On February 14th 2019, a suicide bomber attacked
a convoy of Indian security forces. "We're getting reports of multiple casualties
in a roadside..." He killed at least 40 Indian soldiers here
in Kashmir. "The deadliest attack the region has seen
this century." The bomber was part of an Islamic militant
group based in Pakistan. "Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility for
that attack." 12 days later, India carried out airstrikes
in Northwestern Pakistan. Then Pakistan shot down at least one Indian
aircraft around here. Tensions rose between the two rival nations. ["Escalate" repeated in news broadcasts.] "The most serious escalation in years." Kashmir is one of the most disputed places
on Earth. Over the course of 70 years, it’s been at
the center of three wars fought between two massive armies. It's heavily occupied by more than half a
million Indian troops and a deadly collection of militias and terrorist groups. Kashmir is the stage for the relentless conflict
between India and Pakistan. But focusing on the two countries can obscure
what's really at stake: The voice of Kashmiris who are caught in a vicious cycle of violence. Kashmir is one of the most strategic places in the world,
where 3 powerful countries collide: India, Pakistan, and China. China invaded and took this slice of Kashmir from India. And was given this one by Pakistan. India and Pakistan control these parts, but lay claim to more. This region is at the center of a brutal conflict over these disputed borders. So it's important to start when they were being drawn. In the mid-1800s, India
was a patchwork of several hundred provinces and princely states under British rule. A century later, when British India won independence, the British left and hastily decided to split the region into two. These areas would be a new Muslim-majority
country, Pakistan. And this would be the mostly Hindu, but secular,
India. The partition was bloody. "Communal hatred flares up in the Punjab." "1 million people become refugees overnight." "They flee from savagery and butchery that has never
been exceeded, even in India's stormy history." Amid the chaos, some princely states were
given the choice to join either country. In most cases, the ruling monarchs followed
the will of their people. But this state, called "Jammu & Kashmir" was
different. It was right along this new border and had
a Muslim-majority population, but was ruled by a Hindu monarch. When asked to pick a side, the ruler chose to stay neutral Fearing that the monarch would join India,
the Kashmiri population rebelled here in 1947 Armed tribesmen from Pakistan soon joined
the fight. The monarch turned to India for military help
and in exchange agreed to join them, which sparked the first Indo-Pakistan war in Kashmir. "Continuing thus increased the
threat to world peace and brought the dispute to the attention of the United Nations. The UN Security Council brokered a ceasefire
in 1949, which established this line with Pakistan controlling this side and India this
one. It also asked Pakistani tribesmen to withdraw
and Indian troops to follow, so that Kashmir could hold a direct vote to decide its own
future. But neither held up their end of the deal. Pakistan argued that Kashmir’s Muslim-majority
population rightfully belonged with them. While India insisted that Kashmir was handed over to them by the Hindu monarch. So they doubled down and added Kashmir to their constution. Both countries continued to tighten their grip around it for decades. "Kashmir. Fighting is going on and heavy casualties in men and equipment have been inflicted on the aggressor." In 1965, the second India-Pakistan war
broke out in Kashmir. Thousands of people were killed between the
huge armies on both sides. A ceasefire ended the war, but didn’t change
this line. Kashmir was kept divided and occupied. And another war broke out in 1971. This time the focus wasn't in Kashmir — it was in East Pakistan. Here, India helped rebels fight for independence
and dealt Pakistan a devastating defeat. This region became a new country, Bangladesh, and Pakistan lost its eastern half. This made Kashmir more important than ever: It became one of the most militarized places
on Earth, as India and Pakistan deployed planes, tanks, artillery, and soldiers along the Line
of Control. On the political front, in '87, India reportedly rigged an election, declaring a pro-India party as the
winner. Now this was a big turning point for many Kashmiris, who felt they were again denied the chance to vote. Thousands took to the streets in Indian-controlled Kashmir to protest the occupation. But India met the movement for independence with harsh resistance. Which quickly escalated to more violence. "In January security forces opened fire on demonstrating separatists, turning a two-year old struggling movement into a full-blown popular uprising." "More than 600 people have been killed in clashes between troops and separatists." Kashmiri militias, like the Jammu and Kashmir
Liberation Front, started recruiting Muslim youth to fight for independence. And increasingly attacked the Indian military. Pakistan saw an opportunity in this insurgency. They helped introduce a new kind of militant
