| Kashmir: Paradise Lost! | |
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Part
1: Understanding the Kashmir Problem
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The beginning of the new millennium has been a heart wrecking one for the peace loving people of the world. The year 2001 saw dispute, destruction, and death — all in the name of religion.
Once again, India and Pakistan are on the brink of a war! Why are these two siblings always at loggerheads with each other? Is it because Pakistan is an Islamic nation and India predominantly a land of Hindus? No, the reasons are more political than religious!
It's hard to imagine that Kashmir, one of the most beautiful places in South Asia, inhabited by a peaceful populace, can become the bone of contention between the two countries. There is no doubt that Kashmir became a "disputed territory" only because self-aggrandizing politicians tried to divide the region on the basis of religion.
Where
is Kashmir?
Kashmir, a 222,236 sq km region in the northwestern Indian subcontinent, is
surrounded by China in the northeast, the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh
and Punjab in the south, by Pakistan in the west, and by Afghanistan in the
northwest. The region has been dubbed "disputed territory" between
India and Pakistan since the partition of India in 1947. The southern and southeastern
parts of the region make up the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, while the
northern and western parts are controlled by Pakistan. A border called the Line
of Control (agreed to in 1972) divides the two parts. The eastern area of Kashmir
comprising the northeastern part of the region(Aksai Chin) came under the control
of China since 1962. The predominant religion in the Jammu area is Hinduism
in the east and Islam in the west. Islam is also the main religion in the Kashmir
valley and the Pakistan-controlled parts.
It may seem that the history and geography of Kashmir and the religious affiliations of its people present an ideal recipe for bitterness and animosity. But it is not so. The Hindus and Muslims of Kashmir have lived in harmony since the 13th century when Islam emerged as a major religion in Kashmir. The Rishi tradition of Kashmiri Hindus and Sufi-Islamic way of life of Kashmiri Muslims not only co-existed, they complemented each other and also created a unique ethnicity in which Hindus and Muslims visited the same shrines and venerated the same saints.
In order to understand the Kashmir crisis, let's take a quick look at the history of the region.
