Comprehensive New Poll Shows Most Kashmiris Favor Independence

[kprasad]

@nikhil25

on the indian side, 47% of the state’s population is pro-india and only 43% is pro-independence.

however unlikely, the only conceivable non-status quo outcome is a partition in which the few pro-independence districts in the valley are carved out. these districts comprise only ~10% of the state’s territory so as a worst case option for india, this is definitely worth it.

clearly pakistan is completely irrelevant in this whole equation. as for pakistani kashmir, nobody really wants or cares about it so that’s irrelevant too.

I wouldn’t say Pakistan is completely irrelevant in this. Clearly, there are only two viable sides to this equation; Pakistan and India.
This is just one of many polls, another Dutch poll comes to mind as well, that have found a similar results. I think these polls play a pivotal role in India’s calculus. Every peace plan, that has thus far been agreed upon but not implemented, sees India giving up a portion of the Valley to Pakistan. This lets Pakistan save face, but also lets them deal with a majority, in their territory, that want independence.