essay on kashmir conflict

The Kashmir conflict: How did it start?

The dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir was sparked by a fateful decision in 1947, and has resulted in decades of violence, including two wars.

Since 1947, India and Pakistan have been locked in conflict over Kashmir, a majority-Muslim region in the northernmost part of India. The mountainous, 86,000-square-mile territory was once a princely state. Now, it is claimed by both India and Pakistan.

The roots of the conflict lie in the countries’ shared colonial past. From the 17th to the 20th century, Britain ruled most of the Indian subcontinent, first indirectly through the British East India Company, then from 1858 directly through the British crown. Over time, Britain’s power over its colony weakened, and a growing nationalist movement threatened the crown’s slipping rule.

Though it feared civil war between India’s Hindu majority and Muslim minority, Britain faced increasing pressure to grant independence to its colony. After World War II, Parliament decided British rule in India should end by 1948.

Britain had historically had separate electorates for Muslim citizens and reserved some political seats specifically for Muslims; that not only hemmed Muslims into a minority status, but fueled a growing Muslim separatist movement. Mohammad Ali Jinnah , a politician who headed up India’s Muslim League, began demanding a separate nation for India’s Muslim population.

“It is high time that the British Government applied their mind definitely to the division of India and the establishment of Pakistan and Hindustan, which means freedom for both,” Jinnah said in 1945 .

As religious riots broke out across British India, leaving tens of thousands dead , British and Indian leaders began to seriously consider a partition of the subcontinent based on religion. On August 14, 1947, the independent, Muslim-majority nation of Pakistan was formed. The Hindu-majority independent nation of India followed the next day.

Under the hasty terms of partition, more than 550 princely states within colonial India that were not directly governed by Britain could decide to join either new nation or remain independent.

The maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, in June 1946.

At the time, the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, which had a majority Muslim population, was governed by maharaja Hari Singh, a Hindu. Unlike most of the princely states which aligned themselves with one nation or the other, Singh wanted independence for Kashmir. To avert pressure to join either new nation, the maharaja signed a standstill agreement with Pakistan that allowed citizens of Kashmir to continue trade and travel with the new country. India did not sign a similar standstill agreement with the princely state.

As partition-related violence raged across the two new nations , the government of Pakistan pressured Kashmir to join it. Pro-Pakistani rebels, funded by Pakistan, took over much of western Kashmir, and in September 1947, Pashtun tribesmen streamed over the border from Pakistan into Kashmir. Singh asked for India’s help in staving off the invasion, but India responded that, in order to gain military assistance, Kashmir would have to accede to India, thus becoming part of the new country.

Singh agreed and signed the Instrument of Accession , the document that aligned Kashmir with the Dominion of India, in October 1947. Kashmir was later given special status within the Indian constitution—a status which guaranteed that Kashmir would have independence over everything but communications, foreign affairs, and defense. This special status was revoked by the Indian government in August 2019.

The maharaja's fateful decision to align Kashmir with India ushered in decades of conflict in the contested region, including two wars and a longstanding insurgency.

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Kashmir conflict is not just a border dispute between India and Pakistan

Professor of History, William & Mary

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Chitralekha Zutshi has received funding from the American Institute of Indian Studies and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

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Tensions between India and Pakistan have diminished in recent days after repeated military clashes in Kashmir led to fear that the two nuclear powers could be on the verge of war.

Kashmir is a disputed territory divided between India and Pakistan but claimed in its entirety by both sides.

The latest Kashmir standoff was triggered by a Feb. 14 suicide bombing by Jaish-e-Muhammad , a militant group with links to al-Qaida and founded by the Pakistan-based cleric Masood Azhar. More than 40 Indian soldiers died.

India blamed Pakistan for providing moral and material support to the terrorist organization, which is banned in Pakistan but operates openly there . On Feb. 26, India launched air strikes against Jaish-e-Muhammad’s training camps on the Pakistani side of Kashmir.

Pakistan retaliated, claiming to have shot down two Indian fighter jets on Feb. 28. Indian sources said that just one Pakistani jet and one Indian jet had been downed, and an Indian pilot taken hostage by Pakistan.

Pakistan has since released the pilot , soothing tempers – for now, at least.

Why Kashmir?

The Kashmir issue has caused tension and conflict in the Indian subcontinent since 1947, when independence from Britain created India and Pakistan as two sovereign states.

