What just happened in Kashmir? And why should we be concerned?
Channel: New Internationalist
Date: 2019-03-11

India's war-obsessed media makes Fox News look tame. We look at the dynamics behind the situation in Kashmir. 


Tensions seem to have subsided between India and Pakistan. But one of the oldest international conflicts in modern history is far from over.

To recap: on 14 February, a 20-year-old drove an SUV laden with explosives into a convoy of Indian paramilitary soldiers in Kashmir, killing at least 40. Responsibility was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammad, a militant group operating in Pakistan, whose leader Masood Azhar lives freely in the country.
 
Kashmir is a territory claimed by India in its entirety; partly held by Pakistan, and with a population that increasingly demands self-determination, which could mean independence from both.
 
India responded to the attack with a ‘surgical’ air strike that, according to Reuters, appeared to mainly damage some trees and rocks. It also sent 10,000 paramilitaries to add to the half-a million already there, in what’s often called the most militarised region in the world.
 
Throughout all of this the flames of anger were fanned by television news channels. Prime time news anchors in India engaged in hysterical shouting matches rather than anything resembling actual news.  Bollywood actors added to the jingoism on Twitter.
 
Those calling for peace and dialogue, or even wanting an investigation into the attack before any military action, were vilified as anti-national. Pakistani media, too, have been banging the war drums.
 
India and Pakistan are no strangers to sabre-rattling and they usually pull back from the brink. But they have gone to war three times. Even more importantly, they’re both possess nuclear weapons. And neither are signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty or Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
 
That’s why peaceful diplomacy is key here, it’s already had a hand in de-escalating the situation. After India’s air attacks, Pakistan shot down an India Air Force jet. But Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a so-called ‘peace gesture’, swiftly released the captured Indian pilot.
 
With India gearing up for general elections, this all presents an opportunity for PM Narendra Modi to play the role of strong leader.
 
State elections in December last year did not go to plan – with his Hindu nationalist BJP party defeated in three strongholds. Dissatisfaction with the economy is high, particularly in rural areas where wage-growth has dropped significantly.
 
So Modi will ride this for all it’s worth. In Pakistan, Imran Khan is playing the conciliatory role calling for peace, denying that the car bomb attack had been planned on Pakistani soil, but also saying that he would be compelled to retaliate to any Indian aggression. That last bit plays nicely with the army who are the ultimate kingmakers in Pakistan.
 
Meanwhile, those actually living in Kashmir are erased from view.  Kashmiris have suffered occupation, state violence and extremism for decades. Their interests and desires are ignored, as the region remain a pawn between competing nationalisms.