A Social and Psychological Approach to Conflict Management in Jammu and Kashmir

"Kashmir provides some of the clearest instances of shared religious and social identities, examples of which are to be found anywhere in the world2. In spite of the multi-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-religious society, clash of faith, culture and ethnicity did not take place in Kashmir till the recent past. Then, what has changed in the last three decades that the Kashmiri society has been fractured on religious and cultural ground? Is the root cause of conflict in Kashmir hidden in historical, geographical and geopolitical faultiness; or is it a desire for political, social and economic assertiveness of the Kashmiri society over the entire state? If that be so, why there is no anger among the people of Jammu and Ladakh Divisions, as more than any other part of the State, they are in reality the victims of political discrimination?
The conflict in J&K has internal and external dimensions that are driving the agenda of separatists and Pakistan. Both these dimensions are complementary to each other. When intra-state affairs appeared to be settling or on a path to reconciliation, the external dimensions take the centre stage, be it across the Line of Control (LOC) violence, infiltration, or provocation on religious or social sphere. One aspect that has remained constant is Pakistan’s culpability to destabilise the situation by cultural and physical violence. Geo-strategic significance of J&K is also one of the reasons of instability because the State is a geographic pivot that connects India with Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tibet Autonomous Region. and even the Xinxiang province of China. Keeping J&K boiling is to prevent turbulence in ‘Pakistan Occupied Kashmir’ (PoK), since it will affect both Pakistan and China more than ever. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CEPC), the flagship project of China that will give strategic communication linkages to the Xinjiang-Uighur Autonomous Region (TAR) with Arabian Sea could also get affected if there is reversal of threat or uprising in PoK including the Northern Areas. The conflict that is being projected as a case of indigenous movement for self-determination in reality is a case of geo-strategic clash of interests, and people of J&K have failed to see it as a conspiracy against them by Pakistan and China. The political leadership of J&K is also responsible for providing fault-lines from time to time that are exploited by Pakistan to give fillip to the instability. "