India, Pakistan and Kashmir

Kashmir Problem: A Solution

ARUNDHATI ROY Under The Nuclear Shadow

Kashmir Demographic Stats

90 % wants Kashmir an Independent Country,7% Muslims wants it to be part of Pakistan and 3% Hindus wants it to be part of India.

Pakistan-administered Kashmir (containing Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir) contain a 99% Muslim majority. Settlers encouraged by the Government of Pakistan include the Pathan and Punjabi communities.

China-administered Kashmir (Aksai Chin) contains an extremely small population of Tibetan origins.

Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir (containing Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh) contain an approximately 70% Muslim majority (according to Indian sources in 2001). The rest of the population are Buddhist, Hindu and others.

Tragedy of Kashmir

Mountbatten, Nehru, Menon and Abdullah were the architects of a concocted piece of paper called the ‘Article of Accession’, flouting the principle of association of various states of the Subcontinent either with India or Pakistan according to their  free will. They committed a treacherous act of enslavement of a nation against its wishes. After seeing that the majority of the  people of Jammu and Kashmir were eager to join Pakistan, Nehru with the help of his intimate friend, Mountbatten invaded Jammu and Kashmir on October 27, 1947 thereby laying a precedence for preemptive invasion of a sovereign Nation, the occupation of its land and oppression its people.

A valiant resistance by Kashmiri`s threatening India`s colonialist designs forced India to go to the UN Security Council for intervention. The Council passed multiple resolutions on different dates regarding Kashmir. The gist of the Resolutions being that people of Jammu and Kashmir be given the right to self-determination to decide their future.
 
But, Indian authorities from Nehru to current rulers have played a very devious, downright dirty and blatantly deceptive role in defying the will of the world body, reneged on promises made in the Tashkand and Simla Agreements and public declarations made to the Kashmiris and Pakistan by Nehru, the first prime minister of India to allow Kashmiris their right to self- determination. India has done every thing in its power to maintain its occupation of Kashmir.

Farcical elections with the collaboration of their puppets had been one of its weapons of deception at least until 1987, when Muslim United Front, a conglomerate of various political parties  was about to win the elections. Indian Government and their stooges engineered to steal the election following which started the armed struggle in 1989.

Jammu and Kashmir is occupied by about 700,000 Indian military and para military personnel who have martyred over 100,000 innocent civilians, indulged in torture,  rape, pillage, arson and destruction of the socio-economic fabric of Kashmiri society. The people of Jammu and Kashmir continue to light the candle of freedom hoping one day to realize their dream of liberty.

Kashmir Facts

Area:105 sq km

Altitude:1,730 m

Climate:Summers - 29.5 deg C to 10.6 deg CWinters - 7.3 deg C to1.9 deg C

Rainfall:52.9 cm

Population:930,136 (2001 Census)

Best Time to Visit:March to October

Airports:Srinagar, Jammu and Leh

Clothing:Spring and autumn - Light woolens Summer - CottonWinter - Heavy woolens

Languages:Kashmiri, Urdu, Hindi and English

Religions:Islam and Hinduism

Currency:Rupees

Major Festivals:Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Zoha, Lohri, Baisakhi and Navratri

Major Fairs:Jhiri Mela, Bahu Mela, Mansar Food and Craft Mela, Pumandal Mela and Chaitre Chaudash

Tourist Attractions:Dal Lake, Nagin Lake, Houseboats, Mughal Gardens, Dachigam, Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam, Patnitop, Charar-I-Sharif, Shankracharya, Hazratbal, etc.

Places,People,House boats,Streets,Lakes and the Beautiful Valleys

Jammu-Kahmir Through Google map

So Close but so Far.