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Showing posts from August, 2019

Kashmir Conundrum

A Zillion words have been written and spoken about the decision of the Modi govt to abrogate Art 370/35A, bifurcate it and downgrade Kashmir to a Union Territory. A Zillion words have been spoken and written about the many historical blunders done after that fateful day in 1947 when Raja Hari Singh signed the instrument of accession to join India, so much so that a new lexicon was coined to describe it – Himalayan Blunder. Let’s look at the situation from a different angle that does not seem to get the desired attention. What’s so special about Art 370, what has it given to the people of Kashmir and what its removal does.   And no this is not about the legalese but the emotions, feelings and matters of the heart seen through the prism of practical politics. Firstly, the India Pakistan partition was done with no other logic than religion – Muslims and non-Muslims broadly called Hindus. Historically even in 1947 the area broadly had 3 distinct demographics, geographies, l