The history of Kashmir is full of controversies and conflicts. Since the independence and partition of India in 1947, this region has been the center of constant political upheaval. The story of Kashmir revolves around its rulers, political leaders and the elections held there. Especially the politics between Maharaja Hari Singh to Sheikh Abdullah has played an important role in the history of Kashmir. Let us know how Kashmir merged with India after independence and in which direction the politics of Kashmir took a turn after this.
How did Kashmir merge with India?: When India was partitioned in 1947, Kashmir was an independent princely state. The then ruler of Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, did not decide to merge with either India or Pakistan. He expressed his desire to maintain Kashmir as an independent state. But during this time, Pakistan-backed tribesmen infiltrated Kashmir. To deal with this attack, Maharaja Hari Singh sought help from India. Then the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel laid down the condition that Kashmir would have to merge with India, only then the Indian Army would help them.
On 29 October 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the treaty of merging Kashmir with India. After this, the Indian Army fought the Pakistan-backed terrorists and a large part of Kashmir remained safe, while some part was captured by Pakistan, which is today called Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.
Political rise of Sheikh Abdullah: After the merger of Kashmir with India, Sheikh Abdullah, a prominent Kashmiri leader, rose to prominence in politics. Sheikh Abdullah gained immense support among the people of Kashmir and emerged as the leader of Kashmir. His party, the National Conference, maintained its hold on Kashmir politics for a long time. Sheikh Abdullah demanded special status for Kashmir, which was later recognized as Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. Under this article, Kashmir got special autonomy and rights, which was recently removed in 2019.
Elections and political situation in Kashmir: Assembly and Lok Sabha elections have been held in Kashmir from time to time. National Conference, People's Democratic Party (PDP) and other political parties participated in these elections. Sheikh Abdullah's party National Conference maintained its hold on Kashmir's politics by remaining in power for a long time.
In the elections held in Kashmir, votes are cast on national issues as well as local issues. Apart from Lok Sabha elections, Panchayat elections are also held in Kashmir, in which people of rural areas select local representatives.
The turmoil in Kashmir politics has also been no less. After the elections held in 1987, a period of instability began in Kashmir, which fueled terrorism and separatist movements. The electoral process remained stalled for many years due to the increasing influence of terrorism in the 1990s, but later the democratic process gradually resumed. The merger of Kashmir with India and its subsequent politics have been quite complex. The leadership from Maharaja Hari Singh to Sheikh Abdullah played an important role in shaping Kashmir. The special status given to Kashmir under Article 370 and the electoral process there have influenced the politics of Kashmir. Over time, there have been changes in the politics of Kashmir and today the region is facing a new political and social scenario.
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