Kashmir – the Himalayan region in the heart of the feud between India and Pakistan

India launched attacks in the early hours of May 7 against what she described as « terrorist camps » in Pakistan, including in the contested Kashmir. The blow followed the murder of 26 men, mostly tourists, in Indian cashmere last month by Islamist attackers, for whom India accused Pakistan.

The Himalayan Kashmir region with a Muslim majority is the subject of claims from both India and Pakistan and has been a place of many wars, riots and diplomatic conflicts.

Here is a short thing this region, its history and why it continues to be a source of tension between the two countries:

Division and joining

Following the division of the subcontinent in 1947, followed by the declaration of independence by the British government, Kashmir was expected to become part of Pakistan, as well as other regions with a Muslim majority. His Hindu ruler wanted him to remain independent, but faced with the invasion of Muslim tribes from Pakistan, joined India in October 1947 in exchange for help against the invaders.

The fighting were raging for months until the United Nations organization intervened to establish a fire line in 1949, leaving both parties with control of part of the territory. Both still claim for the whole region.

Geography and Demography

Kashmir was eventually divided between India with the Hindu majority that rules the Kashmir, Jamu and Ladakh valley; Islamic Pakistanthat controls Azad Kashmir (« free cashmere ») and the northern regions; and Chinawho holds Aksai Chin.

The Kashmir -run by India has a population of about 7 million, of whom nearly 70% are Muslims.

Article 370

Text in the Indian Constitution (Article 370) provides for a partial autonomy for Jamu and Kashmir. It was prepared in 1947 by the then Prime Minister of Sheikh Abdullah and was accepted by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Although conceived as temporary, it was included in the Constitution of India in 1949 by the Constituent Assembly.

Wars between the two countries

India and Pakistan have waged three wars since the declaration of independence, two of which are Kashmir (1947 and 1965)

The second Kashmir war broke out when the Pakistani forces invaded the Indian part of the disputed region, in response to which India made a military invasion across the border. The battles spread out of cashmere in many populated border areas, leading to fierce battles involving ground and air forces. Both sides have been confronted with some of the biggest tank battles in their history.

The Third War in 1971 led to the creation of Bangladesh, the eastern wing of Pakistan, where regional groups were striving for independence by the federal government in Islamabad. Thousands of people have died in the conflict, which ended with the help of India to separate the area from Pakistan as an independent state.

Collision in Cargill

In 1999, they again confronted in the Cargill region of what was described as an unannounced war. The countries confronted each other in the high mountain region of Cargil after the Pakistani troops penetrated the Kashmir -administered by India. This has been the first clash since both countries officially acquired nuclear weapons, which increased the risk of catastrophic war.

Both sides suffered hundreds of casualties before the Indian forces regain their territory and international intervention to stop the fighting. The control line – the termination line agreed by the UN mediation – now divides the region.

2016: Uri attack

India said it had carried out « surgical strikes » on alleged Islamist battles on Pakistani territory after armed men stormed an Indian military base in the Uri area in Kashmir. Islamabad said there was no Indian invasion of its territory and that there was no response from the Pakistani forces.

2019: Purvacha attack

India struck air strikes on what she believed was a training camp for fighters near the Pakistani city of Balacot, in response to a suicidal car attack in the Kashmir area. Pakistan, who said planes bombed a deserted hill rather than a camp, a backlash in Indian airspace, which led to air fighting between the two Air Force and the capture of an Indian pilot. The situation calmed down after he was released days later.

Rebels

Many Muslims in the Indian cashmere have long been resentful of what they perceive as rough government by India. In 1989, this grew into a rebellion by Muslim separatists. India sent troops to the region and tens of thousands of people were killed.

India accuses Pakistan of arming and training fighters, which Islamabad denies, stating that it offers only moral and diplomatic support.

Cancellation of special status

In August 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government canceled the semi-autonomous status of Kashmir in progress, which he said would better integrate the region with the rest of the country. The state was reorganized into two federally administered allied territories – Jamu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Pakistan strongly objected to diplomatic relations with India.

In recent years

Modi says his 2019 decision has led to Normality in Kashmir after decades of bloodshed. Violence has declined in recent years, according to Indian officials, with less large-scale attacks and an increasing number of tourists. However, the purposeful killings of civilians and uniforms from the security forces are still being reported.

The 2024 elections.

In 2024, Jamu and Kashmir held their first local elections since the cancellation of autonomy in 2019. Several newly elected legislators insisted on a partial restoration of Article 370. Key regional parties boycotted or criticized the vote, saying that the winners would not receive any real political power.