The Never-Ending Religious Conflict

Kashmir is a place of endless religious tension, which has led to three wars, and more than 47,000 people killed between 1989 and 2008. The Kashmir conflict is increasing rapidly and could end up in a nuclear war. It all starts in 1846, when a Hindu leader by the name of Maharaja Hari Singh was ruling Kashmir, where the majority of people followed Islam. Then Britain took over Kashmir as a colony in 1858, taking away Maharaja’s position. However, India did not like being under British rule. In 1947, India and Pakistan gained independence from Great Britain and started fighting over Kashmir for prime resources such as minerals and silk. Kashmir is also known for its ideal trading ports. In 1947, after decolonization, the government of Kashmir wanted to become part of India. Pakistan violated an agreement it had signed, which allowed Kashmir to be part of India: “After militants from Pakistan invade, the Maharaja of Kashmir signed a letter acceding to India. However, Pakistan did not recognize the letter as a legal document, sparking a war in 1947–1948”. This is breaking the law. The Hindu Parliament deserves the land of Kashmir because it was Hindu land to begin with: Muslims broke laws mistreated Hindus in the land and Hindus already granted land to Muslims this dispute can end in a nuclear war if the Muslims don't comply with India.

The Kashmir dispute is a perilous and heated conflict; however, Pakistan is clearly in the wrong. Before England lost its colonies in India in 1947, Kashmir was owned by the Hindu Parliament. Shortly after India and Pakistan gained independence from Great Britain in 1947, Pakistan broke the letter of accession they had signed, and tensions began to rise causing Islamic militants to begin uprising in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The people and government in Kashmir wanted to be part of India, so they signed the letter of agreement. The letter of agreement was a document that India, and the United Nations, signed accepting Kashmir as part of India. According to one Statesman article, “Pakistan denies that there was any agreement by which the Maharaja has agreed to join India. The Western media ignore this altogether as academic, but it is a legal document whose merit was accepted by the United Nations, to whom India made a petition on 30 October 1947 to settle this matter”. This quote shows that Pakistan does not see this agreement as a legal document which is breaking the law. Narendra Modi, the President of India, stated: “It is my Government's wish that as soon as law and order have been restored in Jammu and Kashmir and her soil cleared of the invader, the question of the State's accession should be settled by a reference to the people”. This uncovers that the prime minister of India wanted more resources and power by combining with Kashmir’s government. Pakistan did not comply with this agreement, instead Pakistan kept on pressuring Hindus. In 1990 more than 500 Hindus were killed and raped in Kashmir. Muslims would burn their homes, and damage their places of worship. Muslims were trying to get all the Hindus out of Kashmir. These killings could be seen as a form of ethnic cleansing. After the genocide, many Hindus started to flee from Kashmir to Jammu city. Now in Kashmir, the Hindu population is around 4,000 compared to 300,000 before the killings. The population of Hindus went down because of Hindus fleeing Kashmir. The Pakistan government claimed that because they have more people living in Kashmir, therefore they should have the right to control it even though Gandhi and Nehru started a campaign to give Muslims land.

After World War II, two Indians by the names of Gandhi and Nehru wanted more freedom for the people in Kashmir. Gandhi was a social activist, politician, and lawyer. Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India. Gandhi and Nehru both wanted to separate the Muslims and Hindus. Gandhi and Nehru wanted Kashmir to be safer and have equal rights for Muslims and Hindus. Muslims were living under Hindu rule and did not have their holy land to pray on. Muslims did not have their mosques and places of worship in Kashmir. Meanwhile, Hindus had their temples to pray every day. Gandhi and Nehru believed that if they did not give the Muslims Kashmir, there would be a religious civil war. That’s why Gandhi and Nehru gave Muslims what’s is now Pakistan. Furthermore, Muslims and Hindus have different beliefs. Muslims have two branches of beliefs, Shia and Sunni. “The Sunnis recognize the six sound books of Hadith, which contain the spoken tradition attributed to Muhammad”. The Shias believe that God chose Ali to be God's successor. Shias and Sunnis follow their beliefs very strictly. They believe in one God Allah “to bear witness or testify that there is no God except one God (Allah) and Muhammad is His prophet or messenger”. In contrast Hindus believe in polytheism. In the Vedas it is said: “The spirit is within us and within everything we see”. Overall, the two religions are very different. They have different practices, so it was incredibly important that Gandhi and Nehru started the partition between Hindus and Muslims. Now Pakistan does not see that as a good thing; they want more land creating more religious conflict and political conflict, making it tough for people living in Kashmir.

