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Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir

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Jammu and Kashmir has been the target of a campaign of terrorism and militancy propagated against India by all sides of the conflict. Thousands of lives have been lost since insurgency intensified in 1989 to counter Indian occupation of Kashmir. Those dead include civilians, Indian security forces, Kashmiri and non Kashmiri militants.

The Disputed Territory

Background

Cease-fire line betweem India and Pakistan after the 1947 conflict

Jammu and Kashmir, was a principality lying between the two new independent nations: Republic of India and Islamic Republic of Pakistan which were formed due to the partition of the former British India colony in August 1947. A total of 565 princely states formed 40% of India's land area and held more than 100 million people. Each prince had to decide which of the two new nations to join: Hindu-majority India or Muslim-majority Pakistan (which then also included East Pakistan, now Bangladesh). The ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, could not decide which country to join. He was Hindu, while his subjects were predominantly Muslim. To avoid the decision, he signed a "standstill" agreement with Pakistan, which ensured continuity of trade, travel, communication, and similar services between the two. India did not sign a similar agreement.Template:Inote

In October 1947, Pashtuns from Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province invaded Kashmir. The invasion caused widespread looting and human rights abuses in the state. Troubled by the increasing deterioration in law and order situation, and by earlier raids, culminating in the invasion of the tribesmen, Maharaja Hari Singh, requested armed assistance from India. The incumbent Governor-General, Lord Mountbatten favoured Kashmir's temporary accession to the Republic of India, to which the Maharaja agreed. The Instrument of Accession was signed by the Hari Singh on October 26, 1947 extending India's jurisdiction over external affairs, defence and communications.Template:Inote

The next day, Indian troops were airlifted into Srinagar. A furious Pakistani government immediately contested the accession, suggesting that it was fraudulent, that the Maharaja acted under duress, and that he had no right to sign an agreement with India when the standstill agreement with Pakistan was still in force.Template:Inote

In 1949, the Indian government obliged Hari Singh to leave Jammu and Kashmir, and yield the government to Sheikh Abdullah, the leader of the popular political party, the National Conference Party.Template:Inote

Since then, a bitter enemity has been developed between India and Pakistan and three wars have taken place between them over Kashmir. The growing dispute over Kashmir also lead to the rise of terrorism in the state. The year 1989 saw the intensification of terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir. However, what started as essentially an indigenous popular uprising in Indian-administered Kashmir, has undergone drastic changes in the last decade.

Kashmir flashpoint

Indian Air Force helicopter takes off to patrol Indian-administered Kashmir.

Since it began in the late 1980s, armed militancy has increased significantly in strength. Despite a large number of casualties, the militants are still believed to number thousands rather than hundreds. Several new militant groups have also emerged. Most of these have separatist views and many have carried out audacious attacks on Indian military installations in response to Indian military occupation.[1]

Most of the militant groups are based in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, also known as Azad Kashmir, Azad meaning free. Some like the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, demand an independent Kashmir. Other militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed favour a Pakistani-Kashmir. Both the organisations no longer operate under these names after they were banned by the Indian and Pakistani government, and by several other countries including the USA and UK, when it was found that these organisations have close ties to Osama bin Laden and international terrorist groups including Al Qaeda, Hamas and the Taliban. Of the larger militant groups, only the Hizbul Mujahideen, a terrorist organisation based in India unlike other groups, has kept its name.[2]

India says that over the last two years, Lashkar-e-Toiba has split into two factions: Al Mansurin and Al Nasirin. Another new militant group reported to have emerged is the Save Kashmir Movement. Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (formerly known as Harkat-ul-Ansar) and Lashkar-e-Toiba are believed to be operating from Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir and Muridke, Pakistan respectively.[3] Other less well known groups are the Freedom Force and Farzandan-e-Milat. A smaller militant group, Al Badr, has been active in Kashmir for many years and is still believed to be functioning.[4] All Parties Hurriyat Conference, an organisation that uses moderate means to press for the rights of the Kashmiris, is often considered as the mediator between New Delhi and these "terrorist" groups.

