ArmchairGeneral
Regular Member
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- Nov 7, 2014
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I think Indians and Pakis need to look to the example of Northern Ireland. Both in peace and in war.
Now, northern ireland and kashmir conflict bear similarities in countless ways:
- They involve two countries, with one being a breakaway of the other (UK/Ireland and India/Pak)
- They involve an element of religion (Catholic/Protestant and Muslim/Hindu)
- They involve partition on sectarian lines (NI was created as a gerrymandered state for protestant unionists)
- Both involve militancy between rival groups and state involvement/collusion (IRA/UVF and LeT/Ikhwan)
- Both were triggered by seemingly innocuous things - The Troubles by a civil rights march, and the insurgency by a rigged election
Now, the one area where they differ is the sectarian angle. In NI, it was the minority (republicans) fighting against the majority (loyalists with state support) for an end to the occupation. The society of NI is still described as "self-imposed apartheid",with catholic and protestant neighbourhoods being seperated by bunkers, barbed wire and "peace walls".
Whereas in JK, the people of Jammu and Ladakh although support India, they have never taken arms against the Kashmiris who largely support Pak.
My solution is in two parts: violent and non-violent.
The first part is simple. Raise and fund as many pro-Indian militias as possible. Some should be formed of renegade militants, some should be raised by Pandits and funded by RSS (who the IA should arm and hide weapons in their settlements). Some should be ethnic Dogra hindu/sikh/muslim based militias with RSS and IA backing, and there should also be Ladakhi Shia militias, possibly with Iranian Basiji/Hizbollah training.
These should fight co-ordinated campaigns to put an end to sunni-Kashmiri domination.The aim would be simple: make the cost of anti-India too high to continue. This will also help our army focus more on the LoC, hence also stopping cross-border nonsense.
Then once the aggressors have no option but to sue for peace, a Northern Ireland-style agreement would be most advantageous to India, one where there are four sets of agreements: Between India-Pak, India-Kashmir, Pak-Kashmir and Cross-LoC-Kashmirs. In an ideal situation (after referendum in each region), Gilgit-Baltistan will be given constitutional status in Pakistan, Jammu and Ladakh will be fully integrated into India, while Kashmir and PoK will continue to hold onto autonomous status in their respective nations. There will be agreements of free trade and semi-free movement within the region (all assuming militancy has stopped). Hence Pakistan will permanently give up claims to Jammu and Ladakh, India will permanently give up claims to Gilgit-Baltistan and the two Kashmirs will be able to join the other country in the future if a majority ever demands it.
Now, northern ireland and kashmir conflict bear similarities in countless ways:
- They involve two countries, with one being a breakaway of the other (UK/Ireland and India/Pak)
- They involve an element of religion (Catholic/Protestant and Muslim/Hindu)
- They involve partition on sectarian lines (NI was created as a gerrymandered state for protestant unionists)
- Both involve militancy between rival groups and state involvement/collusion (IRA/UVF and LeT/Ikhwan)
- Both were triggered by seemingly innocuous things - The Troubles by a civil rights march, and the insurgency by a rigged election
Now, the one area where they differ is the sectarian angle. In NI, it was the minority (republicans) fighting against the majority (loyalists with state support) for an end to the occupation. The society of NI is still described as "self-imposed apartheid",with catholic and protestant neighbourhoods being seperated by bunkers, barbed wire and "peace walls".
Whereas in JK, the people of Jammu and Ladakh although support India, they have never taken arms against the Kashmiris who largely support Pak.
My solution is in two parts: violent and non-violent.
The first part is simple. Raise and fund as many pro-Indian militias as possible. Some should be formed of renegade militants, some should be raised by Pandits and funded by RSS (who the IA should arm and hide weapons in their settlements). Some should be ethnic Dogra hindu/sikh/muslim based militias with RSS and IA backing, and there should also be Ladakhi Shia militias, possibly with Iranian Basiji/Hizbollah training.
These should fight co-ordinated campaigns to put an end to sunni-Kashmiri domination.The aim would be simple: make the cost of anti-India too high to continue. This will also help our army focus more on the LoC, hence also stopping cross-border nonsense.
Then once the aggressors have no option but to sue for peace, a Northern Ireland-style agreement would be most advantageous to India, one where there are four sets of agreements: Between India-Pak, India-Kashmir, Pak-Kashmir and Cross-LoC-Kashmirs. In an ideal situation (after referendum in each region), Gilgit-Baltistan will be given constitutional status in Pakistan, Jammu and Ladakh will be fully integrated into India, while Kashmir and PoK will continue to hold onto autonomous status in their respective nations. There will be agreements of free trade and semi-free movement within the region (all assuming militancy has stopped). Hence Pakistan will permanently give up claims to Jammu and Ladakh, India will permanently give up claims to Gilgit-Baltistan and the two Kashmirs will be able to join the other country in the future if a majority ever demands it.