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Another critical part of the conflict is post-colonial life. India's goal is to unify its part of Kashmir with the rest of the country. Meanwhile, conflict increases after the Indian President said that he would force Kashmir and Jammu to be independent. Article 370 of the Indian constitution says that Kashmir can have their laws. Instead, India wants to get rid of this law, which means that Kashmir must abide by the same constitution as any other Indian state: “India has scrapped a law that grants special status to Indian-administered Kashmir amid an indefinite lockdown and massive troop deployment in the disputed region”. This quote shows that India is integrating Kashmir into a primarily Indian state. Meanwhile, Hindus have struggled to live in Kashmir. They have daily threats and dangers. Indians want a say in their future. Indians want to be able to vote on the territory, and have been promised that by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind. As tensions rise between India and Pakistan, it is getting more dangerous living in Kashmir by the minute, especially for Hindus. 2.4% of Kashmir are Hindus, and 90% are Muslims. Hindus living in Kashmir feel oppressed because they have less rights in Kashmir. This is why India must support the Hindus living in Kashmir. India believes that it must protect the Hindus living in Kashmir but has not succeeded. A DW news video says, “President Narendra Modi made a promise of gaining control over Kashmir and plans to deliver on it.” If Narendra does this, it will support the Hindus living in Kashmir and make it safer for them. Nevertheless, Muslims are also mistreated in Kashmir and would be better of moving to Pakistan.

Muslims are often targeted in Kashmir as they fight for their freedom. Muslims want independence from Indian militants and a chance to vote. The majority of Kashmiris are Muslim, 4.5 million, want a safe and better future. India is shutting off Internet power and setting up police camps around Kashmir Indian troops are arresting protesters and shooting them with pellet guns. Muslims think it’s unfair for Hindus to control Kashmir since it is a predominantly a Muslim state. They believe that Kashmir should be owned by Muslims. The move to combine Kashmir with India is controversial within India. It could further inflame tensions that lead to violence. It could further inflame tensions that lead to violence. If Pakistan takes Kashmir, the Muslims would feel more freedom. However, India owned the land first, and Pakistanis have violated laws and mistreated Hindus. Furthermore, India established a homeland for Muslims by giving them what is now Pakistan. If Muslims feel mistreated, they can go back to Pakistan. Muslims need to follow the letter of accession and move back to Pakistan, otherwise this conflict can end up in a nuclear war.

In our current society both India and Pakistan claim to have nuclear weapons. “India, and Pakistan are believed to maintain much smaller arsenals, probably 100 to 300 warheads each. But in the past few years, India and Pakistan are believed to have expanded their nuclear capabilities”. This shows that India and Pakistan are not afraid to use their nuclear weapons. India and Pakistan say that they are not afraid to go to war. This could kill millions of people and start a new world war. If Pakistan lets the Hindus have the land and follows the letter of accession, there will not be any chances of a nuclear war. Pakistan would save lives if it stops breaking laws and gives Hindus the land.

The Hindu Parliament deserves Kashmir over Pakistan. Pakistan has broken laws, killed hundreds of people, and started wars — all just for the land they never even owned. Kashmir was originally a Hindu state, not to mention Kashmir wanted to be part of India, not Pakistan, but Pakistan did not let that happen. Living in Kashmir is tough; Muslims and Hindus are getting sent to jail shot and killed by the Indian government. Right now, both India and Pakistan claim they have nuclear weapons and are not afraid to use them. If the Pakistan government lets the Hindus have the land and Muslims living in Kashmir move to Pakistan, there will not be any chances of a nuclear war. That’s why Pakistan would save lives if they stop breaking laws and give Hindus the land back.

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