Kashmir Chronology in a nutshell
1846-1947: Jammu and Kashmir(J&K) State is created
under the Treaty of Amritsar between the East India company and Raja Gulab
Singh of Jammu who buys Kashmir Valley from the East India Company for Rs.75,00,000 and adds it to Jammu and Ladakh already under his rule. Kashmir Valley is a Muslim majority region speaking the Kashmiri language and a distinct culture called 'kashmiriyat'. The people of Kashmir rise against the repressive Maharaja Hari Singh in 1931 and again in 1946 led by Sheikh Abdullah. In 1947, an internal revolt begins in the Poonch region against oppressive taxation by the Maharaja and the rebels form an Azad Kashmir Government in October.
On 15 August 1947, the Indian subcontinent becomes independent. Rulers of
Princely States are encouraged to accede their States to either Dominion - India or Pakistan, taking into account factors such as geographical contiguity and the wishes of their people. The Maharaja of Kashmir delays his decision in an effort to remain independent. Many Kashmiris are fearful of joining India given the massacre of Muslims elsewhere in India.
1947-1949:
The Maharaja of the State of Jammu and Kashmir signs the Instrument of Accession (IOA) on 26 October, acceding the 75% majority Muslim region to the Indian Union, following invasion by the tribesmen from Pakistan, according to the 1948 Indian White Paper; India accepts the
accession, regarding it provisional until such time as the will of the
people can be ascertained by a plebiscite, since Kashmir was recognized as a disputed
territory.The Indian army enters the state on 27 October to repel the invaders. Sheikh Abdullah endorses the accession as ad-hoc which would be ultimately
decided by a plebiscite and is appointed head of the emergency
administration.
Pakistan disputes that the accession is illegal and sends regular forces to Kashmir and the first war over Kashmir breaks out.On 1 January 1949, a ceasefire between Indian and Pakistani forces leaves Pakistan in control of part of Kashmir including what Pakistan calls "Azad" Kashmir and Northern territories while India terms the territory as POK.
India takes the Kashmir problem to the United Nations (UN) Security Council
on 1 January 1948. On 5 January 1949, UNCIP (United Nations Commission
for India and Pakistan) resolution states that the question of the
accession of the State of Jammu and Kashmir to India or Pakistan will be
decided through a free and impartial plebiscite. However, both countries fail to arrive at a Truce agreement which is a prerequisite for a plebiscite, due to differences in interpretation of the procedure for and extent of demilitarisation. Subsequently, a plebiscite is never held.
1949: On 17 October, the Indian Constituent Assembly adopts Article 370 of the
Constitution, ensuring a special status and internal autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir, which is confirmed under the 1952 Delhi Agreement; However, the autonomy would get eroded over the years.
1951: First post-independence elections. The UN passes a resolution to the
effect that such elections do not substitute a plebiscite. There are widespread charges of election rigging which continue to plague
all the subsequent elections.
1965:
Pakistan takes advantage of the discontent in the Kashmir Valley which is partly due to erosion of autonomy and sends in a few thousand armed Pakistani infiltrators across the cease-fire line in August; A full Indo-Pakistani war breaks out which ends in a ceasefire on 23 September. Pakistan supported guerrilla groups in Kashmir increase their activities after the
ceasefire.
1979: The USSR invades Afghanistan. The US and Pakistan
are involved in training, recruiting, arming, and unleashing the Mujahedin on
Afghanistan. The mujahedin so recruited would take on their own agenda of
establishing Islamic rule in Kashmir from the late 1980's.
1987-1989: The 1987 elections are believed to be rigged; The insurgency in the Valley increases
in momentum from this point on, given the consistent failure of democracy and limited
employment opportunities; Many of the candidates and election aides become militants. In 1988, protests begin in the Valley along with anti-India demonstrations,
followed by police firing and curfew. Militancy increases in 1989.
End of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1989 releases a great deal of militant
energy and weapons to Kashmir. Pakistan provides arms and training to both
indigenous and foreign militants in Kashmir, thus adding fuel to the
smouldering fire of discontent in the valley. India maintains that the insurgency itself was started by Pakistan's 'Operation Topac' established in 1988, which is later shown to be false and acknowledged as a hypothetical war game written by Indian specialists.
1990:
Between January and May, hundreds of thousands of unarmed kashmiris take to the streets demanding plebiscite and it becomes an insurgency of the entire population. Indian forces resort to brutal repression leading to the alienation of the masses; Thousands of desperate Kashmiri youth cross-over to Pakistan for training and procurement of arms. Many indigenous and foreign militant organizations proliferate, including renegade militants used by the Indian forces. Following killings by the militants, the entire Kashmiri Pandit community flees the Valley.
In May 1999, the Indian Army patrols detect intruders from Pakistan on Kargil ridges in Kashmir. India fights to regain lost territory. War between the two countries becomes more frightening given the nuclear weaponry possessed by both countries and Kashmir remains the underlying flashpoint.
The Indian state considers the accession of Kashmir final and considers it as an
integral part of India, is resistant to talks of plebiscite; Pakistan considers Kashmir
as a disputed territory and has insisted on implementation of a
plebiscite as per UN resolutions; The evolving consensus opinion however is that UN resolutions are out-dated, since the
dispute has evolved into tripartite; that other solutions like regional autonomy
and independence should be considered given that various regions in Kashmir have evolved independently since 1947 and that the conflict is restricted to the Kashmir Valley.
Any claim that all would be well in Kashmir but for Pakistan's cross-border terrorism
is simplistic and hides the internal trauma in the Valley. Kashmiris are alienated from both countries given brutal repression by India and
violence by pro-Pakistan militants; Kashmiri activists resent the gradual erosion
of their autonomy promised under Article 370 and the fact that the promised
self-determination has been denied so far and hence insist on
being included in the talks without preconditions, which both India and Pakistan
resist; The stalemate continues.
In the meantime, grave human right violations by the Indian security forces continue to be reported. Violence and human right violations by militants continue. Pakistan continues to control Azad Kashmir and Northern Territories in a repressive manner. Since 1990, more than 40,000 people have been killed in Kashmir, over half of them are civilians. Caught in the crossfire between militants and Indian security forces, Kashmir continues to bleed.
Detailed version of the above Kashmir Chronology (in draft)