by Eugene Walker

Image: Library of Congress, public domain.

The May conflict, which involved missile attacks, drones, fighter jets, and in which 31 died, mostly civilians, was not an isolated incident. It was only the latest of a long series of clashes, indeed wars, over the Kashmir region which both claim. However, this “incident” was particularly ominous as both nuclear-armed powers seemed close to further escalation.

KASHMIRIS’ HOPES FOR FREEDOM IGNORED

In Kashmir a significant segment of the population seeks genuine self-determination and independence from both sides. Neither India nor Pakistan intends to allow that. India, which controls two-thirds of Kashmir, has stripped away the small amount of autonomy the area had, and has turned the region into an armed camp of its military. Pakistan uses jihadist groups, whose loyalty is not to Kashmir but to Pakistan.

Both the Pakistan and India governments have become more authoritarian in recent times. The Pakistan military is ruling with an iron hand, overthrowing civilian rule and not for the first time. The Modi government and its Bharatiya Janata Party have been on a Hindu cleansing campaign against all things Muslim.

Add to this the long-term interference of the U.S. in the affairs of both countries—today building relations with India to “contain” China, while earlier aiding Pakistan in the growth of jihadist militants to confront Russia’s occupation of Afghanistan. This was the source for terrorist activities in the Middle East for years. Meanwhile, China supplies Pakistan with modern jet fighters used to destroy Indian planes in the most recent clash.

The bellicose war rhetoric from both sides of the conflict cannot hide the grave contradictions in each country. India, the world’s most populous country, has ever growing inequality, with the richest one percent controlling more and more of the economy. Pakistan’s elites want to open the country to more international capital exploiting its natural resources. Only an uprooting social transformation in both countries can provide viable pathways forward.

Meanwhile, as Ammar Ali Jan writes:

“The Kashmiri people refuse to surrender their right to self-determination, despite being brutally repressed by India and largely abandoned by Pakistan, and continue to mount resistance in violent and non-violent forms.”