Introduction
Since independence, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has been facing a lot of violence and unrest because of terrorism coming from across the border from Pakistan. Even though India and Pakistan have tried many times to bring peace through talks and agreements still the situation has not improved to the desired level. This is mainly because Pakistan continues to support terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and others, which carry out terrorist attacks and spread fear in the region.1 These groups are responsible for
many deadly incidents that have hurt innocent people and kept the region unstable. Despite India’s efforts to maintain peace and protect its people, the continued support for terrorism from across continues.
Pakistan’s interference in J&K started soon after independence when it sent armed raiders to wrest the state by force.2 Timely action by the Indian state, through employment of the Army, threw out the raiders beyond the present Line of Control (LoC), but that has not prevented Pakistan from continuing with its efforts to seize the state by force. 3Pakistan’s strategy of supporting terrorism and encouraging local youth in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to follow extreme ideas shows that it still wants to challenge India’s control over the region. By spreading fear and misleading young people, Pakistan tries to create unrest and weaken India’s authority in J&K. India’s main goal is to protect its land and ensure the safety of the people living in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). This paper delves into the history of the India-Pakistan fight over Jammu and Kashmir and how it still affects people today. It talks about how Pakistan’s support for cross-border terrorism has shaken up the peace in the region and made life harder for ordinary people. The paper also explores that how well has Indian government and army handled the problems in Jammu and Kashmir?
Historical Context
The conflict between India and Pakistan arose out of the 1947 Partition of British India, enshrined in the Indian Independence Act.4 The Partition established a Muslim-majority Pakistan and a Hindu-majority India and provided the diverse regions of Jammu and Kashmir the opportunity to choose which country to accede to which led to India-Pakistan war of 1947-48.5 This invasion led to a long period of conflict and suffering for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. What could have been a peaceful situation turned into a violent struggle, affecting the lives of many innocent people. Despite J&K having joined India as per constitutional provisions, Pakistan continues to create disturbances in the state.
India and Pakistan attempted to usher in a new era of bilateral relations with the 1972 Simla Agreement, which established the Line of Control (LOC), that split Kashmir into two administrative regions.6 However, in 1974, the conflict took on a new dimension with the introduction of nuclear weapons, raising the stakes of any confrontation.7 Shimla agreement was meant to ensure that any issues between the two countries would be settled through discussions bilaterally and not by violence. However, Pakistan has broken the terms of the agreement many times by supporting terrorism and creating trouble in Jammu and Kashmir. Instead of using its Army, it started supporting terrorist groups and encouraging cross-border terrorism to create trouble in Jammu and Kashmir. This kind of proxy war goes against the spirit of the Simla Agreement, which was signed in 1972 to promote peace and solve problems through mutual talks.
In 1999, tensions between India and Pakistan grew worse when Pakistan tried to send its soldiers and militants into the Kargil region, which is an important area along the Line of Control (LoC). Pakistan’s plan was to secretly take control of key positions in Kargil, but Indian soldiers bravely fought back and pushed them out. Pakistan’s actions once again showed that it was not interested in maintaining peace, while India stood strong to defend its land and people.
Pakistan’s Role in Cross Border Terrorism
Pakistan has been using terrorism as a tool to create trouble in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and weaken India’s control over the region. The proxy war has claimed 452308 lives between 1988 and 2019 in an estimated 448409 incidents of terrorist violence and of these casualties 1492110 (32.9 per cent) were civilians, 653011 (14.4 per cent) were security forces personnel, and 2377912 (52.5 per cent) terrorists. The ISI initially used the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) in spreading the terrorism.13 The JKLF, formed in 1965, was originally a Pakistan-based militant outfit committed to challenge India’s control over the State and this organization was used to bring militant youth of the State, train them and send them back to foment insurgency.14
This state of insurgency shows that Pakistan is not only affecting the region but also brain washing the youth of the J&K, by using cognitive tactics like spreading misinformation and false narratives. By neutralizing terror networks, India has sent a clear message that it will not tolerate any threats to its security. These efforts have helped make the region safer and protect innocent lives. Schools, hospitals, and businesses were affected, and the local people were not able to enjoy the benefits of progress. This has made areas near the LoC vulnerable to random shelling and forced people to move from these areas. Substantial segments of the Kashmiri Pundit community (which has been targeted by some of the terrorist groups for attacks and massacres) too have migrated from the Valley and are refugees in other parts of the State and in other States.15
India’s Response
Speaking at the Security Council on March 25, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, condemned Pakistan for attempting to “divert attention” from the core discussions on peacekeeping, he stated, “India is compelled to note that the delegate of Pakistan has yet again resorted to unwarranted remarks on the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Such repeated references neither validate their illegal claims nor justify their state- sponsored cross-border terrorism. Pakistan continues to illegally occupy the territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which it must vacate.”16 By this statement, India has exposed Pakistan’s double standards on international platform by highlighting how it talks about peace but continues to help terrorist
groups. India’s rightful claim over Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is based on the Instrument of Accession signed in 1947, where the Maharaja of Kashmir decided to join India. However, Pakistan’s control over a part of Kashmir, known as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), is illegal and not justified.
