...Where Does Kashmir Belong? Avneel M, Gurleen D, Harshdeep P, Tajbir D WHAT IS KASHMIR? * Kashmir is a Himalayan region that borders India, Pakistan and China * India's side of Kashmir includes Jammu, Kashmir Valley, and Ladakh * Pakistan side of Kashmir includes the areas known as Azad (Free) Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan * The territory under dispute lies in India's Kashmir Valley, separated from Pakistan by the 450-mile Line of Control (border line) * Indian Kashmir is mostly Muslim; Jammu is Hindu * 65% of Kashmir is located in India while the other 35% is in Pakistan WHAT IS KASHMIR? * Kashmir is a Himalayan region that borders India, Pakistan and China * India's side of Kashmir includes Jammu, Kashmir Valley, and Ladakh * Pakistan side of Kashmir includes the areas known as Azad (Free) Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan * The territory under dispute lies in India's Kashmir Valley, separated from Pakistan by the 450-mile Line of Control (border line) * Indian Kashmir is mostly Muslim; Jammu is Hindu * 65% of Kashmir is located in India while the other 35% is in Pakistan HOW IT STARTED * India's Muslim leaders demanded a Muslim homeland as a condition for independence in 1947 * The British surrendered their hold on the Indian subcontinent, giving way to a predominantly Hindu India and a Muslim Pakistan * Kashmir was free to accede to either nation * Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of the kingdom, initially chose...
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...United Nations General Assembly Topic: Kashmir- Is it a symbol of failure of United Nations Machinery Country: Germany Delegate: Ruchi Gupta Since the partition of British India into India and Pakistan in 1947, the Kashmir conflict between them has become intractable. India first referred the case of Pakistani aggression in Kashmir to the United Nations Security Council under Article 35 of the UN Charter on January 1, 1948. This move was directed towards protecting India’s territorial integrity. United Nations was involved in mediating the Kashmir conflict from 1948 through 1965. Later, at the end of the Third Pakistan- India war of 1971, Pakistan and India signed the Simla Agreement in 1972 which emphasized the adoption of a bilateral framework to solve the crisis. UNSC resolution 47 of 1948 recommended Pakistan to withdraw all its tribesmen and Pakistani nationals. It also recommended Indian forces to be reduced to minimum strengths to maintain law and order so as to later hold a UN supervised plebiscite in the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir to determine the aspirations of her people. But Pakistan never vacated and later India also backed out. As a result the referendum never went through and UN declaration could not be implemented. Germany agrees that the Kashmir issue should be undertaken bilaterally as “one spark” could be disastrous for the entire region. Germany has always supported negotiated settlement of the Kashmir issue between Pakistan and India. We also...
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...Both these countries have strained relations and have fought two major wars resulting in the cession of East Pakistan. The real bone of contention between the two countries is Kashmir. The people of Kashmir have expressed their desire to accede to Pakistan but India creates hurdles in the fulfillment of their desire. The state of Jammu and Kashmir came into existence in 1848. Gulab Singh, Dogra Rajpot, bought it for RS. 7500000 from Lord Lawrence. The state has an area of 84,471 square miles. It has 902 miles long border with Pakistan and with India 317 miles only. The three main rivers of Pakistan, namely, the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab are their sources in Kashmir. The two roads that link Kashmir with the rest of the world also lie through Pakistan. More than 80% of the people of Jammu and Kashmir are Muslims. Thus geographically, culturally, economically and religiously Kashmir is an integral part of Pakistan. But India has never accepted this fact. The result is that Kashmir has become an apple of discord between Pakistan and India. The Kashmiris were leading a miaerable life. They were treated as slaves. They had no status in society. They were always at the mercy of the Dogras and the Hindus of the state. The result of this suppression and oppression was that the people of Jammu and Kashmir stood against the Maharaja’s rule in 1930. The Maharaja tried to suppress this movement. He succeeded in crushing the rebellions for the time being, but he could succeed is sowing...
