Kashmir: Paradise on Earth or a Nuclear Flashpoint
Kashmir: Paradise on Earth or a Nuclear Flashpoint
By Laura Schuurmans
After the partition of India under the British Empire in 1947, Pakistan and India became two independent nations. The treaty of partition was based on the ‘Two Nation Theory’ which clearly stated that all parts of India with a Muslim majority would become part of Pakistan and those with a Hindu majority would become part of Hindustan, today’s India. The majority Muslim population of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir was ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh who instead of joining Pakistan signed a controversial treaty of accession with India. Consequently war between India and Pakistan broke out in October 1947. More than sixty years later the Kashmir dispute has further endangered regional peace and security. If no immediate action is taken to move towards a settlement of the Kashmir dispute, the conflict may ultimately have dire repercussions for international peace.
