Modi effect! Pakistan-occupied Kashmir wants to be part of India.

United Nations Security Council resolution 47 passed in 1948 had urged the governments of India and Pakistan to restore peace and order to the region, but since it was a non-binding resolution, the Kashmir dispute lingered on and resulted in 1971 war, 1999 Kargil war and the on going proxy war. The unresolved Kashmir dispute has cost India and Pakistan dearly in terms of lost economic growth opportunities, social upliftment of people residing in the disputed region, communal violence, terrorism, gun running and drug trafficking. It was in year 2010 when UNSC removed Kashmir from the list of disputed territory, that people of the region lost all hope of a peaceful resolution and accepted the hardships faced by them.

They realized that many high profile people serving in the Pakistani administration and army have cultural roots to the disputed region and would not compromise on the territorial loss of the region. Since Pakistan is laying it’s claim on the whole of Kashmir valley whereas India is ready to regard the Line of Control (LoC) as the de-facto international border, and since neither side is willing to compromise, the Kashmiri’s are facing the brunt of state sponsored terrorism, lack of economic opportunities and a low per capita income.Military establishments of both countries are incurring a heavy cost at Siachen glacier in terms of human life as well as money, which could have been put to progressive use.

However, with Modi at the helm of affairs in India, the people of the disputed region see a ray of hope in regard to a resolution to the Kashmir issue. They are deeply impressed with Modi’s style of establishing personal relations with heads of the states and his proactive involvement in implementation of governance matters. They look up to Modi as their leader who’ll emancipate them of their hardships and provide them a decent standard of living in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, for establishment of law and order is a prerequisite for economic progress and social upliftment.

By: Abhinav