Date:09/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/09/stories/2008090956001002.htm

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Kashmir & secession

The article “Kashmir: is secession the answer?” (Sept. 6) made good reading. As pointed out, the root causes of the Kashmir issue lie in a long history of bad governance, high levels of corruption, massive disparities in the distribution of wealth and lack of accountability. Pumping more grants into the plagued system will do no good. The need of the hour is to address the causes, rather than offering symptomatic treatment. It is time to wake up to the issues in Kashmir before it is too late.

Syed Abid Rasheed Shah,

Srinagar

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The article convincingly argues that there are no grounds for secession. And that if Kashmir secedes, the stability and well-being of the Kashmiris cannot be guaranteed. But is a separate State for the Kashmir Valley the answer? An own State would give the people of the Kashmir Valley greater power over their destiny. At the same time, it may let them see the advantages of being part of India.

Horst Vaeth,

Bangalore

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The secessionists, including the Hurriyat, do not represent the Kashmiris. They are in a minority and force the moderates, who are in a majority, into shouting pro-freedom slogans. This is especially true during times of turbulence — like the recent Amarnath shrine controversy.

Kashmir is not the only State where secessionist elements are present. The ULFA in Assam and the Babbar Khalsa in Punjab have also advocated secession. Yielding to the demands of secessionist outfits will only spell doom, primarily for the states the forces claim to represent.

Raghu Seshadri,

Chennai

* * *

The article has presented a detailed view on whether secession is the answer to the Kashmir issue. The people who are echoing the pro-azadi sentiment in Kashmir must first look for alternatives that will be available to them if India decides to let go of the State. Neither Pakistan, where democracy is a shambles, nor any other country that has a stake in the region will be able to provide Kashmir the required stability.

Priyanka Chauhan,

Faridabad

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India has been drained both economically and militarily, thanks to Kashmir. How the people of the State manage their affairs as an independent nation or as part of Pakistan should be a matter of concern for them, not for the rest of India.

R. Narendran,

Chennai