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Terrorism in Kashmir has existed in various forms, mainly in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian-controlled side of the disputed territory of Kashmir, which has been the target of a campaign of terrorism and militancy by all sides of the conflict. Thousands of lives have been lost since 1989 due both, to the intensified insurgency and the Indian military. Those dead include civilians, Indian security forces, Kashmiri and non Kashmiri separatist militants.

Background of Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir was a princely state with a Muslim majority ruled by a Hindu Maharaja (king) Hari Singh until 1947.

1947

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 and in addition, he nursed fond hopes of remaining the princely ruler of Kashmir, as an independent nation. 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

After Indian forces gained control over two other princely states, Hyderabad and Junagadh, Indian postal services began listing Kashmir as Indian territory, causing alarm in Pakistan. In October 1947, Pashtuns from Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province invaded Kashmir in support of a rebellion agaist the Maharaja which had erupted in the restive Poonch district. The invasion caused widespread looting in the state. Troubled by the increasing deterioration in law and order situation, and by earlier raids, culminating in the invasion of the tribesmen, followed later by Pakistani rangers, Maharaja Hari Singh, requested armed assistance and assylum from India. India refused to send its troops unless Kashmir officially joined the Union of India. The incumbent Governor-General, Lord Mountbatten also favoured Kashmir's 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. The 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. furthermore, pro-Indian Kashmiri politicians such as Sheikh Abdullah denounced the Instrument of Accession as a document signed by an illegitimate monarch. Template:Inote

See also: Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, The Accession of the Princely States

Post-1947

In 1949, the Indian government obliged Hari Singh to leave Jammu and Kashmir, and yield the government to Sheikh Abdullah, the leader of a popular political party, the National Conference Party.Template:Inote Since then, a bitter enmity 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 conflict in Jammu and Kashmir as Mujahadeens from Afghanistan slowly infiltrated the region following the end of the Soviet-Afghan War the same year. However, what started as essentially an indigenous popular uprising in Indian-administered Kashmir, has undergone drastic changes in the last decade.

Militancy and military

Since it began in the late 1980s, violence has increased significantly in strength. Many separatists have carried out attacks on Indian military installations in response to what they see as Indian military occupation.

India claims most of the separatist militant groups, whom it calls "terrorists", are based in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir (also known as Azad Kashmir). Some like the All Parties Hurriyat Conference and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, demand an independent Kashmir. Other groups such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed favour a Pakistani-Kashmir. Of the larger militant groups, the Hizbul Mujahideen, a militant organisation based in Indian administered Kashmir, unlike other groups, has only kept its name.. Despite casualties, the militants are still believed to number thousands rather than hundreds. Several new separatist organizations have also emerged.

India claims it is the presence of these numerous anti-India insurgent groups that has compelled New Delhi to deploy massive number of troops in Jammu and Kashmir for the task of counter insurgency. New Delhi has never made an official count, but military analysts estimate that anywhere from 250,000 to nearly 500,000 security personnel are most likely involved, supported by thousands of Indian paramilitary groups such as the Rashtriya rifles, and the Romeo Force. Further consolidating Indian control in Kashmir are hundreds of counter-insurgents known collectively as the Ikhwanis. Made up of former militants, the groups were abandoned by India in the early part of this decade, allowing anti-Indian militants to slowly kill off the Ikhwanis, including the notorious Ikhwani leader, Kukka Parray.

Pakistan claims that this number of military personnel is not needed for such a small group of separatists and that India simply wants control over the entire Kashmir region. In response Pakistan has increased its military personnel in it territory. The region remains as one of the most heavily militarised zones in the world.

Militant groups

India says that over the last two years, a militant group, 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. 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. 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 the insurgent 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). 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 2001. 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.

Involvement

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. Furthermore, not all the militants are muslims. Recent reports indicate that a growing minority of the fighters are Hindu militants who have taken up arms for money. They are primarily in these terrorist outfits due to unemployement and a lucrative package.

Pakistan calls some of these separatist militants as "freedom fighters" and says that it supports their effort for the cause of the Kashmiris only morally. India, however, claims that Islamabad supports these groups financially. 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..

Pakistan has also alleged India of a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Kashmiri Muslims using state terrorism. It points to human rights figures which show that under the presence of the Indian military starting from the 80's, 70,000 to 120,000 Kashmiris have been killed many that have documented involvement of the military in mass killings. India, however, blames these deaths on the militants or actions which some Indian writers such as J.N. Dixit have called "Internationally understandable in the wake of ground realities."