Jammu and Kashmir – the full name of the princely Himalayan state, then ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh – acceded to India in 1947, seeking military support after tribal raids from Pakistan into the state’s territory.

The two countries have fought three wars over the region since.

The first, which began in 1947, ended with the partition of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan under a 1949 United Nations-brokered ceasefire . Wars in 1965 and 1999 ended in stalemate.

But Kashmir is not simply a bilateral dispute between India and Pakistan.

As illustrated in my recent edited volume on the history of this contested territory , Kashmir is a multi-ethnic region with several internal subregions, whose inhabitants have distinct political goals.

Pakistani Kashmir consists of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, jurisdictions that want to become formal provinces of Pakistan to gain more political autonomy over their internal affairs.

Indian Kashmir includes Jammu, Ladakh and the Kashmir Valley. While the first two regions desire to remain part of India, the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley wants independence from it.

A many-sided conflict

The desire for autonomy in different areas of Kashmir has led to repeated uprisings and independence movements.

The most prominent is a violent insurgency against Indian rule in the Kashmir Valley that began in 1989 and has continued, in ebbs and flows, over the past three decades. Thousands have been killed.

The Kashmir Valley has become a militarized zone, effectively occupied by Indian security forces. According to the United Nations, Indian soldiers have committed numerous human rights violations there , including firing on protesters and denying due process to people arrested.

The UN also cites Pakistan’s role in the violence in Kashmir . Its government supports the movement for Kashmir’s independence from India by providing moral and material support to Kashmiri militants – allegations the Pakistani government refutes . Pakistan also tacitly supports the operations in Kashmir of non-Kashmiri extremist groups like Jaish-e-Muhammad.

As a result, consecutive Indian governments have managed to write off unrest in the Kashmir Valley as a byproduct of its territorial dispute with Pakistan.

In doing so, India has avoided addressing the actual political grievances of Indian Kashmiris.

An entire generation of young Kashmiris have been raised during the 30-year insurgency. They are deeply alienated from India, research shows, and view it as an occupying power .

Militant groups in the region tap into this discontent, recruiting young people to use violence in their quest for Kashmir’s freedom. Indeed, the man who under the auspices of Jaish-e-Muhmamad blew himself up in the Feb. 14 suicide bombing of the Indian military convoy was a young Kashmiri.

Ending the conflict

Tensions in Kashmir may have subsided, but the root causes of the violence there have not.

In my assessment, the Kashmir dispute cannot be resolved bilaterally by India and Pakistan alone – even if the two countries were willing to work together to resolve their differences.

This is because the conflict has many sides: India, Pakistan, the five regions of Kashmir and numerous political organizations.

Establishing peace in the region would require both India and Pakistan to reconcile the multiple – and sometimes conflicting – aspirations of the diverse peoples of this region.

Only when local aspirations are recognized, addressed and debated alongside India and Pakistan’s nationalist and strategic goals will a durable solution emerge to one of the world’s longest-running conflicts.

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The Kashmir Conflict

• Living reference work entry
• First Online: 29 April 2021
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• Mohd. Tahir Ganie 3  

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Identity and conflict ; Secession and self-determination ; Statehood conflict

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The Kashmir conflict has two intertwined aspects: firstly, it involves the struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) for their right to self-determination (see “Secession and Self-Determination” ). Secondly, it involves an interstate militarized contestation and sovereignty claims between India and Pakistan over the disputed Himalayan region and the erstwhile princely state of J&K, covering 85,000 sq. miles (Snedden 2013 , pp. 240–43). Hence, there is the conflict in Kashmir (involving people of J&K and the Indian state) and the interstate conflict between India and Pakistan over Kashmir.

In terms of the interstate contestation, India and Pakistan have fought three wars on J&K – the 1947–1949, the 1965, and the 1999 war – but that did not change the status quo. Since the mid-1950s, Kashmiris ran a nonviolent political movement (see “Nonviolence and Civil Resistance” ) under the banner...

