CHAPTER 6 Armed Conflict and Political Parties: Jammu & Kashmir KAVITA SURI INTRODUCITON Jammu & Kashmir, a former Princely State of India, is a Muslim- majority state located in the northern-most part of the country close to the border with Pakistan and China. Since the time of the Parti- tion of the Indian subcontinent, this mountain state is a divided land between India and Pakistan. It consists of five regions—Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh, Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Out of these five regions, the regions of Jammu, Ladakh and Kash- mir Valley are with India while two regions of Pakistan-occupied- Kashmir (known as Azad Kashmir in Pakistan) and Gilgit-Baltistan (also referred to as Northern Areas or Northern Territories) are with Pakistan. Pakistan has also given some parts of it to China. The geographical area of the region of Kashmir Valley is spread over 15,948 sq. km, Jammu over 26,293 sq. km and Ladakh over 59,146 sq. km. PoK or Azad Kashmir’s area is 13,297 sq. km and Northern Territories are spread over 64,817 sq. km under Pakistani control; Aksai Chin, Demochok (37,555 sq. km) and Shaksgam (5,180 sq. km) under Chinese control, at present. Since 1947, Jammu & Kashmir has been caught in a conflict between India and Pakistan and an armed conflict is raging in the region since 1989. The root of the Kashmir conflict lies in the fact that at the time of the partition of the country in 1947, all the Princely States of India were given the choice to go with India or Pakistan. The ruler of Jammu & Kashmir Maharaja Hari Singh