India, the occupier state

Triggering its occupational guilt of 71 years, India's immediate reaction to the recent clashes with Pakistan was a harsher crackdown in occupied Kashmir. New Delhi is just as incapable as Israel of grasping that occupation and repression do necessarily culminate into resistance from the downtrodden. It banned the largest political group, Jam'at-e-Islami, for the next 5 years. Over 400 Kashmiri activists have been arrested in less than 48 hours, many of whom may never be seen again. Five are reportedly dead. Downtown areas in Srinagar have been locked down with barricades and razor wire erected across roads and intersections to isolate neighborhoods. Congregational Friday prayers have been prohibited in the Jamia Masjid, the city's main mosque.

Lost in a weird misguided spirit of nationalism, such draconian measures by New Delhi are the surest method to strengthen the resolve of the enslaved. If this crackdown is a prelude to tinker with Kashmir's status in the Indian constitution, would be the stupidest thing to do and a proliferation of catastrophic events.

Want permanent peace via a quick-fix solution? Schedule a referendum, don't cheat, have it observed by international monitors and respect the results.