Once upon a time...Kashmir

The princely state of Jammu & Kashmir started out with a king who wanted the best for his land. Where did it all go wrong? On this day, separatist guerrillas wreaked havoc in Kashmir in defiance of the Indian administration.

Maharaja Hari Singh of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir; Image Source: Public Domain

Kashmir. What’s the first image that pops up in your head? A picture of scenic beauty, snow-clad mountains and the rich cultural heritage that Kashmir is home to? Or a picture of riots and gunshots with gunpowder filling your nostrils, violent clashes and grey fear settling into your bones? What do you see?

Watching this northernmost part of India turn up on news headlines is commonplace. The insurgency has been existent for so long by now that it has become characteristic to the breathtaking place of J&K. Militant attacks now accompany the name of this picturesque land.

The Kashmir insurgency has been ongoing from 13 July 1989 till present (approximately 31 years) and both nations, India and Pakistan have had a total of 100,000 casualties so far.

Flipping through the pages of history, the crux of this conflict goes way back to the shared colonial past of India and Pakistan. As always, colonial oppressors are the root of the problem. A series of events starting from the British introducing separate electorates for Muslim citizens right until the moment of the rushed and haphazard manner in which the partition of 1947 was declared lead to political instability in the valley of Kashmir.

Maharaja Hari Singh, who governed the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was torn in both directions. There was pressure from both sides and the Maharaja wanted independence for his state, so he signed a standstill agreement with Pakistan which granted unrestricted travel to the people of J&K. As the partition-induced violence erupted, Pakistan urged the king to join arms with them and by then, pro-Pakistan rebels had taken over most of western Kashmir. In a bid to stave off the invasion, the Maharaja sent a plea to India asking for support, and he was responded with the offer for a trade-off. The Maharaja needed military assistance and India wanted J&K. A double coincidence of wants led to both parties agreeing and signing the Instrument of Accession, finally aligning Kashmir with the republic of India.

After the king made the momentous decision, the beautiful kingdom with its rich bounties was strife with soldiers and battle. So attractive was this kingdom that both the neighbouring nations desired it and neither was willing to give up.

End scene and cut to January 15, 2005.

‘A group of Kashmir separatist guerrillas stormed the government building in the city of Srinagar, the state of J&K before Republic Day celebrations’, reads the morning news.

This attack was but one of the innumerable militant invasions, bomb blasts, gun battles which are now home to the kingdom of J&K.

Only time will tell if the story has a happy ending…or not.