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Ganie, M.T. (2021). The Kashmir Conflict. In: The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Peace and Conflict Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11795-5_114-1

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The Case for a Kashmir Peace Deal—Now

Yelena Biberman | 02.11.21

Kashmir has been at the heart of one of the most intractable conflicts in modern history. Although progress may appear unlikely at first glance, there are three important reasons why Washington may make Kashmir peace talks a foreign policy goal over the next four years: reduction in tensions between two nuclear powers; effective withdrawal from Afghanistan; and support for democratic freedoms and human rights. With a new US administration in the White House and China’s recent moves , now is the time for the United States to showcase its principles, priorities, and power in the Indo-Pacific. Facilitating a Kashmir peace deal would do precisely that.

Kashmir is a major flash point between two nuclear-armed rivals , India and Pakistan. The two countries were on the brink of nuclear war after a suicide attack in Kashmir in 2019. As the ensuing crisis began “spiraling out of control,” Indian prime minister Narendra Modi reportedly considered a missile strike against Pakistan. Experts are predicting “a resurgence of violent and quasi-violent resistance” in response to India’s post-2019 restrictions in the region, and this could generate another sudden—and potentially more dangerous—crisis, with global implications. A group of scientists recently explored the global consequences of a potential India-Pakistan nuclear confrontation. They found that the direct effects would be devastating for both countries, but the indirect effects on climate would be catastrophic for the world. Surface sunlight would decline by 20–35 percent, cooling the global surface by 2°C–5°C and reducing precipitation by 15–30 percent. Recovery would take more than ten years, while net primary productivity would decline 15–30 percent on land and 5–15 percent in oceans, threatening mass starvation and additional worldwide collateral fatalities. As Business Insider summed up , a nuclear war in South Asia “could trigger Ice-Age temperatures, cause global famine, and kill 125 million people.”

US withdrawal from Afghanistan requires not just “Afghan good enough” security forces and a deal with the Taliban. The security of Afghanistan and Kashmir are interlinked. As one expert observed , “In February 1989, the last Soviet soldier withdrew from Afghanistan. The transformation of Afghan warfare from jihad to chaos in the 1990s propelled an upsurge of violence in Kashmir. . . . When the Russians left Kabul, so did many of the foreign mujahideen, or Islamist fighters. They had to go somewhere. And for many of them, somewhere was Kashmir.”

The combination of instability in Afghanistan and popular discontent, verging on uprising, in Kashmir creates ripe conditions for spillover. Stabilizing Afghanistan but not resolving the Kashmir crisis could once again trigger Afghan and international militant relocation to Kashmir, exacerbating the conflict there and potentially spilling over into other parts of the region, including back to Afghanistan . Preventing battle-hardened Afghan and international jihadists from relocating to Kashmir would make for a more comprehensive US withdrawal plan. As would preventing Kashmiri militants from running training camps inside Afghanistan. This requires not just a military approach but also a diplomatic one. It requires India taking seriously and addressing through negotiations local Kashmiri grievances. New Delhi has productively contributed to the Afghan peace process , and so there is good reason to believe that it is capable of effectively engaging in a Kashmir peace process.

Finally, facilitating a Kashmir peace deal is an opportunity for the United States to make clear its position on democracy and human rights. It would send a message to India and the rest of the world confronting the rise of authoritarianism about the distinctiveness and value of America’s global leadership. Official visits and initiatives, such as the Parliamentary Exchange program led by Congressmen Brad Sherman and George Holding, provide a platform for deepening the countries’ shared democratic values.

“Any time is a good time to treat a festering wound,” a Kashmiri activist and doctor memorably responded to my question about when to tackle the Kashmir crisis. Kashmir is a “festering wound” from the standpoint of democratic freedoms and human rights. The current mental health and women’s reproductive health crises reveal the conflict’s human toll, which has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. A peace deal would drastically improve the lives of millions. And as Nobel Prize–winning Indian economist Amartya Sen reminds us , human flourishing has intrinsic value that does not have to be justified in strategic terms.

Read the full report here.

Yelena Biberman is an associate professor of political science at Skidmore College, a fellow at the Modern War Institute at West Point, and a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center in Washington, DC. Her book, Gambling with Violence: State Outsourcing of War in Pakistan and India , was published by Oxford University Press in 2019.

