Nicely written article, but a tad touch out of reality. Most people have the tendency to see the Kashmir issue in black or white heavily influenced by the media hype surrounding their viewpoints.
Kashmir has three parts, administered by India, Pakistan and China respectively which were divided up in the wars of 1948 and 1962. No one country can relinquish it's part of Kashmir even partially in view of their internal security and stability. Hence there is no possibility of an independent Kashmir as has been desired by the native population for a long time.
An independent Kashmir would for starters lead to India losing the north east states, Pakistan losing Balochistan, China losing Tibet. Insurgency already has a heavy presence in these areas, and they would be the first to go followed by others insurgent areas leading to a breaking up of the countries as we know them.
Thus any change in the geographical boundaries of the three divisions of Kashmir is impossible at least within this century, and that is why the Kashmir issue has no serious takers in the international community, as any instability in South Asia is not in anyone's interest globally.
Hence the preservation of the status quo regarding Kashmir is a foregone conclusion. Then it begs the question why does Pakistan not stop demanding Kashmir vehemently, and India does not stop responding it's denial vehemently. (India could just as easily ignore Pakistan's demands.) Same with China on the Aksai-Chin Ladakh border, where the confrontation always seems stage managed to everyone but five year olds.
The issue is political in nature, with the political parties in these countries, having a vested interest in rekindling the issue to death perpetually. All three face various socio economic challenges, and to divert the attention of the masses from it's festering discontent with their respective governments, the Kashmir issue is raked up to whip up nationalistic fervour to avoid the masses from focusing on the immediate problems plaguing them like corruption, employment, healthcare, discrimination etc.
Most cross border governments work hand in glove with each other, in raking up issues like Kashmir, as they are all facing discontent and dissent from their citizens, and it's high time the common citizens stop falling into their trap, fighting about issues like Kashmir which make absolutely no difference to the day to day lives of any of them, and instead focus on the real problems and challenges facing them.