How did Pakistan take half of India’s Kashmir?
Protests are happening in POK. Protestors are saying that, they want to become India’s part. India looks like this; we have read about it since childhood. But the whole world shows India’s map as something like this, but why is this part of Kashmir shown in Pakistan? What is the real history of Kashmir? And why does Pakistan control this area? How is India losing Kashmir?
Kashmir’s real Truth
Today, India is not a few kingdoms scattered around, it is one country, some of which give credit to Britishers. which is completely false because before Britishers left, to all princely states, they had given 3 options.
- Become a part of India
- become a part of Pakistan
- Stay independent
After giving such conflicting options, people who credit Britishers for the formation of India, i wonder what they smoke. The India you see today is the product of Sardar Patel and V. P. Menon’s efforts, who personally convinced all the different provinces to become part of India. “Integration of the Indian States” is a book written by V. P. Menon, where you can learn Jammu and Kashmir’s history in depth. They say that until the 14th century, Buddhists and Hindus ruled this area. Then, in 1587, Akbar invaded Kashmir and made it a part of the Mughal empire. After the Mughals, in the 17th century, the Dogra community controlled this place, and after that, Sikh rulers ruled this place. After the first Anglo-Sikh war in 1846, Britishers told the Sikh King to pay Rs. 1 crore as a war indemnity and also told him to surrender a large portion of Punjab, Jammu, and Kashmir as a separate state was formed in 1846. King Gulab Singh signed a treaty with the East India Company known as the Treaty of Amritsar. Gulab Singh had helped the Britishers against the Sikh fighters, as a result Britishers gave this area’s control to king Gulab Singh. in 1925, Hari Singh became the king who was also the king during partition.
Partition or Confusion
Let’s come back to Partition. At that time, King Hari Singh’s Jammu and Kashmir looked something like this. As you remember, every king had three options.
- Become a part of India
- Become a part of Pakistan
- Stay Independent
Hari Singh chose the third option, but it wasn’t a practical decision. Mountbatten knew Hari Singh; he said that if you stay independent, then your status won’t be accepted by the British Government. If, before August 15, you choose between India and Pakistan, whatever decision you take, the British Government will accept that. Now this is an important point, because even after this warning, King Hari Singh decided to stay independent.
Now that the negotiations had started and the princely states wanted more time, they made a temporary agreement with India and Pakistan known as the “Standstill Agreement.” This was just a buffer agreement. real agreement was the “Instrument of Accession.” Pakistan signed the “Standstill Agreement,” but India didn’t. you think may think that, Pakistan become Kashmir’s Friend, but this was a wierd friendship. Pakistan pressurized Hari Singh in a different way; they stopped the food supply. at the same time stopped supplying petrol to them, stopped railway service too . the truth is as Hari Singh was taking time, even Pakistan was taking time. for planning an attack on Kashmir.
On 27th October 1947, Pakistan attacked on Kashmir Hari Singh was not able to protect his kingdom, he asked for India’s help, and India was ready to help. provided Hari Singh signs the “Instrument of Accession,” and Hari Singh was convinced and also signed it. But one more condition was added to this: once the law and order were established, a plebiscite would take place. A plebiscite means voting, where the people decide where their future belongs. Should they become a part of India or not? From Pakistan’s point of view, this instrument of accession is a fraud that was signed under pressure, so they don’t consider it valid. a confusion for the coming 75 years that has ruined lives in India and Pakistan.
India vs Pakistan
A war broke out between India and Pakistan, not only on the war front but on the negotiation front as well. Jawaharlal Nehru, Pakistani Prime Minister Liaqat Ali Khan, and Mountbatten used to negotiate from afternoon to midnight. but were not able to come to a conclusion as this was going on, bringing the whole year of 1947 to an end. in the end Indian Government kept three conditions in front of Pakistan.
- Pakistan should stop supporting attackers of Kashmir
- Should not allow them to rule on Kashmiri territory
- Along with weapons, stop giving all other types of aid to them
but Pakistan never replied, because if they did, then it would mean that the Pakistani government is behind these attacks, and they wanted to show that Kashmiri people are running a freedom movement against India.
now comes the moment when, India made the biggest mistake. India didn’t believe its military, but it believed Lord Mountbatten, and India went to the United Nations with the “Instrument of Accession” as proof involving the Nations wasn’t necessary at all. Because Kashmir was an internal matter, our military will win Kashmir someday. When the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan was formed, the United Nations accepted neither India’s nor Pakistan’s side. They divided Kashmir, a ceasefire line was drawn, which is similar to today’s LOC, and the condition was that both the armed forces should fall back. then plebiscite will happen and, then Kashmiri people will decide what to do, what should they do. one thing is important here, which Pakistan always forgets, that after establishing law and order completely. A fair plebiscite can be conducted, but until all insurgencies end in Kashmir, this is not going to happen.
On January 1, 1949, India reduced its military influence, but the Pakistani military continued to maintain control. as a result, 1/3rd portion of J&K and Ladakh’s is still under Pakistani control. This includes Gilgit-Baltistan and this area, which is referred to by Pakistan as Azad Kashmir. The UN and other international communities accept neither India’s nor Pakistan’s political maps. Because in Pakistan’s latest political map, the entire Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh areas are shown as their region, but we all know that this is not the truth.
Conclusion
The real truth is deeper, and there are some more characters, which we didn’t even mention here. But today this is relevant because protests are going on in POK. People in Baltistan said that they don’t get their rights in Pakistan; they want to be part of India. This is a diplomatic victory for India. You see, Pakistan is built on the theory that Hindus and Muslims can’t live together in one country. This is known as the “Two Nation Theory.“ On this basis, Jinnah tried controlling every such region where the Muslim population was higher, but this theory can be seen failing again and again. If every Muslim in British India wanted Pakistan, then Bangladesh wouldn’t have been formed. Today, everyday India proves this two-nation theory wrong. Because today more Muslims live in India than in Pakistan, of course there are conflicts, and India needs improvement. Communal harmony and a focus on real issues are needed. because when you don’t focus on real problems, you create artificial ones, like Pakistan.