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.