Kashmir

On August 14 1947 British India partitioned into Pakistan and India. Several hundreds of “princely states” were asked if they wanted to join Pakistan or India. Pakistan demands Kashmir to accede it but the Kashmir leader did not make a choice. It has 3 major ethnic regions, the northwest, which is mostly Buddhist, Kashmir valley, which is mostly Muslim, and the south, which is also mostly Muslim. The tribesman from Pakistan invaded Kashmir with the support of the Pakistani government. The government of Kashmir freaked out and asked India to help. India said in order for them to help, Kashmir has to accede with India. After, India sent forces to block the invasion. Kashmir is now divided into two parts, one by Pakistan, and the other by India.

Indian and Pakistani forces thus fought their first war over Kashmir in 1947-48. India referred the dispute to the United Nations on 1 January. In a resolution dated August 13, 1948, the UN asked Pakistan to remove its troops, after which India was also to withdraw the bulk of its forces. After this happened “free and fair” happened which allowed Kashmir to decide there on future. Since India took the conflict to the UN they were confident that Kashmir would choose to be on their side. An emergency government was formed on October 30, 1948 with Sheikh Abdullah as the Prime Minister. Pakistan ignored the mandate and continued to fight. It held a part of Kashmir under its control. On January 1, 1949, a ceasefire was agreed, with 65 per cent of the territory under Indian control and the remainder with Pakistan.

In 1957, Kashmir was formally incorporated into the Indian Union. It was granted a special status under Article 370 of India's constitution, which ensures, among other things, that non-Kashmiri Indians cannot buy property there. Fighting broke out again in 1965, but a ceasefire was established that September. Indian Prime Minister, Lal Bhadur Shastri, and Pakistani President, M Ayub Khan,