Your Kashmir  My Kashmir

Will two Kashmir ever merge in future ?

I was 15 when I came to know that the Indian map which teachers have been teaching us throughout in the school  is not exactly what India is there on the ground. Only half of Kashmir land is with India and rest is occupied and captured by adjoining countries. The real Indian map is totally different in look.

IAK and POK

The Kashmir can be divided in to three part as Indian Administrated Kashmir (IAK), Pakistani occupied Kashmir (POK), and Chinese snatched Kashmir. Kashmir has a very disturbed past and currently have the heaviest military presence on the borders. With many families divided between two countries, where half the towns is in India and other half in Pakistan. So much so that half of the river stream and River’s Bridge falls in Pakistan and second half is with India. Pakistan call Indian Kashmir as Indian occupied Kashmir (IOK) & Indian call Pakistani Kashmir as ( POK) illegally occupied territories by Pakistan. Two country have fought three major wars to settle this border dispute leading to more demographic complicacy , proxy war and cross border terrorism.

Comparison – Kashmir ‘vs’ Kashmir

History of Kashmir

During first century Buddhism was followed in Afghanistan , Kashmir , Tibet and China.  2300 year back Kashmir was the centre of Buddhism and Hinduism including during rule of King Ashoka. Kashmir was built by Mauryan empire. During  13^th to 15^th century Islam was followed in Kashmir. Shah Mir was the first Muslim ruler who ruled Kashmir from year 1339 for 50 years. During 14^th centaury forced conversion from Hinduism to Islam by done by ruler Aurangzeb and other Muslim Kings. In year 1819 , Sikh emperor Maharaja Ranjit Singh axed Kashmir and ruled it till 1846 when he lost in Anglo-Sikh war. With a treaty done in Amritsar Britisher made Raja Gulab Singh ( Dogra ) as ruler of Kashmir and other Dogra Ruler continue till Year 1947. But Britishers who were facing Gandhi’s Independence movement call decided to do the partition to create India and Pakistan as separate country in Aug 1947. Division of Kashmir went totally wrong in splitting the area properly.

Partition of India

During 200 years of rule in India Britisher faced mutiny in army and Navy, conflict with different Princely states and no co-operation movement and satyagraha by Gandhi and INC. Quit Indian movement started in 1942 on the call of Mahatma Gandhi which was supported by Indian National Congress, asking Britishers to leave India. Hindu Muslim and all other communities jointly participated in this movement to get independence from British Raj. British army also lost war in Burma in 1944 to Indian National Army (INA) headed by Subash Chandra Bose. After 2nd World War , British economy suffered badly and were struggling to manage India financially. The whole scenario made Britisher’s decision to leave India.

Indian National Congress (INC) and Muslim League were two political parties who lead the India Independence movement. Mahatma Gandhi , Jawahar Lal Nehru and Mohd Ali Jinnah were the main leaders mostly in talk with British Govt to discuss independence for India . In the beginning Muslim League do not have intention of having a separate state for Muslim. Jinnah who was fully Indianized till 1937. In 1940 in Lahore Resolution,  Jinnah gave open call for a separate Muslim state, which was rejected by Mahatma Gandhi.  But his demand simmered in different form till Indian Independence as Jinnah started convincing Britisher that he needed a separate Muslim State .

British decided to leave India but played the game to divide India in to two parts, one dominated by Muslim and other with Hindu and other religions.  Jinnah hunger for power and Gandhi’s love for Nehru ultimately lead to division to India and Pakistan. Britisher Sir Cyril Radcliffe who never visited India during British rule arrived in India in the last moments,  used his fountain Pen and pencil and divided Bharat in to two Country as India and Pakistani without understanding social economical roots of the country by creating a big mess . Lord Mount Batten declared on 3^rd June 1947 partition of India. At the time of Partition there were 32 Million Muslim in India , 23 Million in West Pakistan and 40 Millions in East Pakistan ( Bangladesh) . ie in 1947 , the country whose foundation was based on a Muslim country in the east of India had less Muslim than India, this happened due to Gandhi’s theory that India belongs to all religions. Current Muslim population in India is 210 Million and in Pakistan 220 Millions .

Division of Kashmir

From year 1925 to 1947 Dogra King Maharaja Hari Singh Ruled Kashmir. There were  94% Muslim and 6 % Hindus including other religion. At the time of Independence day of 15^th Aug 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh opted to be an Independ state. With area of 227,000 KM² and Majority Muslim Population. After that  Kashmir faced many divisions by force and armed fighting leaving only 45% land with India and rest with Pakistan. Both countries are still fighting to occupy 100% Land of Kashmir. There is 2300 Km border between Pakistan and India majority of which is fenced with search lights which can be seen from the space.

Last King of Kashmir

Maharaja Hari Singh opted to be an Independent State in Aug 1947. But this did not gel well with Jinnah and Muslim league’s overall plan of a separate country. There were protests happened in Kashmir to join Pakistan. Newly formed Army of Pakistan was still managed by Britishers at that time. Jinnah managed to convince Britishers that 100% Kashmir belong to Pakistan. Pakistan army and Tribal attacked Kashmir to capture it and managed to snatch half of Kashmir from Hari Singh.  Maharaja Hari Singh being a Hindu King left with no other option but to ask Indian Govt for Help . Maharaja did a treaty with Indian Govt declaring Kashmir as part of India. In return Indian Govt send their army and pushed back Pakistani Tribal fighters & Army from Srinagar and other border Areas. To stop this war India approach UNO and the war was stopped by UNO advising both India and Pakistan to resolve this dispute iambically under UNO guidelines. But this has never happened , both countries are fooling each others.

This 70 year old dispute is still there and active. Both countries are claiming rights to each other land in full.  Due to this dispute where Kashmir valley is divided in to two halves resulted in to division of towns , families ,relatives , bridges and river by cutting in to half , have disturbed the social web of the Kashmir state.

My point of View

Few of my colleagues who belong to Azad Kashmir of Pakistan had told stories  that during their school days they used to cross the LOC border to meet their relative in Indian part of Kashmir , stayed there for few days and come back to their home in Azad Kashmir !!.  But it is not possible now, I wish this could have been continued both way.

Pakistan was created for a separate Muslim state where all the Muslims were supposed live after Partition. It was practically not possible as Muslims were either spread all over India or did not wanted to leave India. The truth is that at 1947 partition, 32 millions Muslim stayed back in India which were 9 Millions more than those who opted to live in west Pakistan. Maharaja Hari Singh who was ruling Kashmir which had 77% Muslim population , technically can’t declared Kashmir a part of India as being a Muslim dominated state. On the other hand, he being a Hindu ruler had every right to merge Kashmir with the country of his choice.

Nehru and Jinnah who had a Princely attitude and wanted to rule the country on their own,  did a blunder by asking Britishers for the Partition of India. Kashmiris are still paying the price for their blunders. Now Indian and Pakistani govt are using Kashmir dispute as a pressure releasing tool for their failed governance by blaming each other.  Britisher succeeded to play their games of divide and rule, otherwise non-partitioned Independent India could have been a super power by now.

Myself #ESKmehta , on my previous visit to Indian Kashmir, I stopped at a road side stall for a tea break. The guy serving tea asked me , ” Kya aap India se aaya hai ? ” ( have you come from India ? ). This shocked me a lot. The ground reality is Kashmiri still do not consider Kashmir as part of India , what ever Govt in Delhi is preaching. With so much conflict in mind with Kashmiris , I don’t not think these two Kashmir will every merge , like it happen to East Germany and West Germany.