Author: P R Chari
Hasan Askari Rizvi/Rashid Ahmed Khan
Publisher: Samskriti
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 128
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8187374633
Description
The Kashmir dispute has dominated India-Pakistan relations since they became independent in 1947. Kashmir was the prescient cause and/or the major theatre of operations in the wars and conflicts fought by India and Pakistan in 1947-48, 1965, 1971 and 1999.
The centrality of Kashmir in India-Pakistan relations and the need for their search for normalization to take cognizance of the Kashmir issue needs no further emphasis. Kashmir is also India’s most enduring internal security problem, which has existed from the moment of its independence. Pakistan believes that Kashmir is its most important external security problem.
The difficulties in pursuing various solutions that have been advocated in the last six decades strengthen the case for making it permeable. In this manner, the sanctity of the border would not be violated, but making it irrelevant would provide a human face to their Kashmir policy without getting entrapped in controversial sovereignty issues.
A further advantage in this policy to soften the border would be that it accords primacy to the interests of the local population and their emotional needs to re-establish familial and commercial linkages with the divided parts of the erstwhile princely Kashmir state.
Give the rigidities and political problems on both sides, the idea of making the Loc irrelevant skirts these sensitive but seminal issues within India and Pakistan: hence both countries would find them agreeable.
Contents
Preface
Prologue
An Introduction
Chapter I
Mindset in Concrete
Chapter 2
Is the Peace Process Irreversible?
Chapter 3
Backdrop to “Making Borders Irrelevant”
Chapter 4
Constituencies Supporting and Opposing these Proposals
Chapter 5
Ecommendations and Conclusions
Chapter 6
Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh: Survey Report
Chapter 7
Azad Jammu and Kashmir: Survey Report
APPENDICES
Appendix I - Simla Agreement 1972
Appendix II – Manmohan Singh’s speech on launch of Amritsar-Nankana Sahib Bus Service
Appendix III - Strengthening Relations across the Line of Control
Appendix IV – Kashmir: The Economics of Peace Building
Appendix V – Kashmir: Present Situation and Future prospects
Note on Authors