Retributions  

Why liberals don’t get it.

The liberal position on Kashmir is simply this: India has tried its best in Kashmir. It has organized free and fair elections in 2002; transferred power to local representatives; and invested billions of dollars in Kashmir. Yet, Kashmiri awam remains disenchanted with India. All it takes is a small spark to rekindle the fire of azadi–multiple interpretations of it notwithstanding..

Here is what is wrong with it: Not only it does not account for Pakistan’s involvement in Kashmir which goes much beyond offering political and moral support, it is blithely ignorant of the fact that the core of the separatist movement has always been staunchly Islamist which looks towards Pakistan not because it is paradise on earth (surely, Geelani and company cannot be that ignorant), but simply because it is an Islamc country. Sure, there may be ”moderates” within the Huriyat, but Kashmiri Pandits were forced out when the so-called secular and independent minded Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) was the dominant force in Kashmir. The movement may have taken a more distinctly Islamist turn after the influx of foreign militants, but the real driver has always been religion.

Why is this important? Because short of declaring India part of Islamic caliphate, there is little New Delhi can do to reconcile their interests with India’s. Because liberals ignore this simple fact, thy naively believe that Kashmir can be reclaimed simply by correcting mistakes of the past and providing good governance. And when they see that there is no reconciliation despite these steps, Kashmir fatigue ensues.

Now, India must provide good governance in Kashmir. It must respect human rights and it absolutely must hold free and fair elections. Because it is morally obliged to do so as long as Kashmiris continue to hold Indian passports. And it might win a few fence sitters too. But that alone is never going to be enough.

It is a battle of ideas and it must be fought strategically keeping the national interest supreme. What that means on ground is that it whether Kashmir remains part of India must be decided on whether it benefits the Indian nationhood. For now, at least, the answer is clear enough.