Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northern most geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, it denotes a larger area that includes the Indian-administered territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the -administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, and Chinese-administered territoPakistaniries of Aksai Chin and the Trans-Karakoram Tract. In the first half of the 1st millennium, the Kashmir region became an important centre of Hinduism and later of Buddhism; later still, in the ninth century, Kashmir Shaivism arose. In 1339, Shah Mir became the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir, inaugurating the Salatini-Kashmir or Shah Mir dynasty. Kashmir was part of the
Mughal Empire from 1586 to 1751, and thereafter, until 1820, of the . In 1846, after the Sikh defeat in the First Anglo-Sikh War, and upon the purchase of the region from
the British under the Treaty of Amritsar, the Raja of Jammu, Gulab Singh, became the new ruler of Kashmir. The rule of his descendants, under the paramountcy of the British Crown, lasted until the partition of India in 1947, when the former princely state of the British Raj was claimed by both Pakistan and India. Since 1947, the greater region of Jammu and Kashmir has been embroiled in a territorial dispute between India, Pakistan and China — with India controlling approximately 43% of the land area of the region and 70% of its population. Pakistan controls roughly 37% of the land, while China controls the remaining 20%. Kashmir is widely regarded as the world's most militarized zone — the region has witnessed three major wars between India and Pakistan, another limited war between India and China, numerous border skirmishes, high mountainous warfare, an ongoing
insurgency, an Hindu exodus and internal civilian unrest. The short history of Kashmir’s tragedy is as follows - Really, really long time ago, a bunch of folks settle down in the beautiful valley of Kashmir. It is a nice place, and they grow in number. They are ruled by a series of kings for 4444 years, becoming a centre for both Hinduism and Buddhism.
Kashmiris spread Buddhism in Tibet, Afghanistan, Parts of ancient China and Shaivism in Southern India. Then, Islam arrives in Kashmir, initially in the form of refugees from Swat and Sufi Mystics from Central Asia - The Sufis co-germinate with the Kashmiri Shaivism to give birth to the Rishi order and Kashmiriyat - Kashmir reaches the peak of its political power during the Karkota Dynasty. Then the same local folks, who had converted to Islam because of persecution - are now persecuted again for 2 more rounds, this time for being Muslims - First by the Sikh Rulers, and then by the
Dogra Kings. After the Dogras, India and Pakistan take over and we see the 6th round of persecution in Kashmir - this time the culprits are Kashmiris themselves. Those who had converted to Islam and were now in majority - persecute those who hadn’t converted like them - the unique triad of oppression is finally complete. What’s going on right now is the 7th round of persecution which is the most secular so far, since Kashmiris of every religious identity feels victimised this time - There are fingers pointed everywhere and the jury is still out.
History
The Kashmir dispute dates from 1947. The partition of the Indian sub-continent along religious lines led to the formation of India and Pakistan. However, there remained the problem of over 650 British rule, and with their struggle about to bear fruit they were not
willing to let the princes fill the vacuum. Although many princes wanted to be ‘independent’ they had to succumb to their people's protests which turned violent in many provinces. Because of its location, Hari Singh appealed to the Indian government for military assistance and fled to India. He signed the Instrument of Accession, ceding Kashmir to India on October 26. Indian and Pakistani forces thus fought their first war over Kashmir in 1947-48. India referred the dispute to the United Nations on 1 January. In a resolution dated August 13, 1948, the UN asked Pakistan to remove its troops, after which India was also to withdraw the bulk of its forces. Once this happened, a "free and fair" plebiscite was to be held to allow the Kashmiri people to decide their future. India, having taken the issue to the UN, was confident of winning a plebiscite, since the most influential Kashmiri mass leader, Sheikh Abdullah, was firmly on its side. An emergency government was formed on October 30, 1948 with Sheikh Abdullah as the Prime Minister. Pakistan ignored the UN mandate and continued fighting, holding on to the portion of Kashmir under its Indian
