Question

With reference to India’s foreign policy, discuss the following:

The Kashmir problem and the outbreak of the Indo-Pak war of 1948-49.

Answer 1

Kashmir problem and Indo-Pak war of 1947-48:

1. The major issue of Jammu and Kashmir is that India claims the state based on the Instrument of Accession signed in 1947, while Pakistan claims it because the majority of the population is Muslim.
2. In October 1947, Pashtun tribal militia from Pakistan crossed into Jammu and Kashmir and, along with local fighters, advanced towards Srinagar.
3. Maharaja Hari Singh appealed to India for help, and as a result, he signed the Instrument of Accession, joining Kashmir to India.
4. After this agreement, Indian troops were flown to Srinagar. The British commander-in-chief refused Pakistan’s request to take part in the conflict, stating that Kashmir had legally acceded to India.
5. Even then, the Pakistani army entered the war, and a dividing frontline was formed between India and Pakistan, which came to be known as the actual Line of Control.
6. India claimed victory because it succeeded in protecting about two-thirds of Kashmir, including the Kashmir Valley, Jammu, and Ladakh. The ceasefire agreement came into force on 1st January 1949.