Last month, India and Pakistan celebrated 67 years of independence. It was in August of 1947 when after a long and protracted struggle, the British decided to leave and partitioned off what was then their colony into the two countries of today. In those tumultuous days, the northern province known as Kashmir fell victim to the animosity generated as a result of partition, and today many Kashmiris consider themselves enslaved and at the wrong end of the stick. But that has not stopped many Kashmiris from seeking their independence. Earlier this year, Dr. Ghulam Nabi Fai, Secretary General of the World Kashmir Awareness body, while addressing American policy makers in the US announced a six-point agenda to set the stage for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. In the seminar entitled “Kashmir: A reminder to the American policy makers”, Dr. Fai in elaborating on his proposal suggested that: The conflict over Kashmir cannot be resolved through military means. The Kashmir issue must be recognized as a political issue and has to be resolved through political means. There has to be a cease-fire from all sides during negotiations. Negotiations cannot be carried out at a time when the concerned parties are killing each other. Dr. Fai added that the talks must be tripartite between India, Pakistan and the genuine leadership of the people of Kashmir. There cannot be and should not be any condition from any party, other than a commitment to non-violence and to progressive and fruitful negotiations. These negotiations should be initiated simultaneously at four different levels, including: (1) an intra-Kashmir dialogue between the leadership of the Kashmiri political resistance, and the leadership of Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and the leadership of minority groups in Kashmir; (2) talks between the government of India and Pakistan; (3) talks between the governments of India, Pakistan and the Kashmiri leadership; (4) talks between India, Pakistan, Kashmir, China and the United States. Dr. Fai also recommended that there should be third party facilitation to make sure that the talks between India, Pakistan and the Kashmiri leadership remain focused to the subject. The third party facilitator could be a person of international standing, like Nobel Laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa or Dr. Kofi Annan of Ghana or Mr. Kjell Magne Bondevik, former Prime Minister of Norway, or Ms. Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner on Human Rights.
Dr. Fai added that there had been various rounds of talks between India and Pakistan, including the summit between Dr. Manmohan Singh and Mian Nawaz Sharif in New York in September 2013 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. These talks, said Dr. Fai, took place because there is a deeper engagement of the United States with both New Delhi and Islamabad. There is also a realization that the time has come for both countries to address all the issues and areas of potential conflict including the issue of Kashmir. Dr. Fai emphasized that the people of Kashmir support the talks between India and Pakistan. Such talks in the past have promoted understanding and mutual respect between these two neighboring countries. They created an atmosphere of reconciliation and normalization. "But talks without any defined parameters and talks which are not time bound and result oriented are not going to lead us anywhere. If there is no breakthrough in the thought processes, if there is no change in the mindset, then talks between India and Pakistan even if at the summit level will not guarantee peace in the region of South Asia," emphasized Dr. Fai. Quoting a survey conducted earlier, Dr. Fai said that 78 percent of the people of Kashmir opted for independence. Such a nation where the sentiments crying for independence are on the increase cannot remain subjugated for ever, Dr. Fai told his audience. Dr. Fai concluded by reminding President Obama to listen to Candidate Obama who said on October 30, 2008 that “We should probably try to facilitate a better understanding between Pakistan and India and try to resolve the Kashmir crisis.” Perhaps President Obama has a lot on his plate today demanding attention with hot spots everywhere in the world. But shouldn't Kashmir deserve one section on that crowded plate?
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