The Partition of British India in August 1947 was one of the most significant and traumatic events of the 20th century. It split the Indian subcontinent into two nations: India and Pakistan. People fled their homes, some with bags, others with nothing but their stories. In the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, lived its king, Maharaja Hari Singh, a Hindu man ruling a Muslim-majority kingdom, uncertain of his next step. What followed in the days, months, and years ahead would shape generations.
Shubh Samant explains.
Hari Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir from 1925 to 1952. Photo, circa 1931.
A Princely State in Limbo
Hari Singh had hoped for independence. He dreamed of neutrality, of sovereignty untouched by the religious lines hastily drawn by the English. But dreams, like borders, are fragile.
In October 1947, Pashtun tribesmen from Pakistan’s North-West Frontier Province invaded Kashmir. Singh, desperate for support, signed the Instrument of Accession to India. Indian troops were airlifted in, and the first war between India and Pakistan began. The United Nations intervened in 1949, brokering a ceasefire that created the Line of Control. But it was no peace, just a pause. Kashmir was now divided: Pakistan held Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan; India retained the lush Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh.
Geopolitical Turbulence
As the Cold War deepened, Kashmir became a pawn on the global chessboard. India held it up as a symbol of secularism - a Muslim-majority region in a Hindu-majority nation. Pakistan, meanwhile, viewed it as the unfinished business of Partition. The two nations fought again in 1965, and once more in 1999, across the icy heights of Kargil.
In the 1960s, Chinese troops quietly moved into Aksai Chin, adding a third player to the equation. Decades later, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, cutting through Gilgit-Baltistan, would draw in global economic and strategic interests even more deeply.
Then came August 5, 2019. The Indian government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, revoked Article 370, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special status. That day began with a blackout in Srinagar, no internet, no phone calls. The move was hailed by some as a bold step toward integration; others condemned it as a constitutional betrayal. Either way, it marked another fracture in a long-fractured land.
Socio-economic Fallout
Conflict has long stalked Kashmir’s streets. Checkpoints, barbed wire, and the green of military fatigues became part of everyday life. Tourism, the crown jewel of the region’s economy, faded like the reflections in Dal Lake.
Weaving workshops in Pulwama were once filled with laughter and the rhythmic tapping of looms. Now, they stand mostly silent. Schools have been shuttered repeatedly, either from curfews or fear. Hospitals are understaffed, and joblessness eats away at the young. In the 1990s, the insurgency that took root claimed lives and futures. Among its victims were not just militants and soldiers, but teachers, musicians, shopkeepers – and the truth.
One of the deepest wounds remains the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits. Families were forced to become refugees in their own nation, fleeing amid threats and violence, leaving homes, temples, and history behind.
The insurgency that began in 1989, fueled by local discontent and cross-border terrorism, led to tens of thousands of deaths and the mass exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the valley. Many have lived as refugees within their own country for over three decades, unable to return to their ancestral homes.
Recent Escalations
In April 2025, a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Indian-administered Kashmir, resulted in the deaths of 25 Indian tourists and one Nepali national. The Resistance Front (TRF) claimed responsibility for the attack. India accused Pakistan of sponsoring the militants, though Pakistan denied its involvement.
In retaliation, on May 7, 2025, India, under 'Operation Sindoor' launched missile and air strikes on nine alleged militant camps in both Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The strikes, lasting just 25 minutes, marked the deepest India has struck inside Pakistan since the 1971 war.
The conflict escalated rapidly, with both nations exchanging missile and drone attacks, resulting in civilian casualties and raising the risk of war between the nuclear-armed neighbors. A ceasefire was announced on May 10, 2025, following an agreement between India and Pakistan, said to have been mediated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The recent conflict has also had political ramifications. In Pakistan, public support for the military surged, with Army Chief Asim Munir promoted to Field Marshal, solidifying his position as the country's most powerful figure.
What’s Next?
For any lasting resolution, the voices of the Kashmiri people, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and others, must be central. Economic development cannot replace political empowerment. Peace requires more than ceasefires; it demands recognition of historical grievances, a commitment to justice, and above all, the willingness to listen.
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References
· Schofield, Victoria. Kashmir in Conflict: India, Pakistan and the Unfinished War. I.B. Tauris, 2003.
· Bose, Sumantra. Kashmir: Roots of Conflict, Paths to Peace. Harvard University Press, 2003.
· BBC News. “Article 370: What happened with Kashmir and why it matters.” August 6, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49234708
· The Diplomat. “Kashmir After Article 370: Repression and Resilience.” January 24, 2020. https://thediplomat.com
· Human Rights Watch. “India: Revoke Abusive Laws in Kashmir.” August 5, 2020.https://www.hrw.org
