Wednesday
06Jan2010
Where's Kashmir in the Afghan Debate?
—Author: 
Eric Randolph
Eric Randolph It's interesting to see how successfully India has managed to have Kashmir removed from the discourse about Afghanistan and Pakistan. There is quite a bit of talk about India getting more forcefully involved in Afghanistan and also some worryingly chest-thumping advice being put forward about direct strikes on Pakistan militants.
In today's Guardian comment section, I argue that India's real focus should be finding a way to deal with Pakistan's neuroses, in particular by re-engaging on the Kashmir issue, since this is one of the fundamental causes of problems in the region. In case I don't make it clear, tackling neurosis probably does not involve blowing anything up.
—Filed On: Jan 6, 2010 at 7:22
Jan 6, 2010 at 7:22
Reader Comments (2)
What is always surprising to me about Kashmir in the Indian debate is that it has surprisingly little resonance amongst the rest of India's not insubstantial Muslim population.
That's a very interesting point, Raff, and not something I've really thought about properly before. The issue certainly seems to have remained a nationalist one rather than something that plays on the religious tensions within India. I wonder whether that impression is correct, or whether it's something that is not often commented upon in the media, or whether it reflects the fact that only the elite (which cuts across religious divides) really get animated about. Something to look into, so thanks for that...