashmiris will appreciate much. Basically Kashmir will become a cantonment. This can be done because now the government needs to take over Kashmir entirely due the threat of war and harm to India’s basic safety and security and so its need to annex land and resources for this purpose is legal and justified.
Step 4) Kashmir Integration. 4 years
India then moves to integrate Kashmir – Kashmir and PoK. Start by making a virtual Kashmir boarder using artillery, air power and Special Forces. Increase military activity in PoK first by removing “ceasefire” from Indian military’s vocabulary. Start with small artillery fire and then increase surgical strikes of local infrastructure in a way that it becomes normal and increases exponentially so it does not look like an aggression. Majority of the population of PoK will now be designated as terrorists by India at this point, so any place that is occupied by these terrorists should be fair game for a military strike. Use Special Forces that are inserted in the local population – painting locations systematically to gathering intelligence, all in a day’s work. Prioritizing and targeting freely any such location or setup that may be in place in Kashmir or PoK that is working against the safety and security of India or its military. Maintain this virtual setup for a forcible future and sanitize PoK to first become a DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). This will need India to neutralize other military forces present in PoK, be it PoK based military units (terrorists) or Pakistan based military. Repeats Steps 1, 2, 3 for PoK, migrating the PoK Kashmiris to Pakistan for the completion of Kashmir Integration. This will be possible as India will not be an aggressor to Pakistan, but an aggressor to its own disputed area. If both Kashmir and PoK are disputed then the military exchange will be restricted to only the disputed section and there will be no question of any party getting axed for the potential use of nuclear weapons. From India’s perspective, let’s play this small fight and the winner take all. India will make all efforts to be very restricted to only the PoK.
Step 5) Settlement. 5 years
These steps are intended for zero loss of life on innocent people and within the legal, constitutional parameters of the Kashmir state and India, using existing resources and setup. Kashmir will cease to be a regular Indian state; it will forever become a military state within India as described in step 3. It will permanently be under President’s rule. Slow, selected and equal re-settlement process, that will provide safety and security to all groups of the Kashmiri population, will be established post Kashmir Integration. A museum dedicated to Kashmir Valley and its Kashmiri population will be established in Pune. Everyone lives happily ever after.
Your comments and suggestions are welcome, will help me refine this.
Thank You
Nitin
Source: World Hindu News (WHN)