India banks on mutual trust, culture for lasting peace in Kashmir
Pakistani civil society activists during a protest rally in Lahore on August 20, 2019, as they condemn India for stripping the disputed Kashmir region of its special autonomy.
What you need to know:
- Military chiefs from both sides released statements, saying they had established a hotline with which “core issues and concerns which have the propensity to disturb the peace and lead to violence” will be addressed.
One of the world’s most enduring conflicts has received new hope after India and Pakistan reached a ceasefire agreement, signaling an end to attacks in a war that has killed thousands of civilians.
On Thursday, India and Pakistan reached a sudden ceasefire to strictly observe all peace deals on Kashmir, where the two countries had been fighting over a border delimitation for years.
Military chiefs from both sides released statements, saying they had established a hotline with which “core issues and concerns which have the propensity to disturb the peace and lead to violence” will be addressed.
It was the latest attempt at resolving an age-old tiff. The two sides had reached a ceasefire in 2003, but it has often been broken with deadly consequences.
Indian officials now say this one could endure, as long as Pakistan keeps its side of the bargain.
In a statement on the gravity of the conflict, Indian Union Minister of State for Home Affairs had tabled 10,752 cases of ceasefire violations by Pakistan in the last three years.
The Hindu reported last week that those cases involved the deaths of 72 Indian troops and 70 civilians.
The Thursday deal, according to a statement from the Indian Defence ministry, said the two sides agreed on strict observation of agreements “understandings and ceasefire along the Line of Control (a temporary border between them) and all other sectors with effect from February 24 midnight.”
Territories
Kashmir generally refers to territories administered by India known as Jammu and Kashmiri as well as Ladakh, but also includes regions disputed by Pakistan and China.
In 2019, India changed the law to directly administer Jammu and Kashmir, reducing power granted to a local administration, part of a strategy to properly govern the region.
Sushant Sareen, a senior fellow at the Indian Observer Research Foundation, said the new deal will be sustainable only if both sides stick to it, arguing previous violations were started by Pakistan.
“It isn’t quite clear what exactly the document is driving at when it says “two [sides] agreed to address each other’s core issues and concerns which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence,” Mr Sareen wrote in a commentary on Saturday
“Unless some grand bargain has been worked out on the back channel, the chances of that being infinitesimal, the ceasefire agreement is nothing more than a tactical move by both sides and is unlikely to endure for any length of time.”
Nonetheless, he did say the ceasefire was indicative of a working backchannel between the two governments.
The role of sports
The Indian government thinks the ceasefire can allow the region to focus on growing cultural fetes and pacify it for longer.
On Friday, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened local winter games, saying sport will be used to bring lasting peace.
“These games show Jammu and Kashmir are excited for a new era of peace and prosperity,” he said in a speech posted on his social media pages. The government is working on a sporting ecosystem,” he said.
More than 1000 athletes are taking part in ice hockey, skiing, snowboarding and mountaineering competitions.
The event has been popularised by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the goal being to show the world that the region is safe.
Modi’s government has also used Bollywood celebrities to market Kashmir as suitable tourism destination. Earlier this month, Bollywoord stars Vidya Balan, Siddarth Roy Kapur and Arbaaz Khan attended the winter festival in the region, organised by the Indian army and the local tourism department.