Image credit: AJ Kashmir Pakistan

An America which has been thoroughly exposed as a morally bankrupt and financially corrupt as any banana republic is in no position to show any sort of ' moral leadership ' to the world especially towards India – The author seems to be writing this piece in a vaccum not taking into consideration the various moves that the Indian government has made in the past 18 months to shutter the Islamist terrorist movement in Kashmir including bombing pakistan for its proxy attacks – Any moves by Pakistan and China to revive the old Anglo Saxon led Jihadi movement in Kashmir would be met by counter attacks on Pakistan both from India and its Afghanistan allies from both sides – Plus India has also updated it's game by trying to shatter Pakistan financially via the FATF mechanism – Also Pakistan has lost the support of all its Middle East sponsors like Saudi Arabia and UAE – That would mean that a beggar nation like pakistan can't afford to play the long game with India which has the world's fifth largest economy and poised to grow further – Biased authors like this should remove their ideological blinkers and start to write realpolitik , not the DC think tank type academic variety infested with 70's thinking and socialist dogma masquerading as American greatness which was always a myth used to fool it's gullible population

I express my dismay on your words. Things are not the way you described. Your opine is utterly inept, one-sided and dogmatic. Foreign Policy formulations are not emotion driven. Broad your mental horizon by analyzing both sides of coin before reaching a conclusion.

It would be a great thing if the US could somehow- since India has basically said thanks no thanks- interject quietly into this and get some type of peace agreement here. It certainly needs to find a way to mend some fences with Pakistan and quietly take advantage of the one-side Silk Road agreements that leave Pakistan scratching its head at figuring out how China really treats its "pals". Long term getting a Pakistan that is willing to showcase as the model nation for its area while slowly snuffing out the extremist elements would change the region into much better shape. India can survive Pakistan, but the other countries as the writer points out are stuck on whatever Pakistan is exporting that day, whether it be guns/food or fighters. I'm sure they would rather have food, maybe defense armanents rather than some more extremists to fight against…

Fairly logical analysis and way forward, (as there is a logic with facts I know Indians can not digest it) few clarifications if I may have for my learning plz

1. How India has contributed in Afghan Peace Process? As u have mentioned peace in Afghanistan will heat up Kashmir and proxy in Afghanistan is a veil on Indian democratic face as they are thrusting evil and terrorism to Pakistan via Afghanistan. I don’t find India will dare to send troops / health workers/ teachers or humanitarians to support peace process in Afghanistan.

2. You have mentioned about Indian so called military attack on Pakistan, you did not talk about Pakistani response which shattered the regional power myth about India as India was cornered to strategic weapons domain.

3. Replying to one of comments, For begging bowl myth plz refer to any legitimate global document how much aid India begs from the world and what Pakistan gets. Pakistan was never dependent on Middle East brothers about defence and military matters and what so ever capability we have that’s more than enough to silent Indian arrogance.

Despite all, peace in the region depends on Kashmir issue, let’s pray for peace, as that’s the gateway to the prosperity of 1.5 billion people. No One can break anyone, but the struggling and wounded one will surely effect the other one as well …

Thanks n regards

The ex Speaker of National Assembly of Pakistan Ayaz Sadiq on the floor of the Pakistani National Assembly described the quaking in the boots of Gen Bajwa COAS of Mard e Momin Pak Fauj and the sweat in the brows of Qureshi and the refusal of PM Imran Khan to attend the meeting at the prospect of an all out Indian attack.That shows how Pakistan " shattered the regional power myth about India". Come out of your make believe World and smell the coffee.And your economy the less said the better, Afghan development Look up for Dams and irrigation projects made by Indian government , the scholarship to Afghan students, India brings peace and knowledge and Pakistan arms Taliban and trains and sends suicide bombers that's the difference

That this entire article is biased and incomplete can be discerened from the very simple observation that not a single word is written about the support and arming of terror organizations like LeT ,HuMj,JeM by Pakistan .it's as if they don't exist and ISI has no role in formenting trouble in Kashmir,not a word said about the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri pandits the original inhabitants of Kashmir,the fact that Kashmir is just 150 km *60km approx are of J&K state,and Jammu and Ladakh are totally different racially culturally and on religious grounds too,and the local government being Kashmir centric treated these two regions in a step motherly fashion.thats the reason for the division of J&K to two UT's .Get out of this WOKE mindset J&K was is and will be a part of India and US will be better off minding its own business

India and Pakistan uniting as one nation, is the only solution Kashmir problem.

Morally bankrupt countries like the USA like lecturing the world.

As a declining power, the USA should be examining itself instead of indulging in orgiastic mass suicide through COVID.

