India and Pakistan- Conflict over Kashmir Essay -- International Confli

Introduction In late 1947, the newly created states of India and Pakistan went to war over the valley of Kashmir. A United Nations brokered ceasefire divided the state into Indian and Pakistani controlled territories, and resolved that a referendum would be held in which the people of Kashmir would be able to choose to join either country. The referendum has not been held to this day. India granted its portion of Kashmir a special status within its constitution, allowing for a great degree of self-autonomy. However, successive Kashmiri governments have been dissolved by the government of India, and elections have only been held in the presence of its armed forces. In 1965, Pakistan and India waged a second indecisive war over Kashmir. In the 1980s, resistance within Kashmir itself against the Indian government took on a violent nature, with guerilla attacks against Indian army bases. India responded with heavy army clampdowns, and since then the situation has only escalated and get worse. It is e stimated that well over 34,000 people have died within the valley, and the relations between the two countries have become increasingly acrimonious. India blames Pakistan for the militant uprising, claiming Islamabad is supporting cross border terrorism. Pakistan responds that it merely provides diplomatic and moral support arguing, furthermore, that India’s history of human rights abuses in the valley is to blame. With both countries now in possession of nuclear arms; the recent war in KARGIL and the increasing number of civilian deaths, refugees, and other human rights issues within Kashmir, the conflict seems to be taking on a more serious nature. In this paper I will discuss the Kashmir conflict in some depth, examining the problem in... ...there is poverty. Kashmir is the finest place to start, and not merely because it is the core of the Indo-Pakistan conflict. Our histories, cultures and religions have converged in Kashmir. Our rivers begin there, mountains meet there, and our dreams rest there.† Works Cited "The Hindu : A View from Pakistan: Resolving Kashmir Now." The Hindu. Eqbal Ahmad, Nov. 1996. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. . "BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Protest against Kashmir 'disappearances'" BBC News - Home. 10 Mar. 2000. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. . Kashmir - A Way Forward. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. . "Indian Predicament In Kashmir | Pakistan Daily." Pakistan News | Pakistan Daily. 26 Aug. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. .