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...History of Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir was ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh. At the time of partition of India in 1947 one of the condition imposed by Britain was that the ruler of princely state had a right to opt either Pakistan or India or make their own particular free nation. But Maharaja was in view of making Jammu and Kashmir as independent country. As Governor-General Louis Mountbatten knows Maharaja Hari Singh from prior times so he decided to meet him. In the meeting he suggest Maharaja to take this decision before 15th August otherwise it would create many difficulties for state and he also suggest him that independence is not a feasible decision for Jammu and Kashmir and he tells him that it is deal between Pakistan and India that no one will interfere in your decision as it is your independent decision and no one is having any right to force you to take this decision. But in fact it did not happen as Pakistan has started using force by stopping the supply of crude oil, grains, and necessary goods to Jammu and Kashmir so this situation makes clear that Pakistan was in eager to take over Jammu and Kashmir. Due to this situation of Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister of India Mr...
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...Whenever I hear the word "Kashmir," all I can think is of conflicts, wars, blood and yes, India and Pakistan. We all know what all has happened over the years, and there seems to be no solution to the unending drama, fake promises and conspiracy. Even after decades we still stand on the borders of indo-pak fighting for so called peace and our right over Kashmir. It seems to me that the time has stopped, we haven't moved generations after generations have passed. we are still pondering over what is the root cause. Authorities come and go, positions change, mindsets change but the issue remains the same. From secret negotiations in hotel rooms of Dubai & Bangkok to International summits, something which has changed is only the places. Sometimes I wonder If I will be ever able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Is it so difficult to come to a concordance. Our life's have become part of this high profile drama which takes a new twist every now and then leaving nothing but blood on the streets. Kashmir is the most sensitive issue of our country and has been touched upon by almost everyone in the world but hasn't reached the level of a resolution. For how long we will just sit in front of our TV screens and see the innocent people getting slaughter on the roads for nothing. It's time for some action! I am desperate for an answer, I want to know how my country can be free from this man made disasters ( Read Nuclear wars, terrorist attacks) I know the issue is too big...
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...Kashmir is missing out on a ‘demographic dividend’ and unable to cash in on its youthful population for lack of initiatives from a state government bogged down by a two-decade-old separatist insurgency. Mercy Corps, a United States-based development agency, found 48 percent of youth in Kashmir unemployed, in a comprehensive survey, the results of which were published in August 2011. According to the survey, Kashmir is experiencing a ‘youth bulge’ with about 70 percent of its 10 million-strong population under the age of 31. The World Bank’s chief economist, Justin Yifu Lin, submits in his blog ‘Let’s Talk Development’ on Jan. 5 that the increase in the number of working age individuals can, if fully employed in productive activities, other things being equal, result in a youth bulge becoming a demographic dividend. 'However, if a large cohort of young people cannot find employment and earn satisfactory income, the youth bulge will become a demographic bomb, because a large mass of frustrated youth is likely to become a potential source of social and political instability,' Lin warns in the posting. Signs of youth unrest are already visible in the Kashmir valley in several stone-throwing sprees lasting days and occasioning the imposition of curfews since 2008. Several hundred youth, including juveniles, are currently lodged in jails on charges of rioting that are not entirely unrelated to separatist militancy. 'These stone-throwing episodes are largely the result...
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...The Kashmir Issue: Some options towards solution By Dr. Misbah Islam As we all know the Kashmir issue has been has been a perennial problem ever since the birth of Pakistan. Kashmir is one of the two most intractable problems that have stymied the world for so long resulting in horrendous loss of life and negative impact on the development of the belligerants. Nature of the Problem: The origins of the Kashmir issue lie in the illegal instrument of accession to India signed on October 26, 1947 by Raja Hari Singh that violated the rights and hopes of 77% Muslim population of Kashmiris to join Pakistan. It has resulted in or associated with at least four major wars: 1948, 1965, 1971 and 1999. Besides loss of liberty for 10 million people it has entailed loss of lives (more than 102,000), in the form of executions, bombardment and disappearances, horrendous tortures, injuries, crimes against women, destruction of property, businesses and the list goes on [Ref 1]. No value can ever be assigned to the psychological losses. So far India has refused visits by Amnesty International to investigate and report impartially. We have also to take into account other costs. The purpose of this exercise is to highlight the seriousness of the issue and to prove Pakistan’s commitment to the cause. The Kashmir issue has involved direct expenditure in terms of resources: military, diplomatic, journalistic and so on. Resources, that could have been better spent for mitigating and solving...