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Ten Potential Solutions to the Kashmir Conflict

• Published: September 2010
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A permanent peaceful resolution to Kashmir's conflict will require solemn diplomatic agreements between India and Pakistan that have the full support of Kashmir's most popular leaders. The most realistic solution to the Kashmir conflict would appear to be acceptance of the current Line of Control that now divides the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir as the northernmost international border of India and Pakistan. It is also important for Pakistan's elected leaders to control the Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants who inhabit its entire Afghan frontier, and to end the nurturing of suicide bombers bent on killing Indians, Americans, Sri Lankans, or other innocent people the world over. The people of Kashmir must be permitted to choose their own leaders in free and fair elections, as do Indians in every other state in that union, and New Delhi should solemnly commit to supporting Kashmir's provincial autonomy and the human rights of its people, as it does the autonomy and rights of the people of Punjab, Maharashtra, or West Bengal.

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Since partition, the dispute of Kashmir has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan. It is called as the nuclear flash point of South Asia because of the war threat it poses to the peace and security of the region. Since 1947, India and Pakistan have fought three wars over this issue i.e. 1948, 1965, and 1999. Both rivals have been engaged in border skirmishes, often. This conflict has also enhanced the region’s nuclear arms race, which can potentially disturb stability in the future. With the rising extremism in India, the threat to Muslims existing there, especially in Jammu and Kashmir, has increased significantly. Hence, the solution is essential at the earliest.

Aims and objectives:

• To identify the peacemaking efforts made to resolve Kashmir issue
• To explain the impacts and consequences of the efforts undertaken
• To propose what can be done in future for the Kashmir resolution

Research question:

Following research question will be addressed in this paper:

“What types of peacemaking efforts have been made and can be adopted in future, in order to resolve the longstanding dispute of Kashmir?”

Research methodology:

The present study is conducted through analytical descriptive approach. Qualitative data has been collected for this purpose. Secondary sources have been consulted for the data collection. The main source of data were research papers and academic journals.

Discussions and analysis:

The rivalry between India and Pakistan is based on the quest for power, self-reliance and security dilemma. The conflict becomes a threat to the international peace if the rivals are nuclear powers. Ansari et al. state that the conflict between India and Pakistan has always been in the international focus, due to their nuclear arms. [1] And when Kashmir comes into question, the tension rises further. Both the countries have tried for long time but have not been able to develop the level of trust that is required for settling the arch dispute. Effendi expresses her concerns over the several spoilers that disrupt the confidence building attempts between in India and Pakistan. [2] Considering the historical progression, dialogue between India and Pakistan has always been a risk. [3] The historical misunderstandings, military stand-offs and communication over the range of disputes illustrate that the Pakistan and India want superiority over each other. According to realists, both the states want a sense of power superiority and cannot accept each other’s conciliatory mode at any cost. Many scholars are of the view that Pakistan cannot let go its claim on Kashmir due to its ideological reasons, as it says that Pakistan is a Muslim state and will stand by every oppressed Muslim. Moreover, it also claims that India has illegally occupied Kashmir. Pakistan claims this by backing its argument with the clauses of partition plan, regarding the procedure of annexation of princely states, and articles about self-determination in UN Charter. Whereas India says that ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, has signed legal documents for Kashmir’s annexation with India. Apart from this Kashmir is the only Muslim majority states in India, if India leaves Kashmir, it cannot claim its secular ideology. If the ideological basis of any state collapses, the identity and position of that state becomes questionable. Therefore, both India and Pakistan are not in a position to do so.

Conflict Resolution:

Taking the above mentioned scenario into attention, it has become essential to resolve the Kashmir issue. Effendi highlights the proposition of Ledarach that “conflict is bad and it is something that needs to be ended”. [4] The issue of Kashmir is now at the ripe stage. It is clear that delaying the resolution is neither benefiting India nor Pakistan. Although, the revocation of article 370 has annexed Kashmir with India and till now it is difficult to predict what will be the future of the territory. But generally analyzing current uncertainty in regional and international situation of peace and stability, there is a possibility that Kashmir may become a serious threat to global security.

