As individuals compete with one another in practically every human effort, humanity longs for the beauty of unity. The Kashmir dispute between India and Pakistan is one of the most long-running and intractable conflicts (Bhat, 2019). Across political, social, economic, and cultural domains, the conflict’s dynamic character affects the lives of millions (Bhat, 2019). The struggle between two countries’ residents is comparable to the conflict between Jews and Samaritans. In a way, Indians became the Jews of today, claiming significant parts of Kashmir for themselves, while less powerful Pakistan is akin to Samaritans.
Moral dignity should be applied in the resolution of the Kashmir conflict. It encompasses an individualistic self-regarding entitlement inherent to human nature (Ikuenobe, 2018). From Pakistan’s standpoint, the rebels’ violence is portrayed as a struggle to liberate the country from ‘foreign’ aggressors (Bhat, 2019). As a result, violence is justifiable since it furthers the military goal of removing unlawful invaders (Bhat, 2019). These invaders are perceived as malevolent aggressors aiming to displace local citizens and disrupt their way of life and beliefs (Bhat, 2019). Simultaneously, for India the foreign-backed revolt in the area is regarded as an intrusion into Indian domestic affairs and a direct challenge to the country’s sovereignty (Bhat, 2019). Therefore, the application of just war concepts demonstrates that previous actions of two countries are acceptable. However, for the sake of people and preservation of moral dignity peace negotiation should be made.
The conflict between Jews and Samaritans started after the death of King Solomon when the kingdom’s territory was divided. Jews in the south claimed Jerusalem for themselves, while Samaritans had to build their place of worship in the North. In a way, Pakistan and India are similar because the British army oversaw the region, but the territory was divided into two countries after their withdrawal. Kashmir became a space where the conflict between the two regions manifested itself in blind hatred. Therefore, a pacifist reality should be taken for the organization of negotiations. The pacifist perspective reflects the view which considers all violence immoral (Ryan, 2019). Consequently, demilitarization of the zone should guide both countries to peace. The principles of the just war point to the fact that it is impossible to pin the violence on one country. Both countries need to prioritize the people of Kashmir; otherwise, their moral dignity will plummet, and they will indulge in immoral actions – violence.
References
Bhat, S. A. (2019). The Kashmir conflict and human rights. Race & Class, 61(1), 77–86. Web.
Ikuenobe, P. (2018). Human rights, personhood, dignity, and African communalism. Journal of Human Rights, 17(5), 589–604. Web.
Ryan, C. (2019). War, hostilities, terrorism: A pacifist perspective. In Pacifism’s appeal (pp. 11-40). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.