group: Radical Islamic fighters who fought for a more pro-Pakistan Kashmir. By the mid '90s, these groups dominated the
insurgency. India responded with incredible military
force, deploying 500,000 troops to Kashmir. And they cracked down on militants and protestors. Unarmed civilians were killed and many
more were forced to flee the violence. And in '98 the stakes were raised yet again. "Today India conducted three underground nuclear tests." "Pakistan today successfully conducted five nuclear tests." Kashmir became a battleground between two
nuclear-armed nations and another war broke out in 1999. "More evidence of the attacks being launched on the Indian-controlled area of Kargil." "The past two days have seen some of the fiercest
fighting so far." "Militant Muslim fighters have also crossed over into some parts of Indian-ruled Kashmir." The 1999 war ended with another ceasefire, but that didn't stop either country. Over the years, Pakistan’s militant groups
got bolder and launched terror attacks in Kashmir and outside of Kashmir. In 2001, members of Lashkar-e-Taiba bombed
India’s parliament building in New Delhi killing 14 people. And in 2008, 10 militants from the same group killed 174 people and wounded 300 in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Indian military cracked down in Kashmir, firing bullets and pellets on unarmed protesters. Leaving hundreds wounded and blind. This is the vicious cycle of violence. The Indian Army’s crackdown drives some Kashmiris to join Pakistani-backed militant groups, who carry out violence against the
Indian forces. It’s a cycle that Kashmiri civilians are stuck in the middle of. Which brings us back to 2019. The suicide bomber was 19-year old Adil Ahmed
Dar from Pulwama, Kashmir. According to his parents, in 2016, Indian
police officers stopped him and humiliated him by forcing his face into the ground. The same year he was shot in the leg at a
protest. The next year, Dar left home with his brothers,
to join Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistani-supported militia that radicalized him and trained him
to be a suicide bomber. A year later, he drove explosives into an
Indian military convoy. For more than 70 years India and Pakistan
have driven a cycle of violence, retaliation, and exploitation in Kashmir. But beneath it all is the Kashmiri's wish to
make a choice. A wish that continues to be suppressed, again and again, by violence.
Were any important points missed apart from Article 370 ?
Also, did they not cover what POK peeps are saying ?
Kashmir Valley is a conflict zone - not Ladakh - not Jammu.
This is not at all conveyed.
Kashmir Valley has 10 districts.
3/10 districts - Baramulla / Kupwara / Budgam - share LoC and maximum bloodshed occurs here.
I hope we all can find peaceful solution agreeable to all parties in Kashmir issue.
One of the main things I wished they had at least mention is that there are other regions in the disputed state other than Kashmir. It seems Jammu and Ladakh don’t matter just because they are relatively in peace.
A decent video but missed a few points:
Some Kashmiri minorities (pandits) were (through violence) banished from the region by separatists.
The video gives an impression that India has conducted only one rigged election in the region. This is not the case, People vote and choose their MP etc. regularly like every other part of India.
Article 370. India prevents non-Kashmiri Indians to bring a demographic change in Kashmir.
The video, interviews cover only one side of the people, the muslims in the valley. The hindus and buddhists are not covered.
The video completely omits the Gilgit-Baltistan and other regions of Kashmir.
They missed out on the Kashmiri Pandit exodus.
I dont understand why every news channel does not give any light Kashmiri Pandits exodus and Gilgit -Baltistan.Also I hate when Kashmiris with stones in there hands are called 'unarmed'.When they throw a stone there intention is to kill someone,while pellet guns are used to just to prevent them for doing that.Both do equal harm but its never reflected in these videos
They also forgot about Gilgit Baltistan, This Shia -Ismaili dominated region doesn't identify with Kashmiris and want to be integrated with Pakistan as a separate entity. In fact the people there , never liked Dogra occupation in to their lands and never identified themselves as Kashmiris, culturally they are more similar to Ladakh than kashmiris. Some of the districts were leased to British and the rest had internal autonomy under the maharaja of Kashmir.
Pakistan however hasn't been so kind to them and their wishes. Because of Muslim population there they added them back to J&K hoping it would win them plebiscite
E1: Many in this region claim they have separated themselves from Kashmir before accession of Kashmir to India, and any resolution of Kashmir issue should exclude G&B. But Pakistan is not in favor of this stance
I'll probably get downvoted for saying this but indian forces clamping down on Kashmiris who felt cheated after elections in 1987 with such violence was a fucked up human rights abuse and shouldn't have happened.
Vox is known for good video production, but not complete investigations of the topics.