EDITORIAL
India was partitioned on the lines of religion. Several people on both sides of the border do not accept the divisions on religion. However, it was the reality that India was partitioned on the lines of religion. Then, it was the simple case for the division; all those areas where Muslims were in the majority were to be a part of Pakistan, and all those areas with Hindu majority were to be part of India in the spirit of the division despite the partition schemes had more than this. The provinces and princely states were allowed to be part of the new dominions of India and Pakistan.
Mostly, the areas were settled; however, in provinces, Bengal and Punjab were partitioned. Critics attribute that the Indian partition was actually the partition of Punjab and Bengal, followed by Kashmir. Most of the princely states had rulers and people from the same religious community except a few. The state of Kashmir was a Muslim-majority state with non-muslim rulers. Then, the spirit of the division was to separate Kashmir on the lines of religion rather than the rulers’ wish, as the case has been with many princely states. But, the spirit of the partition was denied in the case of Kashmir.
Kashmir is the core issue between India and Pakistan due to many reasons. There are cultural, geographical and economic reasons. Many attribute Kashmir to the unfinished agenda of partition. Pakistan and India have fought direct and indirect four wars on the issue. The Indian division through the non-resolution of Kashmir evolved a permanent hostility between the two countries. The problem is not merely a geographical one but rather a humanitarian issue. The wish of the people is the primary objective of the conflict. Although the UN resolutions on Kashmir are in place, the implementation of the resolutions has yet to happen. The Indian side claims it is a bilateral issue. In contrast, the Pakistani side believes that the UN resolutions are the way forward to solve the problem of Kashmir according to the wishes of the people of Kashmir.
There is no pacification of the conflict but the resolution. The people of Kashmir are the most critical entity. Their desire to choose their destiny is their fundamental right. Then, it is an unfinished agenda of partition, and the scheme of the same division should be applied. Religion divided India; one may like it or not. Therefore, Kashmir should be allowed to decide on faith, as was the case with Punjab and Bengal in 1947.https://republicpolicy.com/palestine-conflict-needs-resolution-not-pacification/
