Kashmir Conflict free essay sample

After centuries of Hindu and Buddhist rule, Muslim Moghul emperors took control of Kashmir in the 15th century, converted to population to Islam and incorporated it into the Moghul empire. Islamic Moghul rule should not be confused with modern forms of authoritarian Islamic regimes. The Moghul empire, characterized by the likes of Akbar the Great (1542-1605) embodied Enlightenment ideals of tolerance and pluralism a century before the rise of the European Enlightenment. (Moghuls left their mark on the subsequent Sufi-inspired form of Islam that dominated the subcontinent in India and Pakistan, before the rise of more  jihadist-inspired Islamist mullahs. ) Afghan invaders followed the Moghuls in the 18th century, who were themselves driven out by Sikhs from Punjab. Britain invaded in the 19th century and sold the entire Kashmir Valley for half a million rupees (or three rupees per Kashmiri) to the brutal repressive ruler of Jammu, the Hindu Gulab Singh. It was under Singh that the Kashmir Valley became part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. We will write a custom essay sample on Kashmir Conflict or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page PARTITION amp; DISPUTE: In 1947, British rule in India ended with the creation of two new nations: the  Union of India  and the  Dominion of Pakistan, while British  suzerainty  over the 562 Indian  princely states  ended. According to the  Indian Independence Act 1947, the suzerainty of His Majesty over the Indian States lapses, and with it, all treaties and agreements in force at the date of the passing of this Act between His Majesty and the rulers of Indian States,  so the states were left to choose whether to join India or Pakistan or to remain independent. Jammu and Kashmir, the largest of the princely states, had a predominantly Muslim population, while having a Hindu ruler (Maharaja  Hari Singh. ) On partition Pakistan expected Kashmir to be annexed to it. In October 1947, Muslim revolutionaries in western Kashmir and Pakistani tribals from  Dir  entered Kashmir, intending to liberate it from  Dogra  rule. Unable to withstand the invasion, the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession  on 25 October 1947 that was accepted by the government of India on 27 October 1947. Kashmir Today According to a Congressional Research Service report, Relations between Pakistan and India remain deadlocked on the issue of Kashmiri sovereignty, and a separatist rebellion has been underway in the region since 1989. Tensions were extremely high in the wake of the Kargil conflict of 1999, when an incursion by Pakistani soldiers led to a bloody six-week-long battle. Tensions over Kashmir rose dangerously in fall 2001, forcing then-Secretary of State Colin Powell to de-escalate tensions in person. When a bomb exploded in the Indian Jammu and Kashmir state assembly and an armed band assaulted the Indian Parliament in New Delhi later that year, India mobilized 700,000 troops, threatened war, and provoked Pakistan into mobilizing its forces. American intervention compelled then-Pakistani President  Pervez Musharraf, who had been particularly instrumental in further militarizing Kashmir, provoking the Kargil war there in 1999, and facilitating Islamist terrorism subsequently, in January 2002 vowed to end the presence of terrorist entities on Pakistani soil. He promised to ban and eliminate terrorist organizations, including Jemaah Islamiyah,  Lashkar-e-Taiba  and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Musharrafs pledges, as always, proved empty. Violence in Kashmir continued. In May 2002, an attack on an Indian army base at Kolchak killed 34, most of them women and children. The attack again brought Pakistan and India to the brink of war. Like the Arab-Israeli conflict, the conflict over Kashmir remains unresolved. And like the Arab-Israeli conflict, it is the source, and perhaps the key, to peace in regions far greater than the territory in dispute CAN KASHMIR PUT AT BACK BURNER? No, it can’t be put at backburner for the improvement of relations between India and Pakistan due to following reasons: Kashmir is the main bone contention between India and Pakistan. * MOUNTAINOUS REGIONS: Both India and Pakistan claim the mountainous region of Kashmir belongs to them. * PAKISTANIS CLAIM: The Pakistanis say that Kashmir should have become part of Pakistan in 1947 because most of their populations are Muslims. * INDIANS CLAIM: India claims Kashmir because the Maharaja in Kashmir handed over various powers to India in 1947. * INDUS RIVER: Kashmir is important to India and Pakistan because the source of the Indus River is located in Kashmir and whichever country controls Kashmir will control the Indus. Kashmir also holds religious significance to both countries. * GEOGRAPHICAL IMPORTANCE OF KASHMIR Kashmir is famous for its beauty and natural scenery throughout the world. Its high snow-clad mountains, scenic spots, beautiful valleys, rivers with ice-cold water, attractive lakes and springs and ever-green fields, dense forests and beautiful health resorts, enhance its grandeur and are a source of great attraction for tourists. It is also widely known for its different kinds of agricultural products, fruit, vegetables, saffron, herbs, minerals, precious stones handicrafts like woolen carpets, shawls and finest kind of embroidery on clothes. During summer, one can enjoy the beauty of nature, trout fishing, big and small game hunting etc. ; during winter climbing mountain peaks and sports like skating and skiing on snow slopes are commonly enjoyed. In addition to the above, Pilgrimage to famous religious shrines of the Hindus and the Muslims make