
Winning Kashmir and Losing India - hos234
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/asia/2019-09-20/winning-kashmir-and-losing-india
======
youeseh
For over 50 years Kashmir has enjoyed autonomy at the cost of all other states
in India. The only people that have benefited from these provisions are the
people who've ruled Kashmir at the cost of other citizens in the State. The
minorities in the state have been pushed out violently. Another large part of
the state - Ladakh - that shouldn't have been a part of Kashmir to begin with
was tacked on and completely forgotten about, even though it has its own
distinct identity.

Is that incorrect and unfair? Most Indians think so, including all those that
were exiled from their homes.

This isn't just a "Hindu Nationalist" idea. Most Muslim Indians, Christian
Indians, Buddhist, Zoroastrian and Jewish Indians think so too.

~~~
sbmthakur
This. To non-Indians who are reading: When it comes to opinions, India is a
deeply divided country due to our democratic nature and sheer size of
population. Almost any topic will find opposition or support from a large
section of people. But this is one topic where almost a billion people were on
the same page and supported the Government's decision.

------
nilsocket
Regarding the Kashmir issue,

When British left India, they divided India into 565 princely state,
eventually almost all princely states joined either India or Pakistan.

Jammu and Kashmir decided to stay independent by Harri Singh(King). Pakistan
looked out it as opportunity and tried to seize J&K, later Harri Singh, came
to seek out help from India. Then Vallabhbhai Patel(Deputy Prime Minister)
took advantage of this situation and suggested J&K to become part of India.

There Harri Singh have signed making it part of India.

Indian government didn't occupy the area which is occupied by Pakistan, they
have stopped Pakistan. But didn't push back Pakistan.

This part of area which is occupied by Pakistan is called as POK(Pakistan
Occupied Kashmir) in India.

Later Article 370 was introduced as temporary provision for J&K, giving them
special status in Indian constitution. Article 370 goes something like this:

1\. Nobody can buy any land in J&K.

2\. If a women marries any Indian citizen, she was denied as citizen of J&K.

3\. ...

Most of the J&K citizens were unemployed because there is no investment.
Terrorists have always seen this as opportunity and infiltrated into India and
many Kashmirs were trained as terrorists. India lost nearly 40,000 soldiers in
Kashmir.

From nearly 70 years, Kashmir have been easy target for terrorists groups,
because citizens have got nothing to do, and some of them turned into
extremists.

Indian government is used to pump in lot of money for some of J&K citizens for
basic necessities with subsidies.

Regarding abrogation of article 370, Jammu and ladakh people were happy, some
Kashmirs were not happy, and almost all of India is happy, regarding this
change.

Regarding Muslims being suppressed, .... We live like brothers. With such a
huge population, sometimes disputes happen, media take it to another level,
showcasing it as if though this is how whole India is like.

Media turns even normal disputes into religious. Despite all this we live
well.

------
ak_96
India has long waited for this. Just to remind the readers who don't know the
whole story, The Hindus of the Kashmir Valley, were forced to flee the Kashmir
valley as a result of being targeted by JKLF and Islamist insurgents during
late 1989 and early 1990. Of the approximately 300,000 to 600,000 Hindus
living in the Kashmir Valley in 1990 only 2,000–3,000 remain there in 2016. On
19 January 1990 mosques issued declaration that Kashmiri Pandits were Kafirs
(Disbelievers) and that the males had to leave Kashmir, convert to islam or be
killed. Those who chose to the first of these were told to leave their women
behind. The kashmiri muslims were instructed to identify Pandits homes so they
could be systematically targeted for conversion or killing. Kashmir was a
peaceful state till 1990s. It was only after exodus of Kashmiri Pandits and
insurgency of militants government had to send in troops. The abrogration of
article 370 is not going to take away any rights.It will just make them
equivalent to other Indians.

------
amriksohata
How can he gut democracy by removing an article which prevented integrations
and women's rights? 370 only helped Islamic extremists as no one else could
invest in the area giving them autonomy of control

------
sbmthakur
The author says that _Modi is Gutting Indian Democracy_. But apparently
whatever the author described, happened through democratic and constitutional
means. Strange.

~~~
nilsocket
Regarding the Kashmir issue,

When British left India, they divided India into 565 princely state,
eventually almost all princely states joined either India or Pakistan.

Jammu and Kashmir decided to stay independent by Harri Singh(King). Pakistan
looked out it as opportunity and tried to seize J&K, later Harri Singh, came
to seek out help from India. Then Vallabhbhai Patel(Deputy Prime Minister)
took advantage of this situation and suggested J&K to become part of India.

There Harri Singh have signed making it part of India.

Indian government didn't occupy the area which is occupied by Pakistan, they
have stopped Pakistan. But didn't push back Pakistan.

This part of area which is occupied by Pakistan is called as POK(Pakistan
Occupied Kashmir) in India.

Later Article 370 was introduced as temporary provision for J&K, giving them
special status in Indian constitution. Article 370 goes something like this:

1\. Nobody can buy any land in J&K.

2\. If a women marries any Indian citizen, she was denied as citizen of J&K.

3\. ...

Most of the J&K citizens were unemployed because there is no investment.
Terrorists have always seen this as opportunity and infiltrated into India and
many Kashmirs were trained as terrorists. India lost nearly 40,000 soldiers in
Kashmir.

From nearly 70 years, Kashmir have been easy target for terrorists groups,
because citizens have got nothing to do, and some of them turned into
extremists.

Indian government is used to pump in lot of money for some of J&K citizens for
basic necessities with subsidies.

Regarding abrogation of article 370, Jammu and ladakh people were happy, some
Kashmirs were not happy, and almost all of India is happy, regarding this
change.

Regarding Muslims being suppressed, .... We live like brothers. With such a
huge population, sometimes disputes happen, media take it to another level,
showcasing it as if though this is how whole India is like.

Media turns even normal disputes into religious. Despite all this we live
well.