Many efforts have already been made to resolve this protracted conflict. Few of them are listed as under:

Tashkent Declaration:

Pakistan and India engaged in a war in 1965, triggered by many historical and existing grievances. It was a seventeen day conflict with massive losses on both sides. Tashkent declaration was an agreement brokered by Soviet Union, to end the war. It was decided that both the states will step back of their positions. Withdraw their militaries and try to establish good relations based on UN Charter. Along with establishment of good relations the countries will settle all their disputes peacefully. [5] It was considered as a weak agreement because it could not stop the next war between India and Pakistan. But it was a fine example of peacemaking

Simla accord:

After the end of 1971 war, Pakistan and India signed a pact which would determine the future course of their relations. Kashmir, which plays a significant role in India-Pakistan relations, was also a part of the discussions over the agreement. India ruled out the option of third party mediation on Kashmir Issue during the negotiations. Whereas Pakistan wanted to employ different methods to peacefully resolve the conflict, even if it required third party interference. [6] The fact that India took the Kashmir Issue to UN could not be ignored, while taking into account that India wanted to resolve the conflict bilaterally.  This agreement could also neither shape cooperation between India and Pakistan neither prove helpful in deciding the fate of Kashmir. The misunderstandings, misperceptions and trust deficit have now changed into an emotion based fight.

Agra summit:

Another attempt to resolve the settle the conflict was Agra summit. It was started in 2001, when both the governments decided to engage diplomatically for peaceful settlement of the disputes. The summit was arranged with high hopes that it would bring out results. It was observed that India delayed the negotiations over Kashmir. Effendi mentions Amir that “The draft of the joint declaration was not issued due to Indian refusal to deal separately with Kashmir and Pakistani reservations about “cross-border terrorism.” [7] Therefore, the summit ended without any significant achievement.

Composite dialogue:

Composite dialogue, conducted from 2004-8, is considered to be the most “sustainable and peaceful negotiations in India-Pakistan relations”. During the dialogue, Musharraf was willing to step down of his positions for impactful proceedings. He did emphasized on Kashmir’s annexation with Pakistan or, settlement of the dispute with UN interference. He proposed the self-determination formula for the resolution of Kashmir issue but India did not seem interested. [8] Although the talks are thought to be successful but Kashmir was again left just the same.

Revocation of the article 370:

The revocation of article 370 is a structural change made by India, claiming to settle the Kashmir conflict. The constitutional change has annexed Kashmir with India. The Delhi government will directly control it. Scholars say that India cannot sustain this change, the increased suppression and forceful demographic changes will backfire. But according to Indian perspective, the annexation would enable Delhi to eliminate all the political, economic and historical grievances from Kashmir; ultimately settling the “insurgency”. As per Pakistan’s point of view, the increased deployment of forces, media blackout, demographic changes, marginalization and suppression will backfire. These all are human rights violations. When they will be coupled with extremist Hindutva ideology and its impacts, India will not be able to sustain it.

What can be done?

There have been certain faults in the attempts of peacemaking, in the past. These faults have not allowed the success to come. One of those faults is denying the participation of Kashmiris in resolution of the conflict. India and Pakistan have often considered it a bilateral dispute and dealt with it accordingly. Following are the proposed solutions which might repair the damage done, slowly but surely.

Conflict analysis:

To initiate the conflict resolution, it is extremely crucial to analyze the conflict systematically. This will enable the practitioners to understand the roots of the conflict. As Dr. Maria S. Effendi elaborates using her Conflict Wheel Model, first the root causes of the conflict should be investigated deeply. [9] Perspectives of all parties should be analyzed, regarding the root causes, meaning and importance of the present conflict. A consensus of all the parties should be built upon the perceptions about the conflict. Relevant causes of the conflict should also be studied. Actors, stakes, interests, needs and positions of all the actors should be clearly identified. In this way all the parties will understand each other’s interpretation of the conflict, which will significantly participate in designing their future course of action during the peace process. Effendi and Choudhary suggest that for effective conflict resolution, all the parties should try to develop a consensus over the interpretation of the conflict. [10] Relevant experts will be required to conduct a detailed cost benefit analysis for remaining engaged and ending the conflict. Spoilers and drivers of the conflict should also be identified during conflict analysis process. It will enable the diplomatic staff to design a peace process which is immune to the external structural and proximate factors that could damage peace process.

Involve UN for peace making:

Effendi and Fatima suggest that UN should establish a referendum or plebiscite commission so that actual population of oppressed Kashmiris can be preserved. [11] As India is trying to change the demographics of Kashmir by revoking its special status, it will record the number of indigenous population of Kashmiris.

