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October 4, 2002|Volume 31, Number 5



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Journalists discuss Kashmir's role in Central Asian crises

While it is often described as a paradise on earth because of its natural beauty, the region of Kashmir has endured enormous hardships over the years and helped bring India and Pakistan to the brink of nuclear war, said representatives from the two nations at a discussion held in the Hall of Graduate Studies on Sept. 23.

The featured speakers were M.J. Akbar and Ahmed Rashid, renowned journalists who have recently published books on Islamic fundamentalism in Central Asia. Akbar is the editor-in-chief of Asian Age and author of "The Shade of Swords." Rashid writes for the Far Eastern Economic Review and Daily Telegraph, as well as the Wall Street Journal. His new best-selling book is titled "Jihad, the Rise of Militant Islam in Central Asia."

The event was sponsored by the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization and followed the center's conference on Central Asia, titled "The Silk Road in the 21st Century." The discussion was moderated by Ernesto Zedillio, former president of Mexico and director of the center.

The two journalists talked about the history and partitioning of Kashmir, the social and economic impacts on the region as a whole and the hopes for future resolution of the conflict.

Kashmir is bounded by Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and India. When Britain partitioned India and Pakistan in 1947, it left the fate of Kashmir unresolved. Today, the region strategically constitutes the northern most extremity of India but still includes areas occupied by Pakistan and China. Within Kashmir itself, there is also support for independent statehood.

In the past 55 years, the region has seen three wars and continuous hostilities that have damaged the area economically and resulted in political instability and human suffering on the subcontinent, noted the journalists.

According to Rashid, the conflict over Kashmir has also impacted the nuclear programs of India and Pakistan. The conflict over the region has led to nuclear testing, confusion, international sanctions and the escalation of nuclear programs in both countries, resulting in several tense situations where the use of these weapons was a real possibility, he said.

Kashmir, agreed the speakers, has also had a great effect on both India's and Pakistan's domestic political situation. In both countries, the conflict over Kashmir has allowed the military to dominate much of the nations' political debate. This has led, in turn, to "the military ruling Pakistan for over 25 years" said Rashid. "Pakistan constantly felt the threat of India."

The suppression of democracy within Kashmir and the abuse of civil rights by both the insurrectionists and the Indian military have stunted economic development throughout Central Asia, said the journalists. Following the cold war, when "regionalism" was becoming a euphemism for the "economic development," India and Pakistan -- a natural common market -- found themselves driven even further apart over Kashmir, said Rashid.

In the mid 1990s, the apparent shift in Pakistan policy concerning Kashmir from nationalism to the backing of Islamic jihadists served to divide the two countries even further. In India, continued Rashid, the conflict led to the growth in the prominence of the Hindu fundamentalist movement. "It narrowed the options for settlement," he said.

Although the speakers detailed the myriad lost opportunities and near catastrophes over the Kashmir situation, they both expressed mild optimism, expressing hope over the burgeoning dialogues between India and Pakistan and the upcoming elections being held in Indian-held Kashmir.

According to Akbar, the events of last Sept. 11 and the United States' focus on fighting terrorism in Central Asia have been partly responsible for the thawing of relations between India and Pakistan. The latter's choice to support America's war on terrorism, and India's understanding that it can no longer describe terrorism in the area simply as a problem with Pakistan are positive signs, Akbar said.

In India, the government "now understands that they have to deal with the Kashmiris," said Rashid. "It is a three way collective deal. For the first time in India, among intellectuals, media and business as well as some political parties, there is an awareness that India cannot wish away the problem by dumping it on Pakistan."

The understanding by Pakistan and India that the problem of Kashmir will be brought to the table for discussion -- but not as long as there is cross-border terrorism -- has also changed the beliefs of many Kashmiris, said the journalists.

At the end of the discussion, Akbar discussed a recent poll that his newspaper, The Asian Age, commissioned to measure the reaction of Kashmiris to the ongoing elections. The poll, conducted by the independent ACNielsen Company, found that contrary to early reports almost 60% of Kashmiris said that they intended to take part in the vote. According to the poll, 62% of respondents believed that the government in Delhi would conduct a free and fair election and that support for trification of the state -- the separation into three separate entities -- received little support. According to Akbar, these are all positive signs.

The results of the election, due on Oct. 8, and the changes in India, Pakistan and Kashmir represent the best opportunity the region has experienced in more than a decade, concluded the journalists.

-- By John Longbrake


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Campus Notes


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