Kashmir a great tourist attraction. About Kashmir Sheikh Sadia great Persian poet is believed to have said, If there is any heaven on earth, it is here in Kashmir†. * IMPORTANCE OF KASHMIR TO PAKISTAN: The importance of Kashmir to Pakistan as the lifeline can be well -understood by having a look at the  map  of Pakistan. Three out of six rivers, which run through Pakistan, originates from Kashmir namely Rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab where as remaining three namely Rivers Ravi, Sutlej and Bias originate from India. Economically,  the waters  of the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab, which originate through Kashmir, are vital to the agricultural life of Pakistan. Assuming that Kashmir was to accede to India, the same would also apply to the other three rivers, and not only the water of the rivers which flow from India to Pakistan but also that of the rivers which flow from Kashmir into Pakistan would be denied to Pakistan. For the same very reason, Kashmir assumes added importance for Pakistan from military point of view. Without Kashmir,  Silk route  to China will be greatly endangered and there will be no link with China-a time tested ally and  friend  of Pakistan. There will be no ground defense of Pakistan if the rivers and canals of Pakistan are dried up. It was this reason that the Prime Minister of Pakistan described the strategic value of Kashmir to Pakistan in the following words in 1951[1]. â€Å"Kashmir is very important, is vital to Pakistan; to India it is what you might call a luxury; with us it is a vital necessity for our survival. Kashmir as you will see from this  map  is like a cap on the head of Pakistan. If I allow India to have this cap on our head then I am always at  the mercy  of India the strategic  position  of Kashmir is such that without it Pakistan cannot defend itself against an unscrupulous government that might come in India. Then the sacrifices of the millions will have been in vain†. * On the basis of these reasons, former president of Pakistan, Field Marshal Muhammad Ayub Khan was of the view that  Ã¢â‚¬Å"both the Kashmir and Canal water Disputes are matters of life and death to Pakistan† * INDIAN WITHOUT KASHMIR: As per the Indian’s claims, there are historical and cultural ties of the state with India of which it has all through the ages been an integral part. Mr. Gopal, a Hindu writer in his article in Indian Periodical â€Å"Carvan† published in February 1950 offers following: * â€Å"India without Kashmir could cease to occupy a pivotal  position  on the political map  of Central Asia. Strategically, Kashmir is vital to the security; it has been so ever since the dawn of history. Its northern provinces give direct gateway to the North West province of Pakistan and Northern Punjab. It is India’s only window to the Central Asian Republics of USSR in the north, China  on the east and Afghanistan on the west†. Indians are also apprehensive that if Kashmir is given independence, it could set a â€Å"chain reaction† in motion of similar demands of other Indian ethnic groups and lead in turn to an extremely violent civil war in India. Similarly, Indians also quote the various elections held in Kashmir on an all India basis, which according to them have amply indicated that the Kashmiris have accepted the state as an integral – part of the India. But the ground realities are that the total boycott of State and Lok Sabha elections since 1987 and less than two percent turnout puts the very nature of these so called elections questionable. TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE: Pakistan’s Stand on Kashmir * The official  position  is that the Kashmir dispute should be resolved in the light of the UN resolutions. It continues to stress that the talks between India and Pakistan in the future should centre on securing the right of self-determination for the people of Kashmir. Pakistan has officially welcomed any  international  mediation  or a third-party role to facilitate talks. The Pakistani media subscribes to the view that  Ã¢â‚¬ËœKashmir is the core issue between India and Pakistan’  and without meaning full negotiations on the issue the situation between India and Pakistan is not likely to improve. * At the national level, Pakistan has been able to adequately handle the Kashmir situation. However, it has neither been able to provide effective assistance to the Kashmiri resistance nor has been able to resolve their differences. * At the bilateral level, a difference of approach exists between India and Pakistan. Internationally, Pakistan has achieved modest success in generating World response on the dispute and has sought favorable resolutions from such  international  bodies, like the OIC, NAM, ECO and European Community. Involvement of  international  agencies like the Amnesty  International, the Asian Watch and the Physicians for Human Rights in condemning the state sponsored atrocities in Kashmir, further strengthen the diplomatic stance of the Pakistan. Indian Stand on Kashmir: * According to the India, the state of Kashmir since its accession to India is an integral part of the union of India. The only component of the Kashmir issue legally admissible in talks between India and Pakistan over the future of the state pertains to the need for Pakistan to back away from state ‘sponsored terrorism’ in India and to ‘vacate the territories occupied illegally by Pakistan. ’ The official Indian  position  argues that the future status of the state otherwise is a domestic problem, which will entail a Punjab like  solution, within the corners of the Indian constitution and that the talks between India and Pakistan should occur in a strictly bilateral framework.