control and the remainder with Pakistan. The ceasefire was intended to be temporary but the Line of Control remains the de facto border between the two countries. In 1957, Kashmir Indian Union. It was granted a special status under Article 370 of India's constitution, which was Kashmiri Indians cannot buy property there. Fighting broke out again in 1965, but a ceasefire was established that September. Indian Prime Minister, Lal Bhadur Shastri, and Pakistani President, M Ayub Khan, signed the Tashkent agreement on January 1, 1966. They resolved to try to end the dispute, but the death of Mr Shastri and the rise of Gen Yahya Khan in Pakistan resulted in stalemate. In 1971a third war, resulting in the formation of the independent nation of Bangladesh . A war had broken out in East Pakistan in March 1971, and soon India was faced with a million refugees. India declared war on December 3, 1971 after Pakistani Air Force planes struck Indian airfields in the Western sector. Two weeks
later, the Indian army marched into Dhaka and the Pakistanis surrendered. In the Western sector the Indians managed to blockade the port city of Karachi and were 50 km into Pakistani territory when a ceasefire was reached. In 1972 Indira Gandhi, the Indian prime minister, and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, her Pakistani opposite number, signed the Simla Agreement, which reiterated the promises made in Tashkent. TheIndia and Pakistan had other important domestic problems which kept Kashmir on the back-burner.Indira Gandhi declared a state of national emergency, but she was defeated in the 1978 general elections.Pakistan reverted to military dictatorship under Gen Zia ul Haq. The balance of influence had decisively tilted in Pakistan's favour by the late 1980s, with people's sympathy no longer with the Indian union as it had been in 1947-48 and 1965. Mrs Gandhi's attempts to install puppet governments in state capitals, manipulating the democratic process in the state legislatures, deeply angered the Kashmiris. The status quo was largely maintained until 1989 when pro-independence and pro-Pakistan guerrillas struck in the Indian Kashmir
valley. They established a reign of terror and drove out almost all the Hindus from the valley before the Indian army moved in to flush them out. Meanwhile Indian and Pakistani troops regularly exchanged fire at the border. Whereas in 1948 India took the Kashmir issue to the UN and was all for a plebiscite, by the 1990s it hid behind the Simla agreement and thwarted any attempts at UN or third-party mediation. Over the decades the plebiscite advocated by India's great statesman Jawaharlal Nehru became a dirty word in New Delhi. These developments have led many to believe that Delhi has squandered the Kashmiri people's trust and allegiance. India and Pakistan both tested nuclear devices in May 1998, and then in April 1999 test-fired missiles in efforts to perfect delivery systems for their nuclear weapons. Pakistan tested its Ghauri II missile four days after India's testing of its long-range (1,250 km) Agni II. Although Pakistan claims that its missiles are an indigenous effort, in July 1999 Indian customs agents seized components shipped from North Korea which they claim were destined for Pakistan's missile
programme. Pakistan's later intermediate-range Ghauri III missile has a range of about 3,000 km. When the Indian Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, set out to Lahore by bus on February 20, 1999, inaugurating the four times a week Delhi-Lahore-Delhi bus service, the world felt that such a genuine effort at friendly neighbourhood relations would lower the tension along the Line of Control in Kashmir. But, all hopes of diplomacy disappeared once the cross-LOC firing in Kargil began during the mid-1990s. The death toll , including both soldiers and civilians, was more than 30,000. In the first week of August 1998 Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged artillery fire, described by locals as heavier than that of the 1948 and 1965 wars put together. An estimated 50,000 rounds of ammunition were expended and a large number of soldiers and civilians killed. When India began patrolling the Kargil heights that summer, it found to its horror that many key posts vacated in the winter were occupied by infiltrators. A patrol was ambushed in the first week of May 1999. India belatedly realised the magnitude
of the occupation - which was around 10 km deep and spanned almost 100 km of the LOC - and sent MiG fighters into action on May 26. India contended that the infiltrators were trained and armed by Pakistan, and based in "Azad Kashmir" with the full knowledge of the Pakistani government - and that Afghan and other foreign mercenaries accompanied them. Pakistan insisted that those involved were freedom fighters from Kashmir and that it was giving only moral support. India ordered the jets not to stray into Pakistani territory; but those that did were shot down. The conflict ended only after Bill Clinton, the US President, and Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan's Prime minister, met in Washington on July 4, 1999. Meanwhile, the Indian Army had made significant advances, capturing vital territory on July 4. Despite the apparent efforts to mediate, the US maintained that it was not interfering in what India still claims to be a bilateral issue. Pakistan withdrew its forces later that month. However, skirmishing continued, and in August India shot down a Pakistani
