Peacemaking in Kashmir

Peacemaking in Kashmir: from Physical Tremor to Political Earthquake?: Worldwatch Institute News: "By Michael Renner and Zo� Chafe

The massive tremor that struck northern Pakistan and Kashmir on October 8 cut through a fault line of conflict that has divided the two nations for more than 50 years. It inflicted death on a scale comparable to that wrought by 15 years of conflict over Kashmir: currently pegged at close to 90,000 deaths, the earthquake's toll surpasses the estimated 40,000 to 80,000 people killed in regional fighting since 1990.

Just as the earthquake paid no heed to human-drawn boundaries, humanitarian operations must transcend them. The shared suffering, and the need for common relief and rebuilding, present a unique opportunity for India and Pakistan to bury decades of enmity.

Post-disaster cooperation has brought the two neighbors closer together, but the recent terrorist attacks in New Delhi carried out by Kashmiri militants underscore the urgency of achieving a basic breakthrough before the emotional impact of the quake fades and new flashpoints emerge. "