Conflict In Jammu And Kashmir (j&k) Part I
By Kumar
India and Pakistan have in the past fought four wars over J&K and held several talks to resolve the 56 year old problem, but till now no tangible results have emerged, except for a composite dialogue. Although, both India and Pakistan are trying to move the peace process ahead, yet there are very few indications in a policy shift. Pakistan continues to stick on to the line of Kashmir remaining a dispute territory and an ‘unfinished agenda’ of Partition, India maintains its stand on J&K “Accession document” which remains final and complete and the problem which remains is cross border terrorism. Most conflicts around the world remain unresolved; however, there are exceptions and dialogues have resulted in signing peace agreements like the signing of the Aceh accord, the Northern Ireland peace accord and the diffusion of tension in the North Korean nuclear issue after the six party talks. Notwithstanding the above, tension is still rampant in a number of places after a brief spell of peace and sensibility.

There are no ‘rear lines’ where democratic societies are safe and actually a ‘war against terror’ is a misnomer, because it is difficult to wage war against an unknown enemy. The phases of conflict in J&K have followed different patterns and have been terrain and climate driven. The shift in strategies in the conflict has been dependent on the target and visibility, of a seen or an unseen enemy of a stable or an unstable Government and to apply appropriate pressures, the masters remotely separated from ground situation, at times apathetic, institute checks and balances through their respective styles of governance. In this overall process, the centre of gravity, the main focus of all strategies in combating terrorism, the people of J&K have become secondary and the Security Forces deployed for the security of the people, at times forget the purpose of their stay resulting in a paradigm shift in the overall security of the entire region. To offset the impasse, a continuous process of refinement, in policies with changed scenarios, keeping the new world order as a calibrated system of progression, is an inescapable commitment for bringing about peace and stability in the entire state of J&K.

Pattern of Conflict

The pattern of conflict has varied from a mix of seen and unseen enemy presenting different targets in the State

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