India - India: Kashmir

In 1989, the Muslims became violent in opposing Indian rule. There are 6 million people in Kashmir; 4 million of them are Muslim. Since 1989, about 25,000 people, mostly Muslims, have been killed. Half the toll has been civilians. Most of the casualties have been in the Kashmir Valley area around Srinagar. Kashmir is currently divided, with some parts under the control of Pakistan rebels and others under the auspices of the Indian army.

The Kashmir Valley drew 500,000 to 700,000 tourists a year in the 1980s. No more. Now, each week about 50 people lose their lives in Kashmir due to violence. It is even more frightening to know that the executed Norwegian tourist, Hans Ostro, contacted three Indian government tourist offices to inquire about the danger and was told that there were no risks. Terrorist activities and violent civil disturbances continue in the Kashmir Valley in the states of Jammu and Kashmir. There have been incidents in which terrorists have threatened and kidnapped foreigners.Undoubtedly, though, Pakistan is the biggest influence on India's foreign relations. India and Pakistan have duked it out on the battlefield three times since World War II-in 1947, 1965 and 1971. Today, it is very much a hot insurgency fought in a cold place.

Relations between the two became less strained only after Rajiv Gandhi replaced his mother as India's prime minister. In December 1985, Rajiv Gandhi and Pakistan president Mohammed Zia ul-Haq each pledged not to throw the first punch, particularly jabs aimed at the nations' nuke sites. The hot spot is the overlapping area that is known as the line of control. Both India and Pakistan claim an area of the Karakoram mountain range that includes a well armed 50-mile front along the 21,000-foot-high Siachen glacier region. The two countries have established military outposts in the region and armed clashes have occurred. The UN has one of its oldest and smallest field missions here (UNMOGIP). Forty-four South Koreans sit here to monitor how many times the combatants break the 1949 cease-fire agreement. Their job in life is "to observe and report, investigate complaints of cease-fire violations and submit its finding to each party and to the Secretary-General." And then what? The disputed area includes the following peaks: Rimo Peak, Apsarasas I, II and III, Tegam Kangri I, II, and III, Suingri Kangri, Ghaint I and II, Indira Col and Sia Kangri. The line of control was created in July 1972.

Increased violence in Kashmir, the one Indian state where Muslims comprise a majority, has brought about a greater likelihood that the two countries will again go to war. India claims that Pakistan is fueling the flames by encouraging and supporting Kashmir secession from India. Of course, rather than Kashmir becoming an independent entity, Pakistan would like to be the sponge that absorbs it. The Indian governor of Kashmir charged Pakistan in January 1994 with hiring more than 10,000 Afghan mercenaries to help Kashmiri rebels in their efforts against the government. Although media attention has been focused on the kidnapping and execution of only a group of Western hostages, there have been over 2,000 kidnappings since 1991. Half of the victims survive.

UNMOGIP

http://www.un.org/Depts/DPKO/Missions/unmogip.htm

Jammu Kashmir

http://www.jammu-kashmir.com/