Third party intervention:

Pakistan can enable third party intervention in the conflict through different means.

• Litigation:

Pakistan can take the matter to International Court of Justice for asking its standing on the occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and its right of self-determination. It will establish a legal precedent over the matter because “International humanitarian law recognizes the liberation movements under Additional Protocol II to Geneva Conventions and Common Article 3 therefore international law is clearly applicable to Kashmir conflict lending credibility to the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination”. [12] Along with this, Pakistan should declare it support for Kashmir so that they can get their right of self-determination, rather than staying firm for its annexation with Pakistan.

• Give the right of self-determination to Kashmiris:

India and Pakistan should realize the fact that Kashmir has been made a bilateral dispute, the participation of Kashmiris have been largely ignored. Both the states should let Kashmiris decide their future. Whenever reconciliatory discussions are planned Kashmiris should be a part of them. Without their consent, nothing should be proceeded.

• Mediation or provision of good offices:

Mediation is one of the most effective methods of conflict resolution. It involves the interference of an unbiased third party. Third party is not emotionally connected to the conflict at hand, therefore, is in a better position to understand the conflict and perceptions of direct conflicting parties. [13] Witnessing the protractedness and complexity of the conflict, Kashmir issue can be best resolved through third party intervention. Pakistan can make this legal precedent as a basis to convince influential powers of international community to intervene in the matter and pressurize India for resolution. If India does not agree on third party involvement, international actors can provide good offices for the negotiations as well.

Conclusion:

Kashmir has been a disputed territory for 75 years. Different peacemaking efforts have been undertaken like Tashkent declaration, Simla Accord, Agra Sumit, Composite Dialogue, Lahore Declaration and etc. None of it became successful due to several reasons. But the most important of them were the lack of political will from both Pakistan and India. The governments have been witnessed to adopt delaying tactics in scheduled dialogues or lack of prioritization of the matter. Until the governments are not ready to engage, the issue will remain unaddressed, as they have been till now.

[1] Samra F. Ansari, Maria S. Effendi, and Riffat Haque, “Problem Solving Decision Making Model In Kashmir Conflict Resolution: Prospects And Challenges,”  NDU Journal  33 (2019): 7, accessed December 19, 2022, https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwicluqR6In8AhU4SfEDHai_BuQQFnoECA0QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fndujournal.ndu.edu.pk%2Fsite%2Fissue%2Fdownload%2F18%2F13&usg=AOvVaw2kxqdywm6jrI2KGgX–utV .

2 Maria S. Effendi and Ishtiaq A. Choudary, “India – Pakistan CBMs since 1947 A Critical Analysis,”  A Research Journal of South Asian Studies  31, no. 1 (January 2016): 188, accessed December 19, 2022, http://pu.edu.pk/images/journal/csas/PDF/13%20Maria%20Saifuddin%20Effendi_v31_no1_jan-jun2016.pdf .

4 Maria S. Effendi, “Conflict Resolution Research in Pakistan: Scope and Challenges to the Development of the Discipline,”  Pakistan Journal Peace & Conflict Studies  2, no. 1 (January 2017): 31, accessed December 19, 2022, http://journals.uop.edu.pk/papers/03.%20Maria_for%20Maria%2003-07-2017.pdf .

5 Effendi and Choudary, “India – Pakistan CBMs since 1947: 194.

6 Ibid, 196.

7 Ibid, 198.

9 Ansari, Effendi, and Haque, “Problem Solving Decision Making Model In Kashmir Conflict Resolution: 7.

10 Effendi and Choudary, “India – Pakistan CBMs since 1947: 194.

11 Maria S. Effendi, “Right of Self Determination and Kashmiris: A Conceptual Understanding and Perspective,”  Orient Research Journal of Social Sciences  6, no. 1 (June 2021): 11, accessed December 19, 2022, https://www.gcwus.edu.pk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/1.-Right-of-Self-Determination-and-Kashmiris.pdf .

13 Maria S. Effendi,  Role of a Third Party in Conflict Resolution: A Case Study of India and Norway in Sri Lanka  (Columbo: Regional Centre for strategic studies, 2007), 27.