On 14 February 2019, Aadil Ahmad Dar rammed a car packed full of explosives into a convoy of the Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), killing 40 people in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-based terrorist organization, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) claimed responsibility.17 India retaliated by conducting an air strike that targeted terrorist training camps within Pakistani territory in Balakot, these were answered by Pakistani air strikes on Indian-administered Kashmir.18 This tragic event changed India’s approach to fighting terrorism. India’s decision to take stronger action by carrying out pre-emptive strikes to destroy terrorist camps before they could cause more harm was a clear message that India would not tolerate terrorism coming from across the border. India’s air strikes were a necessary step to protect the country from future terrorist attacks. Under international law, India’s decision to eliminate these threats was a clear example of acting in self-defense.
After the Pulwama attack, the Indian government moved to revoke Article 370 of the Indian constitution, removing the special status of Jammu and Kashmir as the abrogation of Article 370 removed Kashmir’s ability to determine its own property and settlement laws, forcing Kashmiris to abide by Indian property and
customary law.19 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bhartiya Janata Party had long opposed Article 370 and revoking it was in the party’s 2019 election manifesto.20 They argued it needed to be scrapped to integrate Kashmir and put it on the same footing as the rest of India and after returning to power with a massive mandate in the April-May 2019 general elections, the government lost no time in acting on its pledge.21 Article 370 had given J&K a different status, which often led to feelings of separation and made it easier for outside forces to spread terrorism and violence in the region. By removing Article 370, the government aimed to stop separatism, reduce terrorism from across the border and give the people of J&K the same opportunities as people in other parts of India. This step was taken to bring peace, development, and progress to the region, helping J&K become a stronger part of India. This change created new opportunities for private companies to invest in the region, leading to better infrastructure, more industries, and new jobs for the people. By making J&K fully a part of India, Pakistan’s separatist groups lost the reason to spread violence and confusion. This step also made it harder for outside forces to interfere in India’s matters and disturb peace in J&K.
Cross border terrorism does no good to any country as it breeds financial and political corruption which results in the form of a declining economy, paralyzed education system, burnt school buildings, broken down places of worship and mind-boggling looting in the system, and it seems to have become a socially accepted evil.22 Terrorism has only created a terrorized society losing its very existence due to the ongoing violence under the false pretexts of independence, merger with Pakistan and establishment of a so-called Islamic Caliphate.23
Conclusion
India has taken major initiatives in protecting Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and keeping the country safe from terrorism. Even though Pakistan continues to support terrorist groups and tries to create trouble in the region, India has taken strong steps to stop this. Actions like the Balakot air strikes and the removal of Article 370 have helped reduce violence and bring J&K closer to the rest of India.
With Article 370 gone, J&K now has more opportunities for growth, better governance, and a brighter future. However, to keep the peace, India needs to stay alert, continue developing the region. India’s success lies in protecting its borders while also winning the trust and hearts of the people of J&K.
DISCLAIMER
The paper is author’s individual scholastic articulation and does not necessarily reflect the views of CENJOWS. The author certifies that the article is original in content, unpublished and it has not been submitted for publication/ web upload elsewhere and that the facts and figures quoted are duly referenced, as needed and are believed to be correct.
Endnotes
1. Datta, Saptak. “Top Jem Commander among 5 Terrorists Killed in J&K.”NewsBytes, January 30, 2022. https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/india/security-forces-eliminate-5-
terrorists-in-j-k/story.
2. Indian army. Accessed March 26, 2025. https://indianarmy.nic.in/WriteReadData/Documents/combattingcrossborder.pdf.
3. Ibid
4. “Conflict between India and Pakistan | Global Conflict Tracker.” Council on Foreign Relations. Accessed March 26, 2025. https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/conflict-between-india-and-pakistan.
5. Ibid
6. Ibid
7. Ibid
8. “Fatalities in Terrorist Violence 1988 – 2019.” Annual Fatalities in violence by terrorist. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/states/jandk/data_sheets/annual_casualties.htm.
9. “Yearly Fatalities.” datasheet-terrorist-attack-fatalities. Accessed April 7, 2025. https://www.satp.org/datasheet-terrorist-attack/fatalities/india.
10. Ibid 8
11. Ibid 8
12. Ibid 8
13. Ibid 8
14. Ibid 8
15. Ibid 8
16. “India Rejects Pakistan’s Remarks on Jammu and Kashmir at UN, Calls for Peacekeeping Reforms.” The Economic Times. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/india-rejects-pakistans-remarks-on-jammu-and-kashmir-at-un-calls-for-peacekeeping-reforms/articleshow/119449671.cms.
17. Sharma, Dr Ashok, Dr Flavia Bellieni Zimmermann, Dr Anne-Marie Schleich, and Peter Mayer and Dr Priya Chacko. “Australian Outlook.” Pulwama Terror Attack: India’s Response Escalates – Australian Institute of International Affairs, February 27, 2019. https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/australianoutlook/pulwama-terror-india-escalates/.
18. Ibid 4
19. Ibid 4
20 “Article 370: What Happened with Kashmir and Why It Matters.” BBC News, August 5, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-49234708.
21. Ibid
22. “Impact of Terrorism on Jammu & Kashmir’s Ecology and Economy.” EFSAS. Accessed March 27, 2025. https://www.efsas.org/publications/study-papers/economy-and-ecology/.
23. Ibid
Ms. Sharmistha Pratap
Ms. Sharmistha Pratap is a research intern at CENJOWS, New Delhi
