Pakistan

Who can decide where and in what circumstances should Kashmiri Pandits return to the valley—whether in “exclusive colonies” or in mixed neighbourhoods?

Michael Thomas in conversation with Vinayak Razdan. 

The idea of “connectivity” appears to be the flavour of the season in Indian foreign policy. Earlier this month, the Ministry of External Affairs facilitated a high profile conference on the theme of “Asian Connectivity” (Raisina Dialogue, 1–3 March 2016).

Despite reservations about the jurisdiction and value of plebiscites, the author argues that the only way for India to get out of the current stalemate on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is to grab the bull by the horns and stop fighting a defensive battle on the issue of plebiscite. Instead of being blackmailed and terrorised at being reminded of this reneged commitment, India should be actively working towards a carefully redefined plebiscite.

The several 'formulas' for peace doing the rounds all require only the satisfaction of India and Pakistan and the approval of the US. The Kashmiris themselves have no formula to offer. It may be because of political fatigue, or perhaps there is a deeper reason, for, to Kashmiris self-determination is in terms of the whole of the old state of Jammu and Kashmir. But this old idea of collective self-determination has not been kept alive by the social and political leaderships of the ethnic/linguistic sub-regions. The voice of 'azaadi' inevitably sounds like Kashmiri particularism easily conflated by interested parties with Muslim communalism.

A close look at the Indian government's defence budget and related reports on military matters shows that while external security preparedness has slipped over the years, the Indian army has become one of the busiest peace time forces fighting its own people. This also impacts on the morale of the armed forces and creates opportunity for the emergence of particularist biases and prejudices within the forces. The changing geopolitical context of India's neighbourhood determines security perceptions and is a factor in deciding defence spending.