Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi communists all called for restraint following clashes over Kashmir that, once again, took India and Pakistan to the brink of all-out war. The latest round of fighting was triggered by the sectarian killing of Hindu tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir. The Indian government blame the Kashmiri Resistance Front, which they say is a front for Pakistani intelligence. The Resistance Front vehemently denies any involvement in the deadly attack. They say it was an Indian “false-flag” provocation designed to provide a pretext for more Indian aggression and they’re calling for an independent investigation into the massacre.
Pakistan called for an independent investigation into the massacre which was rejected by the Indians who instead launched coordinated airstrikes and artillery attacks on what they called the “terrorist infrastructure” across the cease-fire line that has divided Kashmir since 1949. Pakistan responded by downing five Indian war-planes and a surveillance drone. Fortunately both nuclear powers have pulled back from further action that could have spelt disaster for millions of people in Pakistan and India. But a cease-fire isn’t going to end the Kashmir crisis that has led to four all-out wars with Pakistan since independence.
The crisis goes back to the shambles of the partition of the British Raj in 1947. Faced with the overwhelming demand of the Indian masses for independence after the Second World War Britain had no choice but to bring down the curtain on direct colonial rule and that of the feudal Indian kings who ruled the “princely states” of the Indian Empire.
But the British ruling class believed that sectarian divisions would preserve their interests after independence. Millions upon millions died in communal rioting, partition, the establishment of the supposedly secular Indian Union and the Muslim state of Pakistan (which then included Bangladesh) and the first Indo-Pakistan war that followed.
Kashmir's decision to join the Indian Union was made by their feudal prince without consultation with the people – a fact recognised by one of the first decisions of the United Nations, which agreed on a referendum to allow the population to vote on whether they wanted to join India, Pakistan or establish their own independent state.
India is led by a reactionary high-caste party that relies on the support of anti-Muslim Hindu movements to keep them in office. The decision of the Modi government to abolish the Indian-Kashmiris right to their own constitution and parliament fulfils the long-term objective of the Hindu supremacists who want to end all pretence of secularism in the Republic of India.
A cease-fire line divides Kashmir – one-third under Pakistani control while India administers the rest. The vast majority of the population are Muslims with close ties to Pakistan. There can be no doubt that any popular vote would lead either to union with Pakistan or independence. The Indians have never accepted this and now they think Pakistan is too weak to stop them annexing Eastern Kashmir outright.
Pakistan and India are both nuclear powers and another full-scale war could easily escalate into a nuclear exchange that would leave millions dead. We must support all efforts to ensure that this does not happen.
But the key demand must be the end of partition. We must uphold the original UN resolution and support the just demand for a referendum to let the Kashmiri people decide if they want to be part of India, Pakistan, or in an independent state of Kashmir.
Pakistan called for an independent investigation into the massacre which was rejected by the Indians who instead launched coordinated airstrikes and artillery attacks on what they called the “terrorist infrastructure” across the cease-fire line that has divided Kashmir since 1949. Pakistan responded by downing five Indian war-planes and a surveillance drone. Fortunately both nuclear powers have pulled back from further action that could have spelt disaster for millions of people in Pakistan and India. But a cease-fire isn’t going to end the Kashmir crisis that has led to four all-out wars with Pakistan since independence.
The crisis goes back to the shambles of the partition of the British Raj in 1947. Faced with the overwhelming demand of the Indian masses for independence after the Second World War Britain had no choice but to bring down the curtain on direct colonial rule and that of the feudal Indian kings who ruled the “princely states” of the Indian Empire.
But the British ruling class believed that sectarian divisions would preserve their interests after independence. Millions upon millions died in communal rioting, partition, the establishment of the supposedly secular Indian Union and the Muslim state of Pakistan (which then included Bangladesh) and the first Indo-Pakistan war that followed.
Kashmir's decision to join the Indian Union was made by their feudal prince without consultation with the people – a fact recognised by one of the first decisions of the United Nations, which agreed on a referendum to allow the population to vote on whether they wanted to join India, Pakistan or establish their own independent state.
India is led by a reactionary high-caste party that relies on the support of anti-Muslim Hindu movements to keep them in office. The decision of the Modi government to abolish the Indian-Kashmiris right to their own constitution and parliament fulfils the long-term objective of the Hindu supremacists who want to end all pretence of secularism in the Republic of India.
A cease-fire line divides Kashmir – one-third under Pakistani control while India administers the rest. The vast majority of the population are Muslims with close ties to Pakistan. There can be no doubt that any popular vote would lead either to union with Pakistan or independence. The Indians have never accepted this and now they think Pakistan is too weak to stop them annexing Eastern Kashmir outright.
Pakistan and India are both nuclear powers and another full-scale war could easily escalate into a nuclear exchange that would leave millions dead. We must support all efforts to ensure that this does not happen.
But the key demand must be the end of partition. We must uphold the original UN resolution and support the just demand for a referendum to let the Kashmiri people decide if they want to be part of India, Pakistan, or in an independent state of Kashmir.
