Kashmir

Political control over the region of Kashmir has been a major factor in the long struggle between India and Pakistan. Religion, ethnicity, economics, and politics combine in a witches' brew that

Has led to incessant controversy and frequent violent confrontation in this region.

In the past, Kashmir, one of the scenic wonders of the world, was the summer playground of Indian emperors. Located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, Kashmir has frequently been termed an earthly paradise with a healthy climate, verdant hills, lotus-filled lakes, pleasure gardens, an ancient culture, and a rich heritage of crafts and art. In peaceful times, visitors from around the world have flocked to Kashmir to reside in luxurious houseboats on its lakes, to shop in its ancient markets, and to delight in its exquisite scenery.

The state of Jammu and Kashmir is strategically located on the northwestern border of India and is the only Indian state with a Muslim majority. When Britain decided to partition India in 1947, Kashmir's Hindu ruler Maharaja Hari Singh pondered the possibilities of accession either to India or to Pakistan or independence for his small kingdom.

While Hari Singh deliberated, paramilitary forces allegedly supported by the newly formed state of Pakistan invaded Kashmir to force its accession to Pakistan. Unable to repulse the attack with his own resources, the maharaja appealed to India for assistance and simultaneously joined the Indian Union. India went to war with Pakistan to defend its newly acquired territory and ousted the raiders from parts of Kashmir.

Indian prime minister Nehru, a firm believer in international diplomacy, decided not to totally clear Kashmir militarily but to take the matter before the United Nations for resolution. Following a cease-fire, the political status of Kashmir remained unresolved at the international level and became one more troubled area demonstrating the inadequacy of the United Nations. For decades a United Nations military observer group supervised the cease-fire in Kashmir but was unable to prevent clashes between India and Pakistan.

In 1952 the largely Muslim constituent assembly of Jammu and Kashmir endorsed the accession of the state to India. However, Pakistan refused to acknowledge the accession to India and continued to occupy over 32,046 square miles of Kashmir. In 1962 war broke out between India and China, which resulted in the

Chinese occupation of more than 14,285 square miles of the Indian district of Ladakh. During the 1960's Pakistan ceded over 1,930 square miles of occupied Kashmir to China.

In 1965 war erupted again between India and Pakistan over armed infiltration from Pakistan into the part of Kashmir controlled by India. Indian forces were successful despite Pakistan's advantage in military hardware.

The India-Pakistan War of 1971 was mainly fought over the secessionist aspirations of the residents of East Pakistan, who suffered serious human rights abuses at the hands of Pakistan and fled by the thousands to India. When India intervened successfully in East Pakistan, Kashmir in the northwest again figured in the military engagements. With the assistance of Indian forces, East Pakistan declared its independence from Pakistan and renamed itself Bangladesh.

Internal conflict between secessionists (assisted by Pakistan) and federalists (loyal to India) continued to haunt the politics of Kashmir. Both sides participated in military and propaganda engagements, and the economy of Kashmir continued to suffer as tourism declined drastically in view of the political instability. Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto expressed her nation's desire to fight a "thousand-year war" to gain control of Kashmir

Sporadic clashes continued over Kashmir in May, 1998, with exchanges of artillery and mortar fire accompanied by widely divergent accounts in which each country blamed the other. The Kashmir crisis continues to drain the economic resources of both India and Pakistan, which have stationed large numbers of troops, protectedby artillery, missiles, and fighter jets, along their borders.

The build-up in troops from both sides in 2002 not only brought these two countries to the brink of disaster, but it also endangered American efforts to establish a new government in Afghanistan, since the Americans needed a reliable and stable ally in Pakistan. Even after India and Pakistan backed away from open war in the summer of 2002, they continued to clash over Jammu and Kashmir. In August, 2002, President Musharraf made a speech dismissing as meaningless Indian plans to hold elections in Indian-held Kashmir. In response, India's President Vajpayee accused the Pakistani government of being undemocratic, since

Musharraf had seized power in a coup, and described Pakistan as a supporter of terrorism.

The elections held in Kashmir in September and October, 2002, were criticized by other international observers, as well as by Musharraf. India would not allow foreign observers to watch election procedures, and critics maintained that the voting was designed to maintain the power of the National Conference, the ruling party in Kashmir that supported the government in New Delhi. Hundreds of people were killed in the elections, including more than 130 political activists and a number of politicians. On the final day of the elections, October 8, three militant separatists stormed a polling place in the town of Doda, killing several civilians and soldiers before two of the militants managed to escape.

The two nations have also clashed over ownership of the Siachen Glacier near the Karakoram Pass in the northeast of Jammu and Kashmir. Mutual distrust compelled India and Pakistan to station large contingents of troops in this region, where temperatures drop as low as 40 degrees fahrenheit below zero.