Kashmir, which was once known as paradise on Earth, has been going through tumultuous times for the past one year. The source of this conflict can be traced right back to independence.
The Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir wanted his state to remain independent. That did not happen as Pakistan invaded the state. The maharaja had to agree to accede to India in return for military support.
The war ended with no side emerging victorious. Pakistan occupied roughly one-third of the territory, whereas India managed to retain the rest. Later, based on the Shimla agreement, both sides agreed to convert the ceasefire line into the Line of Control.
The next critical point in the history of J&K was rigging the elections in favour of Farooq Abdullah. The 1987 election was a huge blow to the confidence of the youth of Kashmiri in Indian democracy. That year also saw a steep rise in militancy. The problem worsened following Pakistan’s interference. The ‘80s and ‘90s also saw the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, forced by Islamic extremists.
After many failed attempts to wrest control of the region by force, the military establishment resorted to proxy wars with the already-radicalised youth.
The violent jihadi movement in Kashmir then made several attempts to destabilise the state’s economic growth and enforce a fundamentalist concept of the Islamic State.
Another important factor that needs to be considered while analysing the situation in Kashmir is the increasing alienation of the population. In any other part of the country, if people have a serious problem with the prsent state of governance, they vent it by voting against the party inpower during the next election.
In Kashmir, however, the situation is so sensitive that angst against the government is expressed by resorting to violent acts such as stone pelting. In the past decade, through meticulously planned propaganda via social media, the separatists have managed to popularise violent uprisings among the youth. This also explains why Burhan Wani’s death attracted so much attention, despite him being a terrorist.
The solution to the Kashmir conflict has to be political. Having said that, the currentsituation seems to be a result of radicalisation and not a will to be free.