Not much is known about collaboration between the various militant groups, but most say they are members of an alliance known as the United Jihad Council (UJC).[5] The two groups which India says were behind the December 2001 attack on the Indian parliament in New Delhi — known then as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Toiba are believed to be members of the UJC. India says that it was Jaish-e-Mohammed that attacked the Jammu and Kashmir State Assembly in Srinagar in October 2002.[6] It is also known that the Jaish-e-Mohammed was responsible for the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC-814 to Kandahar, which forced the Government of India to release Maulana Masood Azhar, the chief of the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist group.[7]

On the whole, there are more than two dozen active terrorist organisations in Kashmir along with several other smaller militant organizations. It is the presence of these numerous anti-India insurgent groups that has compelled New Delhi to deploy more than 400,000 security personnel in Jammu and Kashmir. The region remains as one of the most heavily militarised zones in the world.

Who are these terrorists?

According to Indian authorities, Kashmiri militants are sponsored by Pakistan; an allegation which Islamabad strongly denies. India claims that there are also several other Afghan, Egyptian, Yemeni and Bangladeshi militants active in Jammu and Kashmir.

Not all Kashmiri separatists and militant organizations share the same ideology. Some fight in the name of religion, some are pro-Pakistan and some favour an independent Kashmir. But they all have one thing in common; they are all anti-India.

Pakistan calls some of these militants as "freedom fighters" and says that it supports their effort for the cause of the Kashmiris only politically, diplomatically and morally. India, however, claims that Islamabad supports these groups financially and militarily and, at International conferences, it has often referred to "cross-border terrorism" and alleged they are being carried out by Pakistan. India has been trying to convince the international community that Pakistan's intelligence organisation, Inter-Service Intelligence, is the main supplier of funds and arms to these groups; a claim that Islamabad has dismissed as rubbish.[8]

Waging Jihad

Lashkar-e-Toiba emerged as one of the most prominent groups involved in militant activities in Kashmir. It is alleged to have gained more support because of its role in the 1999 Kargil conflict with India and later on by sending its members on suicide missions to attack military cantonments in different parts of Indian-administered Kashmir.[9]

Lashkar's professed ideology went beyond merely challenging Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir. In a pamphlet entitled "Why Are We Waging Jihad?" the group defined its agenda as the restoration of Islamic rule over all parts of India. According to the pamphlet, the restoration of secularism in India after the collapse of the Islamic rule of the Mughal Emperor of Aurangzeb was a historic wrong they seek to set right. Terrorism in Kashmir, has now become more of a conflict between the Hindus and the Muslims, than a campaign for the cause of the Kashmiris.[10]

According to Indian sources there are about 37 terrorist training camps in Pakistan, 49 in Azad Kashmir and 22 in Afghanistan.[11] Every year thousands of armed insurgents infiltrate into Indian-administered Kashmir and carry out attacks against Indian Security Forces and Kashmiri civilians. In June 2005, the Indian Army had foiled atleast 72 infiltration attempts along the Line of Control in Kashmir.[12] India alleges that despite the commitments made by Pervez Musharraf, Islamabad has done little to stop the terrorist training camps on its soil. According to an Indian estimate in 2005 there were about 2,000 terrorists in the Kashmir valley alone; 1,200 of them belong to the Hizbul Mujahideen. Indian sources also say that there are between 2,600 to 3,000 militants receiving training in camps across Pakistan and PoK. During a peace summit between Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Indian former-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in January 2004, Islamabad assured India that it would do everything possible to curb the activities of these terrorist training camps. However, violence has continued in Kashmir despite a 19-month peace process between India and Pakistan. There were as many as 166 terrorist incidents in June 2005 alone in which some 201 people have died.[13]

It is hard to determine the total number of casualties due to the ongoing terrorism in Kashmir. According to a report by the Government of India in the year 2000, 31,000 Indian civilians had lost their lives due to the insurgency. Human rights groups and local NGOs put the total figure at more than 50,000 (2000 figure).[14] Terrorism had reached its peak in 1994 when the region saw more than 6,043 terrorist incidents and has since declined. However, Kashmir continues to remain as the most volatile region in the world with an average of 2,500 terrorist incidents every year.[15]

