Tensions Escalate: NDTV Reports on Kashmir Conflict
The Kashmir conflict has resulted in immense human suffering, with the people of Kashmir bearing the brunt of the violence and instability, and it is imperative that both India and Pakistan take steps to address the grievances of the Kashmiri people and work towards a peaceful resolution, with the international community, including the UN, playing a crucial role in facilitating dialogue and negotiations between the two nations.
Pakistan Army's violation of the ceasefire for the sixth consecutive night in J&K's Pargawal sector has led to a significant escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan, with Indian troops responding effectively to the firing, amidst a backdrop of plummeting ties between the two nations following the recent attack in Kashmir.
The conflict over Kashmir has been ongoing for nearly four decades, resulting in over 70,000 deaths, 10,000 disappearances, and 200,000 Kashmiri Pandits displaced since the 1989 uprising against Indian rule. The recent massacre of 11 Hindu pilgrims in a Kashmiri meadow has sparked tensions between the two nations, with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowing to "identify, track, and punish" the perpetrators behind the attack.
The situation has been further complicated by Pakistan's Information Minister accusing India of preparing to launch an attack, and the UN Secretary-General condemning the attack and urging both countries to avoid a confrontation. The conflict has destroyed the facade of normality in the region, which had been sustained by tourism, and has led to a growing resentment among the people of Kashmir, who have had little or no say in their future.
Human rights activists, journalists, and politicians in the region face harsh anti-terror laws, and surveillance is at its highest since the start of the armed insurgency in the late 1980s. The Indian government has ruled Kashmir directly since 2018, with a governor appointed by Delhi, and the elected chief minister has been rendered titular, while Pakistan, which rules the other half of Kashmir, is saddled with multiple problems, including a military hold on power that has crippled the country economically and politically.
As the situation continues to deteriorate, there is a growing need for India to begin the long-overdue process of consultation with the Kashmiri people, and for Pakistan to support such an initiative to break the cycle of forever war over Kashmir, and to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict that has plagued the region for decades.