ArmchairGeneral
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sir, this is very enlightening. thanks for inputIf Kashmir problem would have been solved by us discussing, I sincerely believe it wouldn't have lasted this long. But as we are to discuss how to resolve the issue, we need to understand the backdrop of it all. So here's my take with a small personal experience, which I gained during my visit there, last year.
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Well, I've read a thing or two about Kashmir and been there last year for a long tour.Please be specific about the thread. Is it about only Kashmir valley, comprising Indian Kashmir and Azad Kashmir (PO Kashmir) or the entire state of J&K? J&K is not a monolith rather a completely diverse land.Jammu people are mostly Hindus thus prefer to stay in India and so are Ladakhis who are mainly Buddhists. WIth Jammu region and Ladakh out of the equation let's come to the other side of the Jawahar Tunnel, the Valley of Kashmir.
The Valley of Kashir too is again diverse, though mostly Sunnis but has Shia dominated pockets. Shias are equally indecisive about the fate of Kashmir.If you cross Sonamarg, the Muslims there speaks Gujjari due to their origin from Himachali side. Historically too,even Gilgit-Baltistan is way more closely related to Ladakh region than Kashmir Valley itself. But majority of the Kashmiris of both sides see themselves as Kashmiris rather than Indian or Pakistanis. Last year during my extensive tour mixed with lot of poor downtrodden people there. And found them confused to the last bit. They need India, in their words, so that their food and other materials supplies are not hampered and they feel closely knit with Pakistanis due to their religion. That's a tough choice no doubt. If you are a tourist, they'll virtually indicate that they stand with India and one of the SBI Branch manager, I had dealt with indeed said "Kashmir to Kanyakumari, we are one", I was delighted to hear it, but actually he was trying to be nice and wanted to make me comfortable, and that's it.
So, basically they have been caught between a rock and a hard place. Kashmiris for sure know that we wouldn't take our hands off them (until a UPA3UPA4 type comes with a full majority in both Loksabha and Rajyasabha, and I even shudder to think that) and also it would be much difficult for them to survive in a Pakistani Kashmir, but religion is a strong attachment and the likes of Geelani, Mirwaiz Omar Farooq and Yasin Malik still has considerable clout among the masses and youth. But deep inside they want freedom from both India and Pakistan but favorable doles from Indian side, preferably.
The youth in Kashmir are a complete confused state of limbo you can definitely say. Their parents, who have mostly seen the hard days of late eightees and nineties, inculcate a deep sense of antipathy towards the State of India. Mistakes after mistakes of the past State Governments and Union Govt. (barring AVB period from 1998 to 2004) enhanced this state of limbo and created a deeper paranoia among the masses. Starting from Nehru's self-defeating UN intervention call to the famous (or INFAMOUS) Lal Chowk declaration (http://www.kashmirawareness.org/Article/View/5804/nehrus-promise) to massively rigged/subterfudged election of Abdullah in 1987 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jammu_and_Kashmir_Legislative_Assembly_election,_1987#cite_note-12) and to keeping the people of Kashmir in abject poverty. Infact a rabid India hater like Geelani too participated in Indian election system and won from Sopore seat. But in Union there was Rajiv Govt., who thought he can browbeat them all and instill his friend, Abdullah into the throne! And man he WAS WRONG!
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In Azad Kashmir (PO Kashmir Valley) I'm using the term just to corroborate that I'm taking only about Pakistan occupied Kashmir valley and not of Gilgit Baltistan, people too are exploited, kept in abject poverty but they still have a strong bond with the Pakistani establishment and Pakistanis themselves,that's their religion and that transcends to our side of the valley too. First if India needs to winover the Kashmir (as well the people of Kashmir) then it has to get on with a massive developmental plan, in an unprecedented scale. A scale that cannot be matched by the other side or LOC, then we can merely hope the situation may change. That may as well create the urgency amongst the people on the other side of the LOC, to crossover, and IMHO, that won't be such a bad thing at all. But the Union Govt. cannot go in a massive development spree because it'll be obstructed by Article 370, as private players wouldn't be able to acquire land required for such a massive development project and it simply does not have enough bandwidth to cater. So basically it's a lose-lose situation. Also for long enough Kashmir issue was kept alive by Congress Govts after Govts, as a pot boiler, so that it can be milked, as and when required and the Kashmiris haven't yet forgotten it, nor the old/middle aged Kashmiris would allow the next generation to forget it.
The one way to integrate Kashmir is the way of development and to help them in their needs of troubled times, I can bet the way Indian Army helped the people of Kashmir during the flood last year, have changed some peoples' views about them even if it is 5%, its a positive start still.And mind you in Kashmir all the Pakistani news channels are broadcasted, which spews venom towards the State of India almost all the time and runs humongous propaganda on their channels, so to believe all of them will turn favorable towards India overnight is just plain and simple stupidity. Also no question of an all powerful 'Plebiscite' comes into the picture as Pakistan never observed the first requirement of the 1948 UN Charter to move all of its troops out of Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir (http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/47(1948)) the pdf file is uploaded as well and after the Shimla Agreement of 1972 (http://www.mea.gov.in/in-focus-article.htm?19005/Simla+Agreement+July+2+1972) the requirement of UN has been practically nullified. But I am a strong votery of the Policy failure of Mrs. Indira Gandhi regarding this. In my view any sane nation, which would have had ~94,000 POW, would have gotten back their lost territories, but not India. But I'm not sure what went wrong and why a 'Nationalist Pime Minister' did not take back the entire territory of lost Kashmir is baffling, we simply lost the best opportunity we had to get back what is RIGHTFULLY ours.
The other way is that incase of a big Terrorist attack, we use the Cold start and cross the LOC and hit where it hurts most, yes in their jugular vein. If it happens within Modi's Prime Ministership, I think he would not hesitate in giving the marching orders to our Forces to cross over LOC, which Bajpayee didn't during Kargil 1999. Although I know I am putting my neck in the line in saying this, but IMHO Bajpayee did see himself more of a wide hearted statesman than a pragmatist, which is not the case with Modi, who has all signs of being an outright Pragmatis. There may be severe collateral damages, but I'm doubtful whether Pakistan would want to use their Nukes, even if Tactical, for Gilgit Baltistan region, where Shia is majority and I doubt the local Shia Balti people would oppose it. But if Pakistan uses it's Tactical Nukes on Indian assets for salvaging Gilgit Baltistan,India should reign hell upon them and although there can be a massive destruction on Indian sides, but we can make sure that they are annihilated. It may be ruthless and senseless to sound for sure, but it's about time to call their bluff, with a poker face.
in Pakistan and Kashmir valley. 
