The Kashmir issue
The Kashmir issue
Q: Explain about the issue of Kashmir between India and
Pakistan. Do you think 1965 war was due to Kashmir issue?
Ans: Kashmir has been the subject of conflict between India
and Pakistan since their very creation in 1947. The Red Cliff award announced
in 1947 awarded Gurdaspur to India which had a direct border with Kashmir
making future conflicts inevitable. As per Kashmir itself it was a princely
state ruled by a Hindu Maharaja. At first he insisted in remaining independent
but was pressured to join either Pakistan or India. Being a Muslim majority
state and contagious to Pakistan, Kashmir was expected to accede with Pakistan
but the Hindu ruler instead decided to join India against the wish of his
people. A dispute arose between India and Pakistan as a result, as Pakistan
believed Kashmir rightfully belonged to her and not India.
Hindus and Sikhs in Kashmir started oppressing the supporters
of Pakistan. Consequently tribal forces started entering Kashmir from Pakistan
and taking over areas as they move forward. In response India forces moved in
as well and the first war between India and Pakistan took place in 1948. Both
Nations were newly developed and not capable of fighting too long, thus the UN
announced a ceasefire in 1949. Both India and Pakistan were able to conquer
some areas of Kashmir the rest was declared disputed territory.
The border, near Lahore this had not been anticipated by the
Pakistan and the area was largely undefended. Only a heroic defense by the few
troops in and near Lahore prevented it from being captured by Indian troops.
Soon after, the Indians launched a second major offensive attack in the Sialkot
sector but it was also countered successfully. A full fledge war broke out
between the two countries. After three weeks of fighting both sides agreed to a
ceasefire. In January 1966, the Soviet Union arranged a ceasefire conference in
Tashkent. The agreement at the end of the conference produced are ceasefire and
general agreement between Ayub and Russian President to sort out all disputes
peacefully than ever, there was a still no date set to begin negotiating a
settlement in Kashmir.
Pakistan's ambition of driving India to accept international
arbitration over Kashmir had failed, because India was stronger and more
determined to keep its occupation on Kashmir. Pakistan had realized and also
because USA and Britain had placed an embargo on selling weapons to the both
combatants and Pakistan had to face problems as a result. According to the
Simla agreement 1972 between India and Pakistan, in return for the release of
Pakistani prisoners of war by India, Bhutto, the Pakistani president had to
agree that in the future talks over Kashmir should be between India and
Pakistan only.
The Kashmir issue remained unresolved and the lack of trust
between two countries affected their relation in other areas as well. The
military aid provided to Pakistan by the USA in the campaign against the Soviet
Union troubled India which resulted in it signing a friendship pact with China
in 1954. This was later broken in 1962 when India went to war with China over
Tibet and its defeat in this war convinced Pakistan that Kashmir could be
obtained by the war.
In 1965 Pakistan decided to take steps to force India to
agree to the setting up of an international body to decide on ownership of
Kashmir. The strategy adopted for this was to encourage an uprising in Indian
occupied Kashmir and to send forces in to support the uprising. In August 1965
armed guerrillas were infiltrated into Indian occupied Kashmir with orders to
contact rebels and begin local uprising. However, there was only limited local
support for an uprising and the venture looked like ending in failure.
Consequently on September 1, 1965 the Pakistan army attacked Indian controlled
Kashmir hoping to cut off the only road from Kashmir into India. On 6 September
Indian troops retaliated by attacking across Lahore.
Results were clear Indian forces stopping advancing forces in
Kashmir and moving to Lahore and Sialkot. This could be seen as a response or
come back by India which was able to stop the war.
Pakistan's demand of Kashmir did not die but it increased
with the passage of time. Pakistani paramilitary forces adopted new strategies
to help liberate Kashmir in their Kargil mission in 1999. In April 1990 Muslims
Kashmiri guerrillas crossed the line of control and captured the Indian
occupied towns of Kargil and Drass. In May, India launched a counterattack
during which it filed, over 250, 000 shells and rockets were fired. Two of its
aircraft crossed into Pakistan air space and one was shot down. The
international community was clarified that two nuclear power Nations had gone
to war. During May and June 1999 Pakistani forces were pushed back and
eventually Sharif was persuaded by US President Clinton to withdraw all
Pakistan forces from India-held territory behind the line of control. The
withdrawal of troops by Pakistan lead to immediate response by Indians army and
large number of troops were killed. Pakistan urged that the Kargil mission
launched to help fellow Muslims brother oppressed by Indian forces and to gain
its rightful part, Kashmir. The Kargil conflict was a major blow to
Pakistan-India relations and it gained international criticism too. Conflicts
have been continued ever since uprisings and conflicts within Kashmir are still
alive. Kashmiri are working hard to try and join Pakistan and this issue is
highlighted in the UN every year but the situation of Kashmir remains
unresolved up till now.
Thus, in my opinion, after analyzing the whole scenario 1965
war was also due to the Kashmir issue as it was used as a distraction from
Kashmir for Pakistan by India so a ceasefire could be reached. Attacks in other
areas of Pakistan were still angered that India retained the largest area of
Kashmir and was determined to gain control of the whole of Kashmir. In 1954 and
1955 India tried to integrate India-occupied Kashmir into India. This gained
protest from Pakistan and later the UN as well. In 1957, the UN Security
Council issued a declaration re-confirming that the whole of Kashmir was a
disputed territory and that its future could be only settled by a vote of the
people of Kashmir. This action was taken out of their fear of India trying to
occupy Kashmir again.
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