The latest news from Kashmir is that ten persons were killed in firing by security forces in Bandipura and Srinagar areas during protests against action by law-enforcing agencies. Curfew is clamped in the entire Kashmir Valley in view of the grim situation.

In yesterday's police firing, four people, including senior Hurriyat leader Sheikh Abdul Aziz, had lost their lives. The protesters were trying to march towards Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as part of a call given by separatists and others to end what is called the "economic blockade" of the Valley in the wake of the Amarnath land stir in Jammu region.



An all party meeting was held on August 6. It was inconclusive. The only decision that it took was that an all party would visit Jammu and Srinagar in a bid to find solution to the Amarnath land row. After visiting the State, a meeting of the leaders of all the parties was held on Monday but it failed to reach any consensus. They will meet again in the Home Ministry on Tuesday.

The leaders would meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday and a decision is likely to be taken. Parallel lines would never meet. That is the Kashmir problem. It is a legacy of partition. Peace is elusive in the valley. Each day is a mute witness to the killings of innocent people � either by the terrorists, by the army, the police or by other civilians.

Let us not forget for a moment that local muslims go out of the way to help our Amarnath pilgrims. They entertain no malice, no rancor or bitterness. They continue to be brothers. But our politics would not allow that. Politics has polluted the atmosphere so much that a confirmed nationalist, an ardent secularist Farooq Abdullah said he would have to visit his father's grave and ask whether staying on in India after partition had been the right decision.

What is the solution?

Let us carve out Jammu as our twenty ninth State. To me that seems to be only solution to this cancerous problem. We have divided the country into linguistic states. Now, politics has made it impossible for ordinary people of different religions to live in harmony. So let us divide Jammu Kashmir into two states. I know that Kashmir leaders will not let this happen. There is no other go.