On October 26, 1947, according to the official Indian account, Maharaja Hari Singh of Kashmir signed an instrument of accession joining his kingdom to the Dominion of India. Indian historians argue that the signing took place on October 25, while others argue that it coincided with India’s invasion of Kashmir on October 27, 1947, when the Indian military held the proverbial gun to the Maharaja’s head. It is arguments over such trivialities that have defined the Kashmir issue, which 67 years and three wars later remains exactly where it was in 1947. Pakistan and India have become nuclear powers, their interests coincide in a number of areas and yet they are hostage to an unwinnable conflict. On Sunday, October 26, Kashmiris and Pakistanis in the UK held a protest march in London aimed at raising the issue in the international arena. PPP co-chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari made an appearance at the protest as part of his image building initiative, which has seen him aggressively raise the Kashmir issue in recent statements in Pakistan. Thousands turned out for the march, though it missed its billing as a ‘million man’ gathering, a fact that Indian newspapers were quick to pounce on. Despite its recent triumphalism on the world stage, India remains distinctly embarrassed by Kashmir, where it maintains almost 500,000 troops in a brutal occupation. Indian Deputy High Commissioner to the UK Varinder Paul sounded a cautionary note to British Prime Minister David Cameron about the possible effects on their bilateral relationship should the UK allow the protest to take place. However, unlike India, the UK recognises the right of Kashmiris to peacefully protest. India maintains that Kashmir is an internal problem, but if so it is a truly monumental problem, one that cannot be ignored not only because of its effect on relations between India and Pakistan, but because of how it has destroyed the lives of generations of Kashmiris. The fact that Indian diplomats reacted so strongly tells us that Kashmir remains a touchy issue for them. Attempts to brush it under the table have not worked, nor have Indian attempts to suppress the Kashmiri people. Pakistan and India have both tried every trick in the book to try and win the divided region as a whole but the stalemate continues. Both should realise that the problem cannot be solved according to the wishes of either state and should instead attempt to work for the benefit of the Kashmiri people. Fundamental to the conceptual problems underlying Kashmir is the disregard for human rights that the governments of India and Pakistan are so well known for. After 1947 Pakistan has myopically ignored the rights of its own people and hypocritically trumpeted the rights of Kashmiris. Support for terrorism, now frankly admitted, has destroyed its international image. On the other hand Indian claims of being a tolerant, peaceful society are proved hollow by repression in Kashmir, which has led to as many as 100,000 civilian deaths. Indian policy is to frankly deny that a problem exists and to blame Pakistan for any agitation by Kashmiris instead of trying to reach a political accommodation with Kashmiri leaders who have legitimate popular standing. It continues supporting puppet governments through elections held under the duress and shadow of the gun, which cannot confirm their legitimacy. India is of course afraid that in a genuine election or plebiscite, a majority of Kashmiris would indeed decide to join Pakistan or be independent. To this end it continues to deny the Kashmiri people their legitimate right to self-determination, a principle Pakistan has conceded too. This works in Pakistan’s favour since unlike India it has had less trouble integrating its own northern regions that were formerly part of Kashmir. Fear is the great mental stumbling block in the Indian establishment and for decades has undermined negotiations on the issue. Even when limited to bilateral negotiations as agreed to in the 1971 Simla Accords, Indian diplomats steadfastly refuse to address the root causes of the conflict. Kashmiris today will not relent in fighting for their rights and Pakistan will continue raising the issue so long as they do. A historic compromise is needed, but whether India agrees remains to be seen. *