FDL - AP Archives: "Advantages of Independent Jammu-Kashmir"
Keeping in view a number of historical facts and the current situtaion in Jammu & Kashmir, one reaches the clear conclusion that the best and most logical solution of the Kashmir issue is to re-unite Indian and Pakistani controlled parts of Jammu Kashmir State ( the Vale of Kashmir, Jammu, Ladakh, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan) and make it a fully independent country having friendly relations with both India and Pakistan. An independent Jammu & Kashmir can be a neutral country and act as a bridge between India and Pakistan. This would be the best, practicable, equitable, democratic and permanent solution of the issue.
Unless the Jammu & Kashmir dispute is resolved a nuclear war in South Asia seems imminent.
Jammu & Kashmir has been an independent country for about three-fourths of its history. A unique culture and identity exists which incorporates the diversity of all the sub-units of J&K. In, short Jammu & Kashmi was and is a nation.
According to a gallop poll conducted by a famous Indian national weekly, Outlook, in 1995, 72 percent of the people interviewed in Kashmir Valley stand for complete independence.
Although the percentage of pro-independence people in the entire State may not be that high, the majority of people in the State are also pro-independence.
The founding-fathers of both India and Pakistan stand committed to complete independence of Kashmir. Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru of India declared on August 9, 1951 and Indian representative Mr Gopala Swami Ayengar declared from the rostrum of UN Security Council on Jan. 15, 1948 that India fully recognised Kashmiris' right to complete independence whereas the father of Pakistani nation Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah's policy statements of June 17, July 11, and 30 of 1947 fully recognised Kashmiris' right to independence.
Jammu & Kashmir has historically been independent and for a good reason - its geography. With the highest mountains in the world suroounding it, Jammu & Kashmir is naturally isolated from India and Pakistan. Therefore, a re-unified Jammu & Kashmir is naturally defended. It could be a neutral territory and would be viable from a security point of view.
Once it is re-united and independent, Kashmir has the potential of becoming the most prosperous and advanced country in the entire region within a short period of time through eco-tourism and technology-based development. An independent Jammu & Kashmir is therefore economically viable.
Kashmiris are a politically conscious people with overall literacy rate far higher than that of India and Pakistan.
The population of the State is more than the individual populations of as many as 127 UN member nations and its area larger than that of 97 of them.
In an era of economic globalization, borders mean less and less statregically and economically. Indian and Pakistani concerns over security and water rights from Jammu & Kashmir would be ensured by a series of treaties and the creation of a tri-partite permanent monitoring commission. Therefore the national interests of India and Pakistan would be met, while honoring the national rights of the people of Jammu & Kashmir to have their sovereignty.
The injustice meted out in the last 50 years has alienated the people of Jammu & Kashmir from both India and Pakistan - so much so that independence is the only acceptable solution to the conflict.
and without causing serious administrative problems.
Solving the Jammu & Kashmir problem with eliminate the need for the governments of india and pakistan to allocate huge portions of their annual budget to defence spending, thus diverting precious resources away from economic development.
What is all the more important, this solution will demolish the wall of animosity standing between India and Pakistan which has been eating into the very vitals of both of them and will build a bridge of friendship between the two.
dawn of a new peaceful, prosperous and glorious era for both India and Pakistan and benefit rest of the world indirectly but will also rid 13 million Kashmiris of the continuous agony that they have been in for the last half a century. All that India and Pakistan will have to do to achieve this all-important objective is to part with the territories of Jammu Kashmir now under their respective control. This price is not even one-thousandth part of what India and Pakistan will get in return in the shape of permanent peace, prosperity and glory.
With such sound facts in its favour, isn't the independence of Jammu Kashmir State the best and the most justified solution of the issue?