Kashmir Quotes
The treaty was actually written in Persian—a “neutral language.” However, what it illustrates is that very complex treaties could be very short. This is half the treaty. The first sentence introduces the representatives of the parties. The last sentence agrees to keep the roads and trade open. That was it. It ended many years of fighting for control of Laddakh. The Tibetans wrote a report describing the negotiations and have always maintained that these verbal side agreements were also binding. Even today diplomats make side agreements that are too hot to be put in the main treaty, albeit no treaty in modern times has been as short.
India and Pakistan had separated and each wanted Kashmir to affiliate with them. Caught between the two countries, with a both Hindu and Muslim population, Kashmir tried to steer a neutral course and remain independent. Muslim irregular troops in small bands infiltrated into Kashmir started a campaign of terror—rape, pillaging, burning and looting. Kashmir was falling apart under the pressure. To survive, the Kashmiri Maharaja asked for help from India with accession being the price. India beat back the Muslim terrorists and, India and Pakistan have been fighting against each other over Kashmir ever since. See {618270} for the response which dictated the history of Kashmir for the next 60 years.
He, and ,any others tried, but the Muslim’s insisted on their own Islamic state. All of India was partitioned creating Pakistan and Bangladesh as tens of millions of people were killed in religious strife. Kashmir was to make it’s own decision. Pakistan and India have been at odds over Kashmir.