Major terrorist acts

Terrorist acts in Jammu and Kashmir

  • Attack on Jammu & Kashmir State Assembly - A car bomb exploded near the Jammu and Kashmir State Assembly on October 1 2001, killing 27 people. It was one of the most prominent attacks against India apart from on the Indian Parliament in December 2001. The attack was largely seen as one against the democracy in Kashmir. No Kashmiri government official was killed or injured during the incident.[16]
File:WandhamaMassacre3Jan1998.jpg
The Hindu temple in Wandhama after it was desecrated and destroyed by the terrorists.
  • Wandhama Massacre - In January 1998, 24 Kashmiri Pandits living in the Indian city Wandhama were killed by Kashmiri Militants. According to the testimony of one of the survivors, the militants dressed themselves as officers of the Indian Army, entered their houses and then started firing blindly. The incident was significant because it coincided with former US president Bill Clinton's visit to India and New Delhi used the massacre to present a case against the alleged Pakistan-supported terrorism in Kashmir.[17]
  • Qasim Nagar Attack - On July 13 2003, armed militants believed to be a part of the Lashkar-e-Toiba threw hand grenades at the Qasim Nagar market in Srinagar and then fired on civilians standing nearby killing twenty-seven and injuring many more.[21]
  • Assasination of Abdul Ghani Lone - Abdul Ghani Lone, a prominent All Party Hurriyat Conference leader, was assasinated by unidentified gunmen during a memorial rally in Srinagar. The assasination resulted in wide-scale demonstrations against the Indian forces for failing to provide enough security cover for Mr. Lone.[22]

Ethnic Cleansing

The incidents mentioned above depict only a few of the attacks made by insurgents against Kashmiri civilians. Kashmiri militants are alleged to be following a policy of ethnic cleansing. According to estimates more than 300,000 Kashmiri Pandits or Hindus have been displaced because of the terrorist activities against them.[24] In 1941, more than 15% of Kashmiri population consisted of Hindus. Now it has decreased to less than 1%.[25] In July 2005, All Parties Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, held talks with Kashmiri Pandit leaders in an effort to bring the displaced Pandits back to Jammu and Kashmir. However, their attempts were foiled when a joint declaration by leading Kashmiri insurgent groups Al-Nasireen, Al-Arifeen, Save Kashmir Movement and Fazandan-e-Millat declared a ban on the return of the Kashmiri Pandits to the Kashmir valley.[26] Militants have also targeted Hindu pilgrims visiting the holy shrines of Amarnath and Vaishno Devi in the state.[27]

It is not only the Kashmiri pundits who have suffered in ongoing insurgency, many Muslims have also been killed in Kashmir over the years. According to Indian government estimates, 6880 Kashmiri muslims have been killed from 1989 to 1998 compared to 8370 Hindus, although most human rights organisations put the figure of the number killed since the late 80's at 70,000 which also includes those killed by Indian security forces.[28]

Local politicians have suffered the brunt of aggression being carried out by the terrorists. More than 120 local politicians have lost their lives, 15 of whom were members of Kashmir State Assembly.

Terrorist activities elsewhere

The attack on the Indian Parliament was by far the most prominent attack carried out Kashmiri militants outside Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for carrying out the attacks, an allegation which Pakistan strongly denied and one that brought both nations to the brink of a nuclear confrontation in 2001-02. However, international peace efforts ensured the cooling of tensions between the two nuclear-powered nations.

Apart from this, the most notable was the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight IC 814 en route New Delhi from Kathmandu, Nepal. The plane was hijacked approximately 1 hour after take off and was taken to Amritsar airport and then to Lahore in Pakistan. After refueling the plane took off for Dubai and then finally landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Under intense media pressure, New Delhi complied to the hijackers' demand and freed Maulana Masood Azhar from its captivity in return for the freedom of the Indian passengers on the flight. The decision, however, costed New Delhi dearly. Maulana, who is believed to be hiding in Karachi, later became the leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed, an organisation which has carried out several terrorist acts against Indian Security Forces in Kashmir.[29]

On December 22 2000, a group of terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba stormed the famous Red Fort in New Delhi. The Fort houses a Indian military unit and a high-security interrogation cell used both by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Indian Army. The terrorists successfully breached the security cover around the Red Fort and opened fire at the Indian military personnels on duty killing two of them on spot. The attack was significant because it was carried out just two days after the declaration of the cease-fire between India and Pakistan.[30]

