Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
The insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, also known as the Kashmir insurgency, is an ongoing separatist militant insurgency against the Indian administration in Jammu and Kashmir,[14][36] a territory constituting the southwestern portion of the larger geographical region of Kashmir, which has been the subject of a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947.[37][38]
This article is about the localized insurgency in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. For the conflict between India and Pakistan over the larger region of Kashmir, see Kashmir conflict.Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir, long a breeding ground of separatist ambitions,[39] has experienced the insurgency since 1989.[40][36] Although the failure of Indian governance and democracy lay at the root of the initial disaffection, Pakistan played an important role in converting the latter into a fully-developed armed insurgency.[14][15] Some insurgent groups in Kashmir support complete independence, whereas others seek the region's accession to Pakistan.[41][15]
More explicitly, the roots of the insurgency are tied to a dispute over local autonomy.[42] Democratic development was limited in Kashmir until the late 1970s, and by 1988, many of the democratic reforms provided by the Indian government had been reversed and non-violent channels for expressing discontent were limited, which caused a dramatic increase in support for insurgents advocating violent secession from India.[42] In 1987, a disputed election[43] held in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir created a catalyst for the insurgency when it resulted in some of the state's legislative assembly members forming armed insurgent groups.[44][45][46] In July 1988, a series of demonstrations, strikes, and attacks on the Indian government effectively marked the beginning of the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, which escalated into the most severe security issue in India during the 1990s.
Pakistan, with whom India has fought three major wars over the Muslim-majority region, has officially claimed to be giving only its "moral and diplomatic" support to the separatist movement.[47] The Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence has been accused by both India and the international community of supporting and supplying arms as well as providing training to "mujahideen" militants[48][49] in Jammu and Kashmir.[50][49][51] In 2015, a former President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, admitted that the Pakistani state had supported and trained insurgent groups in Kashmir throughout the 1990s.[52] Several new militant groups with radical Islamist views emerged during this time and changed the ideological emphasis of the movement from that of plain separatism to Islamic fundamentalism. This occurred partly due to the influence of a large number of Muslim jihadist militants who began to enter the Indian-administered Kashmir Valley through Pakistani-controlled territory across the Line of Control following the end of the Soviet–Afghan War in the 1980s.[47] India has repeatedly called on Pakistan to end its alleged "cross-border terrorism" in the region.[47]
The conflict between militants and Indian security forces in Kashmir has led to a large number of casualties;[53] many civilians have also died as a result of being targeted by various armed militant groups.[54] According to government data, around 41,000 people—consisting of 14,000 civilians, 5,000 security personnel and 22,000 militants—have died because of the insurgency as of March 2017, with most deaths happening in the 1990s and early 2000s.[55] Non-governmental organisations have claimed a higher death toll. The insurgency has also forced the large-scale migration of non-Muslim minority Kashmiri Hindus out of the Kashmir Valley.[56] Since the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019, the Indian military has intensified its counter-insurgency operations in the region.
Tactics
India
Over time the Indian government has increasingly relied on military presence to control the insurgency.[84] The military has allegedly committed human rights violations.[155] The government would often dissolve assemblies, arrest elected politicians and impose president's rule. The government also rigged elections in 1987.[46] In recent times there have been signs that the government is taking local elections more seriously.[156] The government has also funneled development aid to Kashmir and Kashmir has now become the biggest per capita receiver of Federal aid.[157]
Pakistan
The Pakistani central government originally supported, trained and armed the insurgency in Kashmir,[123][124][125][126][158] sometimes known as "ultras" (extremists),[159][160] however after groups linked to the Kashmiri insurgency twice attempted to assassinate president Pervez Musharraf, Musharraf decided to end support for such groups.[65] His successor, Asif Ali Zardari has continued the policy, calling insurgents in Kashmir "terrorists".[79]
But the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence hasn't followed the lead of the government and has continued its support for insurgent groups in Kashmir[79][80][81] In 2008, 541 people died due to insurgency, The Economist called it the lowest in two decades. The report cited a reduction in the support for militants by Pakistan and war fatigue among the Kashmiris as the reasons for the reduction in casualty figures.[84]
Groups
The different insurgent groups have different aims in Kashmir. Some want complete independence from both India and Pakistan, others want unification with Pakistan and still others just want greater autonomy from the Indian government.[162]
A 2010 survey found that 43% of the people in J&K and 44% of the people in AJK would favour complete independence from both India and Pakistan, with support for the independence movement unevenly distributed across the region.[163][164]