On July 8 Indian security forces killed armed activist Burhan Wani for his involvement in militancy in Indian Kashmir. The killing instantly transformed him into a popular hero. And it also triggered violence on a scale that has not been witnessed in the troubled Himalayan region for several years.

The popularity can be gauged by the fact that Wani's death was mourned a vast scale. According to a local journalist, about 200,000 people attended his funeral. Since then, the people have been up in arms. Hundreds, even thousands, have protested despite curfews and the heavy presence of the Indian army and other law enforcing agencies.

Pakistan's foreign office has claimed that at least 80 protestors have been killed, with over 120 blinded by pellet guns and 6,000 injured in clashes with security forces.

India has blamed Pakistan for the unrest, but the ground situation shows that this time the agitation is due to indigenous reasons, which has been confirmed by local politicians and media reports. For example, former chief minister of Kashmir and pro-Indian leader Omar Abdullah blamed the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the trouble.

There is a huge disconnect between the grievances of the people and policy of the government. India claims that Kashmir is an integral part of its territory. For many Kashmiris, this means India is just interested in the region and not in its people, as Indian leaders have rarely expressed genuine warmth toward the people of Kashmir. It has been demonstrated by a lack of desire in successive governments to integrate the people into India.

This has created a sense of alienation in the people of Kashmir, especially the youth who are at the forefront of the current protests. Wani is their hero, since he stood against India and was killed for his defiance. The unrest shows that it is a decisive time for Kashmir, and India needs to find an out of box solution. Increasing security forces and replacing pellet guns with pepper spray won't solve the problem. India's failure in Kashmir is Pakistan's success. Indian weakness has been exposed, as it has nothing to offer the people and just accuses Pakistan for "cross-border terrorism." It would be naive to think that Pakistan is innocent, but the fact is that it is not responsible for everything. By saying that militants are responsible for everything in Kashmir, India has greatly exaggerated the group's involvement in militancy. Indian leaders should realize that by giving credit to the militants for the unrest, they are indirectly strengthening them.

Pakistan has pushed for plebiscite in Kashmir to let the people of Kashmir decide their fate. It was the right given to them by the UN Security Council through its resolutions in 1948-49. Islamabad is also trying to highlight the violation of human rights due to the brutal use of force by the Indian security forces. Diplomatically, it is trying to corner India by extending an invitation for talks on Kashmir.

The trouble in Kashmir is at the center of the tension between Pakistan and India, each controlling a part of Kashmir while wanting the whole region. They have already fought at least two wars over the region since their independence from Britain in 1947. A limited war called the Kargil conflict in 1999 raised the real danger of a nuclear exchange, but the U.S. stepped in to prevent serious conflict.

It shows that the role of the international community can go a long way in reducing the miseries of the Kashmiris and creating peace in South Asia. Lately, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed willingness to use good faith if he was invited by both Pakistan and India to play a role.

I am highlighting the role of world because so far both India and Pakistan have not shown enough maturity to deal with the issue. Let us hope they will grow and hold meaningful talks on Kashmir.

Sajjad Malik is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://china.org.cn/opinion/SajjadMalik.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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