Musings into Kashmir, neighbourhood and beyond after the revocation of Article 370

First of all, as a political observer, yours truly will try to be as dispassionate and neutral as possible on the emotive issue of the recent Indian move on Jammu and Kashmir.

The move to revoke Article 370 of the Indian Constitution has ended the special status given for the state thus far. This means Indian citizens from outside the Kashmir Valley can purchase land, establish businesses and marry with local women without the latter having to lose special rights that they enjoy as the local citizens of Kashmir. Social media is already abuzz with Indian youths' plans to marry women from Kashmir. Perhaps a little bit of restraint and respect for a woman to choose her partner will do these people no harm. 

On the contrary, it will do the Indian Union a huge amount of good.    

Apparently, the move, in the eyes of the Indian state, is also meant to bring about deeper integration of J&K into the Indian Union. 

If the union were really serious about deeper integration, it could have taken the move by taking the people of the valley into confidence instead of imposing a curfew of sorts by cutting off phone lines, confining local leaders to house arrests, deploying a huge number of security personnel and not even allowing small groups to gather on the streets. With life going on uninterrupted, India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval could have feasted on local Kashmir delicacies with other local people, instead of having to chat and have lunch with some local locals with shuttered shops in the background. In that case, Kashmiri peoples living around the world would not have to fear for the security of their kith and kin locked down at their respective homes. 

India has reiterated that it's an internal matter, having already rejected mediation offers coming from US President Donald Trump (Wish our leaders could take similar tough stance regarding national interest in our dealings with neighbours and other powerful countries/groupings). Even if it were, the issue has transnational dimensions, to say the least. With the hawkish Home Minister Amit Shah already declaring that Jammu and Kashmir mentioned in his speech also means Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Aksai Chin -- isn't that some sort of a war cry -- the Narendra Modi government has made it loud and clear that things will not cool down that soon. 

Amid the escalation of tensions, marked also by Pakistan's act of downgrading diplomatic ties with its arch rival, what can the world body, the United Nations, do? The UN may surely have meddled if smaller countries were involved. Since it involves a matter concerning nuclear-armed giants like India, China and Pakistan, all it can do is express concern about rising tensions in Kashmir and call on the parties to exercise restraint, it appears. 

Can neighbouring countries like Nepal play any role to diffuse the tension? Nepal needs to be especially wary because both increased bonhomie and conflicts between neigbhours have harmed its interests. For example, when India lost the 1962 war with China, Indian troops retreated bravely to the Lipulek region, which remains captured till date. About four years ago, when India and China agreed to use the region for bilateral trade, Nepal again got a raw deal with no recognition of her sovereignty.  

We may not be able to do much, given that our own house is not in order, but we need to be extra cautious and switch to the mode of watching the developments keenly.     

Text: Devendra Gautam
Picture: Google Map