Ethnic Cleansing

Indian security forces and some militant groups are accused of following a policy of ethnic cleansing against the Kashmiris. Many Kasmiri Muslims and Pandits have been killed in Kashmir over the years. Human rights organisations put the figure of the number killed since the late 80's at 80,000 which includes those killed by Indian security forces. According to official Indian government estimates, 8370 Hindus have also been killed. Kashmiri Pandits displaced due to the ongoing violence is debated; estimates of the number of Kashmiri Pandits displaced varies from 170,000 to 700,000. Local politicians have suffered the brunt of aggression. More than 120 local politicians have lost their lives, 15 of whom were members of Kashmir State Assembly.

India alleges that Kashmiri militants are also carrying out ethnic cleansing. 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 missions to attack military cantonments in different parts of Indian-administered Kashmir. 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. The violence in Kashmir, has now become more of a conflict between the Hindus and the Muslims, than a campaign for the cause of the Kashmiris.

In June 2005, the Indian Army claimed it had foiled at least 72 infiltration attempts along the Line of Control in Kashmir]. India alleges that despite the commitments made by Pervez Musharraf, Islamabad has done little to stop the separatist training camps on its soil. According to an Indian estimate in 2005 there were about 2,000 insurgents in the Kashmir valley alone; 1,200 of them allegedly belong to the Hizbul Mujahideen.

Violent 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 on an attack that was blamed on Kashmiri separatists. It was one of the most prominent attacks against India apart from on the Indian Parliament in December 2001. No Kashmiri government official was killed or injured during the incident.

• Wandhama Massacre - In January 1998, 24 Kashmiri Pandits living in the 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.

• Sangrampora Killings - On March 22 1997, 7 Kashmiri Pandits were killed in Sangrampora village in the Bulgam district.

• 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.

• Assassination of Abdul Ghani Lone - Abdul Ghani Lone, a prominent All Party Hurriyat Conference leader, was assassinated by unidentified gunmen during a memorial rally in Srinagar. The assassination resulted in wide-scale demonstrations against the Indian forces for failing to provide enough security cover for Mr. Lone.

• July 20 2005 Srinagar Bombing - A car bomb exploded near an armoured Indian Army vehicle in the famous Church Lane area in Srinagar killing 4 Indian Army personnel, one civilian and the suicide bomber. Militant group Hizbul Mujahideen, claimed responsibility for the attack.

• Budshah Chowk attack - A militant attack on July 29, 2005 at Srinigar's city centre, Budshah Chowk, killed 2 and left more than 17 people injured. Most of those injured were media journalists.

• Murder of Ghulam Nabi Lone - On October 18, 2005 suspected Kashmiri militants killed Jammu and Kashmir's then education minister Ghulam Nabi Lone. Militant group Al Mansurin claimed responsibility for the attack.

Terrorist activities elsewhere

The attack on the Indian Parliament was by far the most prominent attack carried out by 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 with 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, cost 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.

On December 22 2000, a group of militants belonging to the Lashkar-e-Toiba stormed the famous Red Fort in New Delhi. The Fort houses an 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.

Two Kashmiri militants 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.

Two car bombs explode in south Mumbai on August 25 2003; one near the Gateway of India and the other at the famous Zaveri Bazaar, killing at least 48 and injuring 150 people. Though no terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attacks, Mumbai Police and RAW suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba's hand in the twin blasts.

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

Human rights violations

Kashmiri organizations, Pakistan and human rights groups have blamed Indian Security Forces for many occurrences 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 atrocities 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 were made by the new Jammu and Kashmir provincial government headed by Mufti Muhammad Sayeed to investigate cases of human rights abuses in the state and to punish those guilty including Indian soldiers. More than 15 Indian army soldiers were convicted by the Indian government in 2004 for carrying out human rights abuses in the state. Second, the decrease in cross-border infiltration into India by armed insurgents. However, since the report, human rights abuses have risen once more, though not to levels seen in the early 1990's.

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.

Statistics

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.

The following statistics were published by India's Research and Analysis Wing in 2002: and uses terminology which reflects its anti-Pakistan stance.

• 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:

Recent Developments

Violent activities 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 providing cover-fire for 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.

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 occurred 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 confrontations.

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 -

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. Most of the insurgents potray their struggle as a religious one.