reconnaissance plane, killing 16. The official number of Indian troops lost in Kargil was around 500, with almost double that number of "infiltrators" killed. Nevertheless, India did not declare war against Pakistan - instead, Mr Vajpayee ambigously announced a "war-like situation". Yet this, by all accounts of soldiers and top Indian army officers involved, was a war in which India lost men engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Pakistani soldiers in the heights of Kargil - a war that could be compared with the one of 1948-49, which was limited to Kashmir, with the other border regions remaining peaceful. Thus in 1999, in a war limited to one sector, India suffered casualities within its own territory. Despite much pressure from the military and the public, the government decided not to cross the LOC. Pakistan too suffered criticism at home for limiting its war to artillery fire across the LOC and shooting down Indian aircraft. The fear of a full-scale war (with nuclear capability adding a deadly dimension), coupled with precarious economies and the knowledge of what international sanctions could do to them, may have prevailed in both
countries. Tantamount to heaven on earth, Kashmir is an extremely captivating destination of India. The Mughal Emperor Jehangir aptly said “If there is a heaven on earth, it's here, it's here, it's here”. It is located in the state of Jammu and Kashmir which is endowed with utter natural beauty. Its mesmerizing landscape looks like as if it’s a fairytale land with many wonders like snow-covered mountains, mesmerizing lakes, dazzling meadows, breathtakingly beautiful gardens blooming with flowers and much more. Whether you are a honeymooner, adventure enthusiast or leisure seeking Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was overthrown and hanged in 1977;
Kashmir Attraction
SrinagarIt is the sparkling jewel of Kashmir known for its lovely lakes, Dal Lake being the most famous one. Enjoy a shikara ride on this lake which offers arresting views of mountains covered with snow. You can also plan a stay in houseboats floating on the lake. Take a stroll through the mesmerizing Shalimar Bagh and the Nishat Bagh- the refreshing gardens.
Gulmarg
It is an awesome hill resort where you can enjoy nature at its best. It also boasts of the highest golf course in the world, located at a height of 2,650 m. It is also a fantastic skiing destination. Natural beauty is scattered all over, with different seasons offering its landscape different colours. The meadows of Gulmarg, bloom with lovely flowers, are punctuated with enclosed parks and small lakes and surrounded by forests.
Sonmarg
Sonmarg which means ‘meadow of gold’ is gifted with unsurpassed natural beauty comprising of Sindh river meandering through snow covered mountains, dense forests teeming with alpine flowers, fir, pine and silver birch, calm lakes and much more. Some of the great trekking destinations are located here. It is also known as the ‘Gateway to
Pahalgam
An amazing hill station of Kashmir, Pahalgam was once known as the Sheperd’s Paradise and even today you can spot sheperds here. Towering mountains covered with snow, gorgeous greenery, wildlife species, Victorian-age houses, antique wooden bridges and age-old religious places are some of the attractions of Pahalgam. It is also called the Angler’s Paradise.
Adventure sports in Kashmir
For adventure lovers a range of interesting adventure sports opportunities exist in Kashmir. You can enjoy fishing, mountaineering, golfing, trekking, paragliding, skiing and river rafting in the enchanting land of Kashmir.
Cuisine of Kashmir
Spices are important ingredients of Kashmiri cuisine as they render a special taste and aroma to the food. Kashmiri rice and non vegetarian dishes are an important part of the cuisine. Wazwan is a multi-course meal in the Kashmiri tradition whose preparation is truly an art. The cuisine also offers vegetarian dishes like dam-aloo, chaman, Goji Nadir, matar palak, etc. Kahva or green tea is a famous drink of Kashmir.
Shopping in Kashmir
A visit to the markets of Kashmir will leave you enchanted with the amazing handicrafts. This land is famous for its Pashmina shawls across the globe. Other wonderful handicrafts of Kashmir are carpets, papier mache, wicker baskets, silk and tweeds, wall hangings with naqqashi work, wooden items, etc.
How to Reach
Kashmir is accessible from any part of the country as it is connected through air, rail and road. There is an airport in Srinagar which is connected by regular flights with cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Jammu. Jammu Tawi is the nearest railhead for Srinagar (305 km). National Highway 1-A is the main highway connecting Srinagar with Jammu.
Its the Kashmir so u can travel this place.
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