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...United Nations General Assembly Topic: Kashmir- Is it a symbol of failure of United Nations Machinery Country: Germany Delegate: Ruchi Gupta Since the partition of British India into India and Pakistan in 1947, the Kashmir conflict between them has become intractable. India first referred the case of Pakistani aggression in Kashmir to the United Nations Security Council under Article 35 of the UN Charter on January 1, 1948. This move was directed towards protecting India’s territorial integrity. United Nations was involved in mediating the Kashmir conflict from 1948 through 1965. Later, at the end of the Third Pakistan- India war of 1971, Pakistan and India signed the Simla Agreement in 1972 which emphasized the adoption of a bilateral framework to solve the crisis. UNSC resolution 47 of 1948 recommended Pakistan to withdraw all its tribesmen and Pakistani nationals. It also recommended Indian forces to be reduced to minimum strengths to maintain law and order so as to later hold a UN supervised plebiscite in the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir to determine the aspirations of her people. But Pakistan never vacated and later India also backed out. As a result the referendum never went through and UN declaration could not be implemented. Germany agrees that the Kashmir issue should be undertaken bilaterally as “one spark” could be disastrous for the entire region. Germany has always supported negotiated settlement of the Kashmir issue between Pakistan and India. We also...
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...Here was a question which was also a matter of life and death for the five million people of Jammu and Kashmir. Here was a question which involved the peace and stability of Asia. But the Council was content with meeting, hearing parties and adjourning sine die. When, through the years, we warned the Security Council that the problem should be resolved before it led to an explosion, our warnings either went unheeded or were termed an empty threat. I again ask the Members of the Assembly: What language is one supposed to speak when one wants to bring out the urgency of a situation and the grave dangers in its remaining unresolved? Pakistan spoke that language: it spoke the language of reason and remonstrance; it made constructive proposals such as the induction of a United Nations force pending a plebiscite. But nothing made India budge an inch. Nothing moved the primary organ of the United Nations into action. Such was the position in the Security Council. Outside the Council, from 1949 to this day, India has spurned every offer, rejected every suggestion, and barred every avenue for the peaceful settlement of the dispute. It has ruled out recourse to the International Court of Justice. It has rejected mediation, conciliation and even good offices, including those of the Secretary-General. Whenever India has made a show of willingness to enter into bilateral negotiations with Pakistan, it has been only to tide over some crisis in its internal or foreign relations. In the long...
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... and sparks riots and violence across the region. 1947/48 - The first Indo-Pak war over Kashmir is fought, after armed tribesmen (lashkars) from Pakistan's North West Frontier Province (now called Khyber-Pakthunkhwa) invade the disputed territory in October 1947. The Maharaja, faced with an internal revolt as well an external invasion, requests the assistance of the Indian armed forces, in return for acceding to India. He hands over control of his defence, communications and foreign affairs to the Indian government. Both sides agree that the instrument of accession signed by Maharaja Hari Singh be ratified by a referendum, to be held after hostilities have ceased. Historians on either side of the dispute remain undecided as to whether the Maharaja signed the document after Indian troops had entered Kashmir (i.e. under duress) or if he did so under no direct military pressure. Fighting continues through the second half of 1948, with the regular Pakistani army called upon to protect Pakistan's borders. The war officially ends on January 1, 1949, when the United Nations arranges a ceasefire, with an established ceasefire line, a UN peacekeeping force and a recommendation that the referendum on the accession of Kashmir to India be held as agreed earlier. That referendum has yet to be held. Pakistan controls roughly one-third of the state, referring to it as Azad (free) Jammu and Kashmir. It is semi-autonomous. A larger area, including the former kingdoms of Hunza and Nagar, is...
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...MYSTERY OF MYSTERY Sliding stones Even NASA cannot explain it. It’s best to gaze in wonder at the sliding rocks on this dry lake bed in Death Valley National Park. Racetrack Playa is almost completely flat, 2.5 miles from north to south and 1.25 miles from east to west, and covered with cracked mud. The rocks, some weighing hundreds of pounds, slide across the sediment, leaving furrows in their wakes, but no one has actually witnessed it. 9. Kuldhara — Rajasthan (Ghost Town) village of Kuldhara is a ghost village that has been abandoned since 1800s. It is said to carry a curse of the villagers who migrated to other places. Kuldhara lies about 15 Km west of Jaisalmer in western Rajasthan. The village now lies in ruins. The village was established in 1291 by the Paliwal Brahmins, who were a very prosperous clan and were known for their business acumen and agricultural knowledge. But one night in 1825 all the people in Kuldhara and nearby 83 villages vanished in dark. According to folklore, Salim Singh, the minister of the state, once visiting this village fell for the beautiful daughter of chieftain (Paliwal Brahmin) and wanted to marry her. The minister threatened the villagers that if they did not marry the girl to him, he would levy huge taxes. The chief of the village with those of other 83 adjoining villages decided to abandon and migrate elsewhere as against marrying the girl to Salim Singh. Nobody saw them leave nor did anyone figure where they went, they simply...
