Kashmir: The Communal Factor

Abstract

It has been more than a year to the visit of All Parties Hurriyet Conference (APHC), delegation’s visit to Pakistan; yet the Kashmir issue remains bogged down in the complexities of the stands of the three parties to the dispute i.e., Pakistan, India and Kashmiris. In Pakistan, the visit of APHC delegation created quite an euphoria, however soon disappointment and frustration set in. In India, the visit made the leadership in New Delhi to be a little more flexible, yet the caution prevailed over temerity leading to the argument that any progress on Kashmir must not have a bearing on the set parameters of India’s territorial integrity. In Kashmir, particularly in the vale, the visit did raise some hope but then this optimism turned into despair as the immoderate seem to be winning the dispute against the moderates who do believe in a political dialogue as an alternate strategy to armed struggle and violence.