Jammu & Kashmir State today is in a total political mess where a handful of Kashmiri separatists confined to Kashmir Valley, holding allegiance to Pakistan, openly and fearlessly preach sedition against the Indian Republic of which this State is an integral part. No such sedition is visible in the major regions of Jammu and Ladakh Regions which are much larger in size than the Kashmir Valley and equally strategically placed. In fact there have been constant demands from the people of Jammu Region and Ladakh Region that they are made independent States or Union Territories on grounds of discrimination exercised by successive Chief Ministers who incidentally have been from the small Kashmir Valley, with exception of Glulam Nabi Azad.

Violence against our security forces is a common occurrence in the Kashmir Valley as are suicide bombings generated by Pakistan Army’s proxy war. The ethnic cleansing of the Hindu Pundits population from the Kashmir Valley not too long ago is a blot on the Indian secular fabric of the States. In both cases the Indian Governments were hapless spectators and were mollycoddling the Kashmir Valley politicians for reasons better known to them.

The BJP Government too under the leadership Vajpayee-Advani combine failed miserably in not repealing Article 370 as per their election promises. Why is the Indian Republic afraid and timid to integrate Jammu & Kashmir fully in the Indian Union when comparatively Pakistan has integrated erstwhile regions of the State as Northern Areas in Pakistan proper besides perpetuating the charade of a separate ‘Azad Kashmir?

Why is it so difficult for the Indian Republic to trifurcate the existing state of Jammu & Kashmir into three States when Jammu Region and Ladakh Regions are agitating for separation from the control of the Srinagar Government and especially when both these Regions have distinct ethnic and religious identities in contrast to the Kashmir Valley.

The latest round of unrestrained violence in the State is yet another significant indicator which justifies the trifurcation of the State where the entire State Administration more often than not is dominated by Valley-origin officials.

The violence has spread to the entire Jammu region in the wake of reported attacks and arson against the minority (Hindus) population of Kishtwar after Eid prayers on August 9, 2013 again highlights the failure of the Congress-National Conference Coalition to maintain communal harmony in this strategic border State. The Chief Minister strongly and actively advocates the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and yet then falls back on the Indian Army to restore law and order as is presently taking place.

The entire Jammu Region has been laced under curfew, so much so that the Abdullah Government which has failed in ensuring peace and security has now barred national political leaders from New Delhi to study the ground situation in violence ridden Kishtwar. What does Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wants to hide?

For far too long the Indian Republic has perpetuated the charade of a special status of the Jammu & Kashmir State which legally acceded to India in 1947 when attacked by Pakistan Army and tribal irregulars.

The trifurcation of the existing Jammu & Kashmir States into three separate States within present administrative boundaries is an idea whose time has come and should not be delayed on both political governance and strategic grounds.