Kashmir has long been a disputed region with India, Pakistan and even China laying claim to it. After multiple wars in the last century, Kashmir continues to be a source of conflict between India and Pakistan today; here we examine the region from its birth to present day:   

• 1846:
  • Jammu and Kashmir State is created with the signing of the Second Treaty of Amritsar between the British East India company and Raja Gulab Singh of Jammu.
• 1947-1948: The First Kashmir War
  • Spring: An internal revolt begins in the Poonch region against oppressive taxation by the Maharaja (ruler). Maharaja’s forces fire upon demonstrations in favour of Kashmir joining Pakistan. The Poonch rebels declare an independent government of “Azad” Kashmir.
  • August 14/15: Britain relinquished sovereignty over the Indian sub-continent. The Princely States (including Kashmir) were given the choice of either becoming part of India or Pakistan.The Maharaja of Kashmir delays his decision in an effort to remain independent.
  • 22 October: Thousands of Pashtuns from Pakistan are recruited by the Poonch rebels to invade Kashmir allegedly incensed by the atrocities against fellow Muslims in Poonch and Jammu. Maharaja of Kashmir asks India for help.
  • 26 October: The Maharaja of the State of Jammu and Kashmir signs the Instrument of Accession to the Indian Union and the Indian army enters the state to repel the invaders.
  • Pakistan disputes that the accession is illegal and the first war over Kashmir breaks out.
• 1965: The Second Kashmir war
  • Pakistan took advantage of discontent in the Kashmir Valley and sent in a few thousand armed Pakistani infiltrators across the cease-fire line. A full Indo-Pakistani war breaks out which ends in a ceasefire.
• 1971: The Third Kashmir war
  • Started after a pre-emptive attack by Pakistan on Indian airforce bases lasting only 13 days. India emerged victorious and it led to the secession of East Pakistan (Bangladesh)
• 1999: The Kargil War:
  • Instigated by the infiltration of Pakistani soldiers into positions on the Indian side of the border. The Government of India responded with Operation Vijay, a mobilisation of 200,000 Indian troops.
  • Since Pakistan and India each had weapons of mass destruction, many in the international community were concerned that if the Kargil conflict intensified, it could lead to nuclear war.
  • India regained the territory that Pakistan had infiltrated and with growing international pressure from America, Pakistan withdrew it’s soldiers.

Today there continues to be great tension within Kashmir and in 2010 a great wave of unrest spread across the region as the Muslim majority in the Kashmir valley intensified their protests. The extensive use of military force by India in the region to subdue such uprisings has been criticised by various organisations who say it calls into questions India’s status as a democracy.  India on the other hand claims that such force is necessary to protect themselves from the militants they view as terrorists. We shall be discussing the future of democracy in India at our up coming debate “Democracy is India’s Achilles’ heel”