That's a good point.
I don't know the history of Kashmir. Was it ever independent? (within some reasonable time frame, obviously it was if you go back to the first inhabitants!) Does it have any history as an independent country?
In addition to the pride thing, which can be very powerful in politics, I can see why India might feel threatened by a hostile nation on its border. Not that Kashmir isn't hostile now, but at least there isn't a hostile nuclear powered foreign army there. But is there a way to assure India of reasonable safety if they either give Kashmir to Pakistan, or let it be independent?
And, of course, if we promote the idea of separation, we're going against the principles that were fought over in our own civil war. The US would hardly accept, say, Hawaii demanding independence, or Alaska, or California (no, wait, cancel that third one -- we would probably be glad to see them go). Is it ethical to promote a solution for another nation that we have and would reject for our own? |
