subject: Kashmir: The Himalayan Beauty of India, History [print this page] Kashmir: The Himalayan Beauty of India, History
It has become a regular argument that the first prime minister ofIndia, Jawaharlal Neharu had made a mistake while handling the affairs ofKashmirin 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 ofJammu 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 ofIndia. But here are some of the compulsions of the national leaders ofIndiaat the time of independence. In those days the nation ofIndiawas in fact on paper only. The borders were undecided and full of fire. Many unpleasant decisions were required to be taken, the partition ofIndiabeing one of them.
The British Government had declared the nation ofIndiaindependent after partitioning it into two parts:IndiaandPakistan. 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 eitherPakistanorIndia.
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, westernIndia) had fled toPakistan. He had either voluntarily or by force signed the accession of his state of Junagadh (presently a district in Gujarat) withPakistan. As the entire population of Junagadh was Hindu, prime minister and home minister ofIndiatook 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 withIndia. It is believed that Lord Mount Baton had acted positively forIndia.
In Kashmir, however, the case was quite opposite of the state of Junagadh. The King was Hindu and population was Muslim.Pakistanreminded India about its earlier stand in the case of Junagadh. The borders betweenIndiaandPakistanhad become lucid in those days. It resulted into thePakistansponsored war of 1948.
The hard fact was that the army of erstwhileBritish Indiawas 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 byPakistanand the rest byIndia. Certain parts of the then Kashmir are under the control ofChina, too. The referendum was to be held in united Kashmir. It is a matter of debate why both the nations,PakistanandIndiahas not held the agreed referendum till the date. FromIndiaside one can say that the government ofIndiahas successfully held free and fair elections inKashmir.
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
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