Interpret the World – Democracy

A TVC by The Economist, India

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Kashmir: The Himalayan Beauty of India, History

It has become a regular argument that the first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Neharu had made a mistake while handling the affairs of Kashmir in the year 1947. If we go back for sixty years and wear the pinching shoes that Jawaharlal Nehru had to put on, we would think differently.

Anyone who thinks that the then prime minister made a mistake has no knowledge of the facts about the state of Jammu and Kashmir. When the issue of Kashmir has gone really out of hands today, it is important for the world and the citizens of Indian to know about some forgotten facts.

Technically it can be said that that Kashmir is an integral part of India. But here are some of the compulsions of the national leaders of India at the time of independence. In those days the nation of India was in fact on paper only. The borders were undecided and full of fire. Many unpleasant decisions were required to be taken, the partition of India being one of them.

The British Government had declared the nation of India independent after partitioning it into two parts: India and Pakistan. As parties to the partition process, both the countries had agreed that the rulers of princely states would be given a right to opt for joining either Pakistan or India.

Just after independence, Kashmir issue was a lucid problem, as it was one of the biggest princely states. Head of the princely state of Kashmir Maharaja Hari Singh had not given his mind about how, when, and in which country he would be acceding his state. Naturally he was reluctant to lose his independence.

Adding fuel to the fire, the Nawab of a tiny state of Junagadh (Gujarat, western India) had fled toPakistan. He had either voluntarily or by force signed the accession of his state of Junagadh (presently a district in Gujarat) with Pakistan. As the entire population of Junagadh was Hindu, prime minister and home minister of India took a stand that the voice of the majority of residents should prevail over the signature of a King or a Nawab. Thus Junagadh was made a part ofIndia. Kashmir Issue came thereafter. Here, forced by the Pakistan-backed aggression, the Maharaja of Kashmir signed a document of accession of his state of Kashmir with India. It is believed that Lord Mount Baton had acted positively for India.

In Kashmir, however, the case was quite opposite of the state of Junagadh. The King was Hindu and population was Muslim. Pakistan reminded India about its earlier stand in the case of Junagadh. The borders between India and Pakistan had become lucid in those days. It resulted into the Pakistan sponsored war of 1948.

The hard fact was that the army of erstwhile British India was not yet properly divided among the newly formed nations. Ironically the army men who fought the 1948 war were technically of the same army. Ironically enough the helpless fellow Lord Mount Baton was still the commander of that undivided Army.

Under such circumstances, Indian Prime Minister Nehru had to accept proposal of United Nations to ask the people of Kashmir about in which country they want to be acceded. That was the proposed referendum. Almost one third of the then Kashmir is occupied by Pakistan and the rest by India. Certain parts of the then Kashmir are under the control of China, too. The referendum was to be held in united Kashmir. It is a matter of debate why both the nations, Pakistan andIndia has not held the agreed referendum till the date. From India side one can say that the government of India has successfully held free and fair elections in Kashmir.

After sixty years the issue of Kashmir is not fully settled.

To read interesting articles about India and its tourists sports, visit the following links.

BEAUTY OF KASHMIR

CITIES OF INDIA

I write SHORT STORIES and articles ABOUT PAINTING.

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