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...violent when major riots and mass murders took place along the edges of the border. All of this brutality occurred because people of both countries accused the other of not having proper system to accept new citizens and claimed anybody could walk in to either country, but also because neither Hindus nor Muslims have ever been accepting of either religion. Since this first dispute directly after independence, India and Pakistan have been in 3 major wars (The Indo-Paki wars of 1947,1965 & 1999), one undeclared war and countless military stand-offs many of which regard the Kashmir. The Kashmir is a small piece of land located north of India and North West of Pakistan (see map). Before 1947 many Bollywood movies were filmed in the Kashmir because of the perfect weather and flawless terrain. After 1947 neither India nor Pakistan had rights to the Kashmir but both countries wanted it. The unique thing about the Kashmir was that it was ruled by a Hindu ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, but was heavily populated by Muslims. Because of the population, the Muslims believed they had rights to the land. But the Maharaja didn't want to be a part of Pakistan or India. This upset the citizens of both newly founded...
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...May 12th, 2013 GEOPOLITICS OF SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA Borders in South and Central Asia INTRODUCTION While some seem to care above all about the economic growth of several booming economies (or as they are often called “emerging markets”, such as China, Russia or India), it is legitimate for others to worry more about the borders of some states in the very same region. A border is the very line separating two political or geographical areas, more commonly called countries. Whereas in some parts of the world, the borders between two countries are not even a marked and are seen as simple trade corridors, the issue is raised in a totally different way when it comes to both South and Central Asia. The question of borders presents a major problem for several countries, especially given all it symbolizes: the stability of a state and its legal territory, a politically controlled and delimited zone and a corridor between two nations. Were it after the end of the British Empire or that of the Soviet era, the borders keep being a matter of dispute and the cause of severe contentiousness in South and Central Asia nowadays. Drug trafficking and the circulation of energy are not the only problems. The border disputes mostly jeopardize the transnational security and the ethnical conflicts at stake. A territorial dispute is a disagreement over the possession or control of land between two or more states, or over the possession and control of land by a new state that is...
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...REFLECTION OF PAKISTAN FOREIGN POLICY INTRODUCTION Pakistan is a major participant in the global efforts to curb transnational terrorism initiated after the terrorist attacks in the United States in September 2001. This enhanced Pakistan's strategic relevance for the major powers, especially the United States, which cultivated Pakistan for combating terrorism and ensuring peace and stability in the post-Taliban Afghanistan. Its strategic relevance has varied over time which had implications for Pakistan's role at the international level and the foreign policy options available to its policy makers. This briefing paper examines the changing patterns of Pakistan's foreign policy and how its position and role in international and regional politics has varied over time. Pakistan recognizes that it is neither possible nor advisable to stay in isolation in the present day interdependent and complex international system. It needs to interact with other states, international and regional organizations and supranational actors in order to protect and promote its national interests and sovereign identity. Its activism reflects a realization that such a policy facilities the mobilization of International support and resources for its domestic socio-economic development, helps to regulate the inputs from the external environment into the internal context, and contributes to strengthening security and territorial integrity which are the principal concerns of Pakistan's foreign policy...
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...always amused me. I wondered if I can be both. For that, I needed to experience mountains first. Mountains are mesmerizing for sure. When you see white snow melting into blue streams which is then blossoms into green meadows around, over a cup of tea every morning. That’s Kashmir! They say Kashmir has a characteristic color for each season. The color I happened to choose was green. Green was not my favorite color. Neither summer was my favorite season. Still, the itch to experience a far away world propelled me to overcome every reason. It was the farthest state I could go in my country. Was not keen about Dal Lake until that early morning in houseboat. A mere tourist attraction in...
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