Kashmir is the unfinished agenda of Partition of India held in 1947. The British Government policy in regard to independence of the Indian states which numbered about 560 was enshrined in the proviso that the states enjoyed the privilege of use of their choice to join either dominion the Hindu majority states for India while the Muslim majority ones for Pakistan provided they were contiguous to that dominion. The Muslim-majority states were legally to join Pakistan if they qualified the contiguity condition. Hyderabad (Deccan) being the Muslim-majority princely state was forced to join India as it was not contiguous to Pakistan. Though the State of Jammu and Kashmir being 90% Muslim was all contiguous to Pakistan, yet India was allowed by design and by force to keep it.  The Kashmir Dispute still exists with all its mischief and manifestation.

After sixty six years of the dispute, the intellectuals are still discussing it on all available forum. There are three parties involved in the affray – Party No.1 the Aggrieved Party i.e. Pakistan, Party No.2 the oppressor – India and the third party i.e. the Affectees i.e. the Kashmiris.

If one looks back to the days of the partition -there were only two contestants – Pakistan and India. The Kashmiris were not in the picture at that point of time. India was being divided into two dominions – Muslims and Hindus. Kashmir State as a whole, being Muslim was about to join Pakistan. If the preposterousness was not allowed to India, the Kashmiris would riot have been under the Hindu domination. The injustice was allowed to perpetuate by Lord Mountbatten. In 1947, India by use of force occupied a bigger part of Kashmir and feigning to be “aggrieved” approached UNSC which decided to hold plebiscite in the State of Jammu & Kashmir. India accepted the UN resolutions but later resiled by annexing the Held-Kashmir in the face of UN resolutions, which are still in a state of suspended animation.

Pakistan’s strongest wicket is its claim that the act of partition stands un-completed without State of Jammu & Kashmir having gone to Pakistan which was and is the rightful dominion to own. The injustice spread over the last six and a half decades must be vacated by India. India should see the wisdom and reason that it kept more than half of its army in the Held-Kashmir for 66 years, yet it has not brought peace in the Held area. There are daily gory massacres. The Indian Army is in a state of continued tension and high alert. How long this will continue? The entire world is now concerned about the chronic crisis of peace in the region of South Asia. The main cause of this crisis is the continued existence of Kashmir Issue. India is still the stumbling stone in the path of resolution of Kashmir Dispute. India will not budge an inch on Kashmir. Another conventional war may be unproductive while a nuclear clash shall destroy the Region beyond recognition. Probably, the option lies in the escalated activities by the oppressed Kashmiris in the Indian – Held Kashmir to further raise the occupation cost to an unacceptable level.