“The Kashmir region is presently partitioned among three nations: India, Pakistan, and China. India claims the majority, controlling approximately 55% of the territory, while Pakistan holds 30%, and China, 15%. The ongoing dispute over Kashmir has sparked two major conflicts between India and Pakistan, as well as several smaller skirmishes.
In 1947, during the British partition of India, two independent dominions emerged: India and Pakistan. The princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, inclusive of Kashmir, was given the choice to join either India or Pakistan. Initially hesitant, Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, sought India’s assistance when Pakistani-backed tribesmen invaded Kashmir.
India dispatched troops and formalized Kashmir’s integration through the Instrument of Accession. Pakistan contested the accession, sending its troops to Kashmir. The first Indo-Pakistani War resulted in a UN-brokered ceasefire, dividing Kashmir into an Indian-controlled western part and a Pakistani-controlled eastern part. The UN also established the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to monitor the ceasefire.
The second Indo-Pakistani War unfolded in 1965 after Pakistan’s Operation Gibraltar aimed to infiltrate and seize Kashmir. The conflict ended in a stalemate but led to adjustments in the Line of Control (LOC), the de facto border between India and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
In 1990, a Kashmiri insurgency erupted against Indian rule, met with a military response from the Indian government. The insurgency resulted in tens of thousands of casualties and allegations of human rights abuses by both India and Pakistan.
In 2019, India revoked Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. This move allowed the integration of Kashmir into the broader Indian framework and permitted non-Kashmiris to settle in the region.
The international community holds diverse opinions on the Kashmir issue. While the United Nations advocates for a plebiscite to determine Kashmiris’ future, India rejects this proposition. Some nations, including the United States and the United Kingdom, encourage India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir dispute through dialogue, while others, such as China, remain noncommittal.
The future of Kashmir remains uncertain. The enduring conflict between India and Pakistan suggests a prolonged dispute with no simple resolution. Despite the challenges, there remains optimism that the two nations will eventually find common ground, paving the way for peace in Kashmir.”