Indian analysts allege that by supporting these insurgents, Pakistan is trying to wage a proxy war against India while Pakistan 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 10 million people, including Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists have been fighting a daily battle for survival. The cross-border firing between India and Pakistan, and the terrorist 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, it's called The Burning Paradise.

Films and Books

Indian Films

• Mission Kashmir — by Vidhu Vinod Chopra; focuses on the mental state of a Kashmiri militant.
• Roja — is a movie about a civilian taken hostage by insurgents in Kashmir.
• The Hero — Sunny Deol plays the role of an Indian spy whose aim is to stop a Kashmiri insurgent group from obtaining nuclear bombs.
• Dil Se — The clash between love and ideology is portrayed in this love story between a radio executive and a beautiful suicide bomber; starring Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala.
• Sheen — Based on the plight of Kashmiri Pandits or Hindus, made homeless refugees in their own state by the insurgents.
• Kashmeer — by Suhail Tatari; revolves around the relationship between a Muslim girl and a Hindu boy residing in the troubled Kashmir region.
• Zameen — by Rohit Shetty; based on the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 by Kashmiri militants
• Yahaan — A love story of an idealistic Indian army soldier and a local Kashmiri girl.

Books

• The Kashmir Question: Retrospect and Prospect — by Sumit Ganguly
• South Asia in the World: Problem solving perspectives on security, sustainable development, and good governance — by Oddny Wiggen and Ramesh Chandra Thakur
• The New Terrorism: Fanaticism and arms of mass destruction — by Walter Laqueur
• Kashmir: Beyond the vale -- by M J Akbar

References

1. BBC Timeline on Kashmir conflict.
2. Facts on Kashmiri Terrorism
3. 20 July 2005 Srinagar attack
4. , , Multiple sources for the number of Indian counter-insurgency troops in the region
5. Information regarding militants international links
6. List of terrorist organisations
7. Lashkar-e-toiba's profile
8. Info regarding UJC and its members
9. Article on Indian Parliament Attack
10. IC 814 Hijacking
11. Kashmir’s new headache: Hindu militants
12. Information regarding links between ISI and militants
13. Amnesty report on Kashmir
14. Wandhama Massacre report
15. Sangrampora killings
16. Alexander Evans, A departure from history: Kashmiri Pandits, 1990–2001, Contemporary South Asia (Volume 11, Number 1, 1 March 2002, pp. 19-37)
17. List of terrorist attacks in Kashmir
18. Article on Nadimarg killings
19. Amarnath killings report
20. Plight of Kashmiri Pundits
21. Schofield, Victoria. 'Kashmir: The origins of the dispute', BBC News UK Edition (January 16 2002) Retrieved May 20 2005
22. BBC News: The future of Kashmir?
23. Human Rights Watch World Report 2003: India
24. Ayodhya terrorist attack
25. Red Fort terrorist attack
26. Terrorist attack on Swami Narayan temple
27. Information on the terroist camps in Pakistan
28. The surrogate war in Kashmir
29. July 22, 2005 edition of the Hindustan Times newspaper - report by journalist Nilova Roy Chaudhury
30. HT story - Kashmiri militants warn against return of Pandits
31. J&K state assembly attack
32. August 25 Mumbai blasts
33. July 29 attack in Srinagar
34. Nabi Lone's assassination

See also

Related articles

• Kashmir
• Terrorism in India
• Terrorism in Pakistan
• Indo-Pakistani Wars
• All Parties Hurriyat Conference

Militant groups

• Lashkar-e-Toiba
• Jaish-e-Mohammed
• Hizbul Mujahideen
• Harkat-ul-Mujahideen
• Al-Qaeda

External links

• History and background of the Kashmir Conflict
• Kashmir Council for Human Rights (KCHR), Patron Lord Eric Avenbury
• Greater Kashmir, leading English daily newspaper from Kashmir
• Kashmir Times, English daily newspaper published from Jammu
• Kashmir Observer, English daily from Kashmir
• The Kashmir Story
• Indian report on Proxy-War being carried out by Islamabad
• A Pakistani site on Kashmir freedom struggle
• Jammu and Kashmir Govt. official website
• The Kashmir Dispute
• Human Rights Watch World Report 2003: India
• The Indian Army's Website on instilling Serenity back in Kashmir
• Iftikhar Ajmal explain how he migrated from Kashmir to Pakistan]

• Terrorism
• Rebellion
• Revolutions
• Indian adversities
• Terrorism in India
• Kashmir
• Politics of India
• Guerrilla wars