Jammu and Kashmir

Kashmir separated between India and Pakistan inhabited mainly by Muslims from the first days of their independence became the main splinter in the relations of two former parts of the British India.

Since 1947 the Indian Kashmir lived separately from other country and remained her the problem territory which became the base of the frozen conflict with Pakistan — "the oldest conflict on the agenda of the UN".

2019: Canceling of a special status of the state and its direct subordination of New Delhi

In 2019 the relations of the center and the rebellious state considerably change. One week prior to the Independence Day the ambiguous decision to repeal the notorious 370th article of the constitution of the country was made. So to refuse provision of the Indian constitution which within more than 70 years assigned a special status to the State of Jammu and Kashmir inhabited mainly by Muslims. The majority of the decisions made by the central government in New Delhi had to approve until recently by local assembly of Jammu and Kashmir where traditionally the tone was set by opponents of the Indian federation. It allowed local authorities to block the solutions of the center which were not arranging them. Now the state passes under direct control of New Delhi. Besides, after change of the status of Jammu and Kashmir the right to buy in it the land is received by all citizens of India, and not just residents of the state as it was earlier.

Making the decision to change the status quo in a question of Kashmir which any leader of independent India did not risk to break to it prime minister Narendra Modi came to a conclusion that this step as a result will only strengthen its image of the politician who "makes history". Crackdown in Kashmir will not be pleasant to its inhabitants, but will be met with approval in other regions of the country most of which of the population is made by Hindus.

As for centrifugal trends, their central authorities are expected to be stopped effectively and if necessary to suppress by force. At the same time, according to the official version, canceling of the 370th article of the constitution will allow to make jump in economic development of the most backward Indian state and to remove an obstacle for national consolidation.

1947: Special status of the state

The special status of Kashmir remaining invariable for decades became result of the difficult agreements reached soon after finding of independence by India in August, 1947. The governor of the principality Jammu and Kashmir of that time the maharaja of Hari Singh signed the agreement on entry of this territory into structure of India, having managed to get at the Indian leaders a number of the special rights for the principality. However, already then the parties agreed that the special status of Jammu and Kashmir will have "temporality", without having specified as long it will exist.

Muslim refugees leave India, going to Pakistan, 1947

In turn, Pakistan initially did not reconcile to inclusion of Jammu and Kashmir in structure of India, regarded it as "occupation" and began to support the separatist groupings operating in the territory of the state fighting for "azad" — independence. From three Indo-Pakistani wars Kashmir was the cause of two — in the 1947th and 1965th. And the first war broke out right after both countries found independence as a result of the partition of the British India into India and Pakistan. Then Pakistan managed to occupy a third of Kashmir.