The Kashmir Issue

Those that have been following the developments regarding the disputed Kashmir region, are well aware that there have been a number of positive developments recently.

Regardless of one's thoughts about President Musharraf, we have to give him, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, credit for moving this issue in a positive direction.

During the last month, President Musharraf has faced a number of internal issues (many of his own making) and one of the side-effects of these developments has been that the radical forces who had been fighting in Kashmir, and who had taken a low profile, seem to be coming back to the forefront.

This recent development, Indian soldiers killed in Kashmir, is an example of one of the threats that could derail the recent peace developments: One June 1, two Indian soldiers were killed and three wounded "when suspected militants threw a grenade into the Central Reserve Police Force camp in Mehama." This attack follows an earlier attack which wounded 16 Indian soldiers when a bomb exploded outside a girls high school.

Kashmir has always been a cause of major friction between Pakistan and India, and militants (associated with radical Islamic groups) have always tried to derail any peace process between the two countries by leading attacks against Indian interests in India and Kashmir. They obviously see an opportunity to do just that, now that President Musharraf is facing internal trouble.

The challenge will be for India to not take this bait and for Pakistan to show that it is not with these militants, but rather with the Indian government.