Six years ago, India established full state control over Jammu and Kashmir by abrogating Article 370 of its constitution. Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has now stated that New Delhi’s next target is to gain control over Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
In an interview with Chatham House, a British think tank on international relations, Jaishankar discussed the Kashmir issue. He said, “We are progressing step by step on this issue, and I believe we have already managed a significant part of it. In the first phase, we abrogated Article 370 of the constitution. In the second phase, we focused on boosting development, economic activities, and establishing social justice in Jammu and Kashmir. The third phase involved conducting legislative elections, which saw a large voter turnout.”
He added, “Now we are approaching the fourth phase. Our goal in this phase is to reclaim the stolen part of Jammu and Kashmir. More specifically, to integrate the part of Jammu and Kashmir that Pakistan has illegally occupied into India’s map. I guarantee you, if we successfully achieve this goal, there will no longer be any crisis called the Kashmir issue. This is the ultimate solution to this crisis.”
The Kashmir conflict began in 1947 when India and Pakistan gained independence from British colonial rule. At the time, the British authorities asked Hari Singh, the last ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, to decide whether the region would join India or Pakistan. Initially, he wanted Jammu and Kashmir to remain an independent state.
However, after Pakistan launched an offensive and advanced close to Srinagar, Hari Singh signed an agreement to integrate Jammu and Kashmir into India. Following his signature, the Indian Army launched a counter-offensive, forcing Pakistani forces to retreat. Since then, India has controlled 43% of Jammu and Kashmir, while Pakistan holds 37%, and China controls the remaining 20%, known as the Siachen region.
In 2019, the Indian Parliament revoked Article 370 through a voice vote, ending Jammu and Kashmir’s special autonomous status.