Kashmir Conflict

The Kashmir conflict is a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region, the northwestern most region of Asia. The two nation theory that was to guide to the partition of Indian sub-continent was a unique historical phenomenon, defining Muslims and Hindus as two very different peoples who could not be kept together on the basis of religion, culture, and way of living and basic nature of humans. Even visionaries like Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Ali brothers and Allama Mohammad Iqbal had pointed to the same principles of two different nations, much before the partition of the sub-continent decades later in 1947. The operational principles was to allow Muslim and Hindu majority areas to join the two independent countries namely Pakistan and India respectively.

Several internally independent states were given the choice to join one of the two countries keeping in view the majority principle. Kashmir was one such state that would naturally go to Pakistan because of its 80% Muslim population. Besides the population factor that state had natural communication links with northern Punjab. Unfortunately the ruler of the state was a Dodger Hindu who conspired with ruler in Delhi and the English governor general of the Indian union and allowed the Indian troops to occupy the state. Pakistan then was a new country, devoid of sources, had few small units of the ground forces commanded by English officers could not resist the military and political on slight.

The tribes from Pakistan interfered militants and went up to Srinagar, but had to stop due to UN brokered ceasefire and promise of a future plebiscite to ascertain the will of the people of Kashmir to join either India or Pakistan. This proved an Indian ploy to gain time, and promise is yet to be fulfilled even after sixty years.

This has led to many wars between India and Pakistan and is the cause of rampant poverty in the sub-continent due to waste of money on weapons. Pakistan and India are trying to end the violence and uncertainty in Kashmir which would also be widely welcomed in India and Pakistan and not only by those weary of the fighting or those who see it as a hindrance to the economic development of the South Asia region.

Written by:  Haris Raheem
Quaid-e-Azam College of Commerce, University of Peshawar