Jammu and Kashmir is a union territory in northern India. It comprises two major regions: Jammu and the Kashmir Valley. A third region, Ladakh, along with Jammu and Kashmir, was a part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir until 2019. After the abrogation of Article 370, the state was broken into two: Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The region is known for breathtaking landscapes with a history going back to the Indus Valley Civilization, with evidence of various empires — Gandhara, Mauryan, Kushan, Gupta, Mughal, and Dogra — ruling the area.
The region has been a bone of contention between India and Pakistan since its 1947 accession to India. The two countries fought a war that resulted in the establishment of the Line of Control (LoC) and divided the region into Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Both Pakistan and China claim portions of Indian-administered Kashmir and Ladakh regions. It has been marred with violent incidents of militancy, which gained momentum in the 1980s and 1990s. The situation, fuelled by various grievances including political alienation, human rights abuses, and economic disparities, has resulted in prolonged conflict and counterinsurgency operations by security forces.
Why foreign MPs – of somewhat iffy provenance – and now foreign envoys have been given precedence over prominent Indian politicians is a legitimate question. However, I feel that foreign diplomats visiting Kashmir is in itself a welcome development.
We must think very poorly of the global media to believe that impressions about an important, emergent power like India can be managed / manipulated / synthesised by “ lobbies “. If it were really that simple, the Chinese, with their vast financial resources, would have had everyone eating out of their hands. A small lobbying effort in China has led to such a savage backlash. Let us stop being so paranoid. The world nibbles our chicken tikka and then decides whether it is succulent, perfectly seasoned or burnt to a cinder.
… in Australia …
Your “our chicken tikka”? It is a Scottish food product, NOT INDIAN! Someone first developed this product in Scotland, from where it spread to other places, INCLUDING INDIA!
The world is deeply interested in Kashmir, not least because it directly impinges on war and peace between two nuclear powers. It also regards the entire state as a disputed territory whose final status is to be settled through a peaceful dialogue, as contemplated under the Simla Accord. The sixteen Excellencies who are visiting the Valley are astute diplomats, quite different from the 27 ultra right wing MEPs who were shown around. They do not start their visit with a blank mind, have an expert assessment of ground conditions. None of them will say what will be music to our ears, although they are too seasoned to strike very discordant notes. Let them be followed by others from major powers, with progressively more freedom of movement and discourse. 2. What the world thinks of Kashmir is one part of the mosaic. What we ourselves feel we have achieved, where we stand, after half a year is more relevant and consequential.
It was a disputed territory because jihadi supporting Congress, not anymore after A370 removal, it is govt territory.