How to Resolve the Kashmir Conflict?

A recent militant suicide attack on a convoy of CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) in Pulwama, Kashmir has jolted India. Total 44 CRPF soldiers died in this attack. This is one of the deadliest attacks on Indian armed forces in the history of Kashmir insurgency. Majority of the Indians, who are now very nationalistic, are very angry and demanding a total war with Pakistan. Social media is awash with such demands. They want government to take revenge. Modi government has decided to avoid calls for this war.

The violence and bloodshed is going on for decades in Kashmir. It is sad that people are losing their dear ones and loved ones. If Indians want to end this violence and bloodshed then they must objectively analyze this conflict.  

As historically known, Kashmir conflict is a classic case of ‘property dispute’. In human society conflicts arise because of scarcity. When more than one people stake their claim on a given scarce resource, in this case the land of Kashmir, conflict is inevitable. There is only one Kashmir and three different parties are staking their claim on it. Kashmiris are saying that Kashmir is theirs and so it must become an independent nation. Pakistani government is saying that Kashmir is theirs, and Indian government is saying that it is theirs. This conflict will only get resolved when one of these parties will be unanimously declared a legitimate owner of Kashmir. There is no other solution. Without going into the discussion of who is the legitimate owner of Kashmir here, we discuss various ways open in front of Indians to end this conflict.  

There are only two ways in which we humans can resolve our conflicts. First is the way of argumentation – defined as a discussion in which reasons are advanced for and against some proposition or proposal and/or a course of reasoning aimed at demonstrating a truth or falsehood; the methodical process of logical reasoning - i.e., talks between conflicting parties. The second way is that of war. The first way is the way of peaceful resolution and the second of war and destruction. The first way is used by civilized, cultured and rational people who exhibit high level of maturity in their thoughts and actions. The second way is the way of uncivilized irrational brutes who exhibit animal instincts. 

As discussed above, there are only these two ways open in front of Indians, and all other conflicting parties, to resolve the Kashmir conflict. If they will talk with other contesting parties and find out a peaceful solution then we will see no further bloodshed. No mother and father will then lose their child, no sister will lose her brother, no wife will lose her husband and no children will lose their father. But if Indians want war, like what most are demanding right now, then they must prepare themselves for the ultimate destruction of their beloved country. They must get ready to sacrifice not only their own lives, but the lives of their dear and loved ones too. They must get ready to lose everything that they hold dear today. This is because modern nation state wars are total wars. India and Pakistan both are nuclear armed countries. Any war between them will likely be a nuclear holocaust. 

The final choice of which way to use to resolve the Kashmir conflict lies with the Indians. If they choose to talk then they will have peace and prosperity that comes with it. If they choose war then they will have a war and ultimate destruction that comes with it.