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Indo-Pakistani wars and conflicts

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Since the Partition of India in August 1947, which resulted in the creation of the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, there have been three major wars, one minor war and numerous armed skirmishes between the two countries. In each case, except the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, where the dispute concerned East Pakistan, the casus belli was the disputed Kashmir region.

The Wars in chronological order

  • Indo-Pakistani War of 1947: Also called the First Kashmir War. The war started in October 1947 when the Maharajah of the princely state of Kashmir and Jammu had failed to accede to either of the newly independant states of Pakistan or India. Armed forces, including Pashtun tribals from North Western Frontier Province of Pakistan attacked and occupied approximately one-third of the princely state, causing the Maharajah to seek the armed support of India. After the Maharajah agreed to the accession of the princely state to India (the validity of which, India and Pakistan continue to dispute), India airlifted troops to Srinagar and engaged in a series of military encounters with opposing forces. The war ended in December 1948 with the Line of Control dividing the erstwhile princely state into territories administered by Pakistan (northern and western areas) and India (southern, central and northeastern areas).
  • Indo-Pakistani War of 1965: Also called The Second Kashmir War, started following the failure of Pakistan's Operation Gibraltar, which was designed to infiltrate forces into Jammu and Kashmir to precipitate an insurgency against rule by India. The five-week war caused thousands of casualties on both sides. It ended in a United Nations (UN) mandated ceasefire and the subsequent issuance of the Tashkent Declaration.
  • Indo-Pakistani War of 1971: The war is closely associated with the Bangladesh Liberation War. Bengali - majority East Pakistan wanted to break away from Pakistan and demanded independence. Due to the large-scale atrocities committed by the Pakistan army, millions of Bengali refugees poured over into India. India, along with Mukti Bahini, defeated Pakistan and the Pakistani forces surrendered on the eastern front. The war resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.
  • Indo-Pakistani War of 1999: Also known as Kargil War. Pakistani troops along with Kashmiri insurgents occupied Indian army posts across the Line of Control (LoC) and began shelling Indian positions. The Indian Army forced Pakistani units back across the LoC.

Origins of conflict

The root of most conflicts and the mutual antipathy lies in the Hindu-Muslim divide that led to the partition of India in 1947 and the creation of Pakistan. The partition was an ill-conceived idea, since many Muslim majority areas remained within India and could not possibly be united into a common geographic area. The political leaders of the newly created state of Pakistan nursed a hatred for India and propagated their feelings among their masses. In fact, in Pakistani schools, their history books begin with the independence of Pakistan and ignore the past history of the Indian subcontinent of which they are a part. Dispute over the mountainous region of Kashmir and in the manner in which its political alignment was decided by the two countries following partition in 1947. Kashmir was ruled by Maharaja Hari Singh, a Hindu, but following an invasion by Pakistani tribals he ceded his territory to India, though Pakistan argues that he did so under duress. This resulted in the breaking out of the First Kashmir War between Indian and Pakistani troops which lasted until 1948, when India moved the issue to the UN Security Council. The UN Security Council passed Resolution 47 on April 21, 1948. The resolution stated "that the final disposition of the State of Jammu and Kashmir will be made in accordance with the will of the people expressed through the democratic method of a free and impartial plebiscite conducted under the auspices of the United Nations". The cease fire took place on December 31, 1948.

The Second Kashmir War began with Pakistan infiltrating into and starting a rebellion in Jammu and Kashmir. (See Operation Gibraltar) The plan was a non-starter and India retaliated by launching an attack on Pakistan thus igniting the war.

The third war was unique in that it did not involve the issue of Kashmir, but was rather precipitated by the crisis brewing in East Pakistan. After months of internal conflict, India decided to help the Bengalis in East Pakistan - much to the consternation of West Pakistan. Within just a fortnight the Indian Military had defeated Pakistan with the aid of the rebels and forced Pakistan to surrender. This war, despite lasting only a fortnight, saw the highest number of casualties in any of the India-Pakistan conflicts, as well as the largest number of Prisoners of War since the Second World War after the surrender of nearly 100,000 Pakistani troops and civilians. It is believed that 1,000,000-3,000,000 Bangladeshis were killed as a result of this war.

The latest war, the Kargil War, is considered a minor war because fighting was limited to a single front in Kashmir; though it produced stirring emotions between the two nations involved, coming at a time of increased media and electronic coverage. This was the first ground war between any two nations after they had developed nuclear weapons.

Other conflicts

Apart from the aforementioned wars, there have been skirmishes between the two nations from time to time. Some have bordered on all-out war, while others were limited in scope. The countries were expected to fight each other in 1955 after warlike posturing on both sides, but full-scale war did not break out. In 1984 there was a flashpoint as both nations attempted to control the Siachen Glacier. Further clashes erupted in the glacial area in 1985, 1987 and 1995 as Pakistan sought without success to oust India from their stronghold.

Between November 1986 and March 1987, India conducted Operation Brasstacks. This military exercise - the largest of its kind in South Asia - raised eyebrows in Pakistan and it was feared that it would lead to another war between the two neighbours. Tensions were high again in 1990 after militancy in Indian-administered Kashmir greatly increased. A terrorist attack on the Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001, blamed by India on the Pakistan-based terrorist organizations Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, prompted the 2001-2002 India-Pakistan standoff and brought both sides close to war.

Until the ceasefire the LOC was also spectator to daily artillery exchange between Indian and Pakistani armies.

See also

Dramatization

Films
Dramas
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