Both India and Pakistan claim the Kashmir Valley,
a predominantly Muslim region. The valley was once a unique and idyllic
patch of India, filled with apple orchards and shimmering fields of
saffron framed by spiky, snow-capped peaks. Kashmir's mosaic of
relatively peaceful coexistence first began to crack during the
partition of British India, in 1947. Sixty years of bitterness,
including two wars, have followed.
For decades, India maintained hundreds of thousands of security forces in Kashmir to fight an insurgency sponsored by Pakistan. The insurgency has been largely vanquished. But those Indian forces are still in place, and have faced major popular unrest in recent times. From 2008 to 2010 more than 100 civilians were killed in clashes between stone-throwing protesters and heavily armed security forces in Srinagar, the state's major city. Each death prompted a fresh set of angry demonstrations that prompted even tougher crackdowns, leading to more bloodshed. The valley’s economy virtually collapsed.
The troubles signaled the failure of decades of efforts to win the assent of Kashmiris using just about any tool available: money, elections and overwhelming force. However, in the summer of 2011, the Kashmir Valley enjoyed an unexpected season of tranquillity. Tourists from across India descended on the valley, filling just about every airplane seat, hotel room and houseboat. Business in Lal Chowk, Srinagar’s bustling central market, boomed.
No grand bargain between India and Pakistan was struck that would explain the new calm, and no major concessions were made within the Indian portion of the region either. Draconian laws that shield security forces from prosecution still allow the police to arrest anyone suspected of disturbing the peace.
Yet subtle but unmistakable shifts calmed the situation in Kashmir. A détente between India and Pakistan helped cool tensions in the region. Talks between the nations had been on hold for two years after militants from Pakistan attacked the city of Mumbai, formerly Bombay, killing more than 160 people. The talks resumed in 2011 in earnest, and on July 27 the two countries announced a series of measures aimed at easing restrictions at the Line of Control, the de facto border between the parts of Kashmir each country control.
ARTICLE SOURCE:WWW.NEWSPAMA.COM
For decades, India maintained hundreds of thousands of security forces in Kashmir to fight an insurgency sponsored by Pakistan. The insurgency has been largely vanquished. But those Indian forces are still in place, and have faced major popular unrest in recent times. From 2008 to 2010 more than 100 civilians were killed in clashes between stone-throwing protesters and heavily armed security forces in Srinagar, the state's major city. Each death prompted a fresh set of angry demonstrations that prompted even tougher crackdowns, leading to more bloodshed. The valley’s economy virtually collapsed.
The troubles signaled the failure of decades of efforts to win the assent of Kashmiris using just about any tool available: money, elections and overwhelming force. However, in the summer of 2011, the Kashmir Valley enjoyed an unexpected season of tranquillity. Tourists from across India descended on the valley, filling just about every airplane seat, hotel room and houseboat. Business in Lal Chowk, Srinagar’s bustling central market, boomed.
No grand bargain between India and Pakistan was struck that would explain the new calm, and no major concessions were made within the Indian portion of the region either. Draconian laws that shield security forces from prosecution still allow the police to arrest anyone suspected of disturbing the peace.
Yet subtle but unmistakable shifts calmed the situation in Kashmir. A détente between India and Pakistan helped cool tensions in the region. Talks between the nations had been on hold for two years after militants from Pakistan attacked the city of Mumbai, formerly Bombay, killing more than 160 people. The talks resumed in 2011 in earnest, and on July 27 the two countries announced a series of measures aimed at easing restrictions at the Line of Control, the de facto border between the parts of Kashmir each country control.
ARTICLE SOURCE:WWW.NEWSPAMA.COM
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