Two Kashmiri terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed, raided the Swami Narayan temple complex in Ahmedabad, Gujarat killing 30 people, including 18 women and 5 children. The attack was carried out on September 25 2002, just few days after state elections were held in Jammu and Kashmir. Two identical letters found on both the terrorists claimed that the attack was done in retaliation for the deaths of thousands of muslims during the Gujarat riots.[31]

In an unsuccessful attempt, six terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba, stormed the Ayodhya Ram Janmbhomi complex on July 5 2005. Before the terrorists could reach the main disputed site, they were shot down by Indian security forces. One devotee and two policemen were injured during the incident.[32]

Human rights violations

Kashmiri organizations, Pakistan and human rights groups have blamed Indian Security Forces for many occurences of human rights abuses in the state. India says that the allegations are wrong and argues that, except a few incidents, many of the crimes and attrocities against Kashmiris are done by the insurgents. A report by the Human Rights Watch, stated two main reasons for the improving human rights condition in the region: First, sincere efforts made by the new Jammu and Kashmir provincial government headed by Mufti Muhammad Sayeed to investigate cases of human rights abuses by Indian soldiers in the state and to punish those guilty. Second, the decrease in cross-border infiltration by armed insurgents.[33]

The districts of Baramulla and Anantnag in the Kashmir Valley, are the worst affected. The increasing violence in the region has compelled India to deploy more than 250,000 troops in the valley. According to an Indian NGO, every day more than 50 people are abducted by the insurgents in the valley; half of whom are killed. Incidents of rape, kidnapping, looting, rioting, and hawala (the informal money transfer system often associated with money laundering) have increased since insurgency intensified in the 1980's. The Jammu and Kashmir provincial government stated in 2003, that a total of 3,744 people had 'disappeared' since 1989. However, human rights activists put the total figure at more than 8,000. Those who are targeted mainly include women, children and local politicians.[34]

Statistics

The following statistics were published by Research and Analysis Wing in 2002:[35]

  • Number of terrorist camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir: 49
  • Total number of terrorist camps in Pakistan: 37
  • Number of Kashmiri terrorist camps in Afghanistan: 22
  • Number of terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir: 3200 (estimate)
  • Number of Kashmiri terrorists in Indian jails: 125
  • Number of Indian civilians killed by Kashmiri terrorists since 1988: over 29,000
  • Number of explosions carried out by the terrorists in India: 4,730
  • Total number of Kashmiri Pandits displaced from the state: over 300,000
  • Amount of explosives recovered from Kashmiri terrorists in India: 60 tons or 30,000 kg (estimate)
  • Major terrorist training camps[36]:
Location of major terrorist camps
Kotli Azad Kashmir
Muzaffarabad Azad Kashmir
Poonch Azad Kashmir
Skardu Northern Areas, Pakistan
Gultari Northern Areas, Pakistan
Tarkuti Northern Areas, Pakistan
Shinkiari North West Frontier Province
Batrasi North West Frontier Province
Sufaida North West Frontier Province
Muridke Punjab, Pakistan
Changa Manga Punjab, Pakistan
Tanda Allabyar Sindh

Recent Developments

Terrorist activates in the region declined in 2004. There are two main reasons for this: warming of relations between New Delhi and Pakistan which consequently lead to a ceasefire between the 2 countries in 2003 and the fencing of the LOC being carried out by the Indian Army. Moreover, coming under intense international pressure, Islamabad was compelled to take actions against the militant's training camps on its territory. In 2004, the two countries also agreed upon decreasing the number of troops present in the region.

Under pressure, Kashmiri militant organisations have made an offer for talks and negotiations with New Delhi, something which India has rightfully welcomed with both hands.

India's Border Security Force blamed the Pakistani military for cover-firing the militants whenever they infiltrated into Indian territory from Pakistan. However, ever since ceasefire has come into action, the militants get no back-up from Pakistani Military which has contributed significantly to the decline in cross-border terrorism in the state.

In a recent development, Pakistan's interior minister, Sheikh Rashid, was alleged to have run a militant training camp in N.W. Frontier, Pakistan. Islamabad dismissed the charges against its minister as an attempt to hamper the ongoing peace process between the two neighbours.

