On this topic I disagree. I think we should look at Kashmir dispassionately, cutting through the rhetoric in terms of the economic and human cost that India is paying to retain Kashmir.

The economic cost that India is paying is huge, Central govt. has been financing almost 100% of Kashmir’s budget for almost 2 decades. In return of financing the kashmiri’s the citizens of rest of the country don’t even get the right to do business in Kashmir!! add to it the cost of maintaining the counter-insurgency operations for 2 decades. As for the Human cost it is even higher ( Approximately 21,000 (discounting the insurgents)). We have lost nearly 10,000 security personnels in the anti-insurgency operations. My question is why should we keep paying this enormous cost to hold onto this tiny strip of land?

My solution – divide J&K into three territories, Jammu, Kasmir & Laddkah. Have a referendum in Kashmir and if it is independence they want then hand it to them and make sure that they will not be allowed the use of Indian air space or Indian ports for their business. Let them enjoy their land locked independence surrounded by Pakistan, China & India.