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Essay on Kashmir: History and Beauty in 600+ Words

• Updated on  
• Jan 20, 2024

Essay on Kashmir for Students: Kashmir is a region situated between India and Pakistan in South Asia. It is believed that the name Kashmir originated from the word ‘Ka’ which means water, and ‘shimera’ to desiccate. 

The story of Kashmir is complex and has historical, cultural, and political dimensions. Over the years, many rulers and empires, like the Mauryas , Kushans , and Mughals have influenced the paradise of the Earth. The region especially had the special influence of Mauryan ruler Ashoka who contributed to the cultural as well as the architectural heritage of the region.

Cultural Diversity of Kashmir

Kashmir is a region that has a rich history and ancient roots. The place has witnessed the rise and fall of many dynasties, such as the Mauryas , Kushnas , and Guptas . On top of that, these dynasties contributed to the cultural and geographic location of Kashmir, which includes the influence of the Silk Road and the blend of Hindu, Buddhist, and later Islamic influences.

Kashmir Issue

The dispute related to the sharing of borders didn’t stop after Independence. Whether it was India, Pakistan, or China, tensions related to the disputes of the region always created a heat of fire between the countries that led to wars. The list of some important wars are as follows:

1. First Indo-Pak War (1947-1948) : Fought for Jammu Kashmir shortly after India’s independence.

2. Sino-Indian War (1962): A conflict between India and China for the territorial region Aksai Chin. 

3. The War of (1965): Fought mainly over Kashmir.

4. Kargil War (1999): A conflict between India and Pakistan in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Article 370 Scrapped

Geographically, Kashmir lies in the northwestern region of the Indian continent. Its total area is around 225,000 square kilometers, which is comparatively larger than the member countries of the United States. 

Out of the total area, 85,800 square kilometers have been subject to dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947. It is important to note that the areas with conflict consist of major portions called the Northern, Southern, and Southeastern portions. The 30 percent of the northern part comprises Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan and is administered by Pakistan.

India controls the portion which is more than 55 percent of the area of the land. The area consists of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Kashmir Valley, and Siachen Glacier which is located in the southern and southeastern portions of India. The area is divided by a line of control and has been under conflict since 1972. 

Also Read: Speech on Article 370

Sadly, the people living near the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir pose not only a life threat but also do not have a stable life. Replacement and relocation affect the people living in the line of control not affect the people physically but also psychologically and socially aspects. In a survey conducted by the National Library of Medicine 94 percent of the participants recognize stress. Furthermore, the youth population was facing stress and anxiety regularly.  

However, a historic decision from the Supreme Court of India that nullified Articles 370 and 35A and permitted the state to have its constitution, flag, and government except in defense, foreign affairs, and communications decisions. After the decision, many initiatives were taken by the government of India to strengthen the democratic rule of the state. Schools, colleges, and universities were opened regularly in the union territories to develop the youth academically, socially, and as well as physically. 

Furthermore, strict measures to control criminal assaults such as stone pelting have started showing positive impacts on the continuance use of technologies such as mobile networks, and internet activities. Further, the discontinuity of Technology has started showing positive impacts on the lifestyle of people. Regular opening of schools, colleges, and universities, on the one hand, is helping the students to have good career prospects. 

Additionally, the fear-free environment that further increases tourist activities will further improve the local economy and contribute to the local as well as the national economy of the country. 

Also Read: Essay on Indian Independence Day

Kashmir is also called the Paradise on Earth. The region is blessed with natural beauty, including snow-capped mountains and green and beautiful valleys. The region is surrounded by two countries, which are Pakistan and China.

Kashmir is famous for Dal Lake, Pashmina Shawls, beautiful Mughal gardens and pilgrimage sites of Amarnath and Vaishno Devi. 

According to a traditional story, Ka means water and shimira means Desiccate. 

Kashmir is known as the ‘Paradise on Earth.’

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Deepika Joshi

Deepika Joshi is an experienced content writer with expertise in creating educational and informative content. She has a year of experience writing content for speeches, essays, NCERT, study abroad and EdTech SaaS. Her strengths lie in conducting thorough research and ananlysis to provide accurate and up-to-date information to readers. She enjoys staying updated on new skills and knowledge, particulary in education domain. In her free time, she loves to read articles, and blogs with related to her field to further expand her expertise. In personal life, she loves creative writing and aspire to connect with innovative people who have fresh ideas to offer.

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