The increase in operations of the Indian Army, in recent months, has also helped crack down on several of the insurgency groups. In a recent Indian report, Indian Security Forces had foiled 1243 terrorist attempts for the year 2003-04 in the Kashmir valley alone.

Both India and Pakistan have launched several mutual confidence-building measures (CBMs) to ease tensions between the two. These include, more high-level talks, easing visa restrictions, restarting of cricket matches between the two. The new bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad has also helped bring the two sides closer. Pakistan and India have also decided to co-operate on economic fronts.

A major clash between Indian Security Forces and militants occured when a group of insurgents tried to infiltrate into the Indian-administered Kashmir from Pakistan in July 2005. The same month, also saw Kashmiri terrorist attack on Ayodhya and Srinagar. However, these developments had little impact on the peace process. The mood on both sides of the border finally seems to be moving beyond a half-century of confrontation.

Possible Solutions

Many consider that the best way to end present violence in Kashmir is negotiations between various Kashmiri-separatists groups, Pakistan and India. Here are a few possible solutions to the Kashmir dispute -

The status quo Currently a boundary - the Line of Control (LOC)- divides the region in two, with one part administered by India and one by Pakistan. India would like to formalise this status quo and make it the accepted international boundary.Factors Opposing - Pakistan rejects the plan partially as it aims to get greater control over the region.
Kashmir becomes a part of India Though New Delhi and much of the Hindu population of Kashmir would have no objections to such a plan, the Muslims in Pakistan-administered Kashmir have never shown any desire to join India.
Entire Kashmir under Pakistani control Giving Pakistan full control over Jammu and Kashmir. Factors Opposing — Though the Muslims in Kashmir might agree to such a proposal, the Hindus of Jammu and the Buddhists of Ladakh would object the outcome.
Jammu and Kashmir becomes independent Most of the Kashmiris will support the outcome and region will also be economically viable with tourism being the biggest source of income. Factors Opposing - The outcome is unlikely because it requires both India and Pakistan to give up territories.

Re-evaluation

The insurgents who initially started their movement as a pro-Kashmiri independence movement, have gone through a lot of change in their ideology. The insurgents use religion as a topic to back their campaign. In this entire process, the main core issue of establishing the will and the welfare of the Kashmiris seems to be lost.

Indian analysts allege that by supporting these insurgents, Pakistan is trying to wage a proxy war against New Delhi while Islamabad claims that it regards most of these insurgent groups as "freedom fighters" rather than militants.

Internationally known to be the most deadly theatre of conflict nearly 50 million, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists have been fighting a daily battle for survival. The cross-border firing between India and Pakistan and the terrorists attacks combined have taken its toll on the Kashmiris who have suffered by losing their economic growth and human rights in the process over the years. Kashmir was once known as the Paradise on Earth. Today, its called The Burning Paradise.

Films and Books

Films

Books

References

  1. ^ Facts on Kashmiri Terrorism
  2. ^ 20 July 2005 Srinagar attack
  3. ^ Information regarding militants international links
  4. ^ List of terrorist organisations
  5. ^ Lashkar-e-toiba's profile
  6. ^ Info regarding UJC and its members
  7. ^ Article on Indian Parliament Attack
  8. ^ IC 814 Hijacking
  9. ^ Information regarding links between ISI and militants
  10. ^ Amnesty report on Kashmir
  11. ^ Wandhama Massacre report
  12. ^ Sangrampora killings
  13. ^ List of terrorist attacks in Kashmir
  14. ^ Article on Nadimarg killings
  15. ^ Amarnath killings report
  16. ^ Plight of Kashmiri Pundits
  17. ^ Schofield, Victoria. 'Kashmir: The origins of the dispute', BBC News UK Edition (January 16 2002) Retrieved May 20 2005
  18. ^ Human Rights Watch World Report 2003: India
  19. ^ Ayodhya terrorist attack
  20. ^ Red Fort terrorist attack
  21. ^ Terrorist attack on Swami Narayan temple
  22. ^ Information on the terroist camps in Pakistan
  23. ^ The surrogate war in Kashmir
  24. ^ July 22, 2005 edition of the Hindustan Times newspaper - report by journalist Nilova Roy Chaudhury
  25. ^ HT story - Kashmiri militants warn against return of Pandits
  26. ^ J&K state assembly attack

See also

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