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In 1947, the Indians fought off the British and won their independence. This movement was unprecedented for the history of India and for the history of the subcontinent. From this movement, two great nations emerged, the Hindu nation of India and the Muslim nation of Pakistan. Muslims, being a different religious sect then the Indian majority, had asked for their independence after the British were defeated. They felt that they deserved this, especially after allying with the Hindu's
in their struggle for autonomy. As a newly emerged nation, India has started the democratic experiment in the area of Southeast Asia. The leaders in India felt that the country must stay unified at all costs.
This predicament closely resembled the situation in the United States of America in the 1850-1860's. The Southern States, feeling inferior since they had a different style of life, wanted their own independence. The remarkable President Abraham Lincoln felt that at all costs the country must stay unified, and at all costs in this particular case meant war. Similarly, the Indian government had the same intent. Unfortunately for the people of India, there was no war that could in one blow end this conflict, where after the people are at peace. At this point, the horrid epidemic of terrorism had swept through the country. The intense rivalry in India, between the majority (Hindu's) and largest minority (Muslims) had gone to the point of no return, for nearly 25 years of terrorist acts will persist, overtly and clandestinely killing many innocent.
"I could remember when I was 6 years old and was living on the 8th floor of my apartment building. I was not allowed to go to school, my mother feared
too much that I would never come home, and from my balcony I could see swords flying and gun shots screaming through the air. I didn't understand why this was so, and I still do not." This was said by an older man,
my neighbor's grandfather, who lived in India during this age of turmoil.
"Because I was Muslim, I was banned from my school, the same one my father attended, and my grandfather did as well. One night 2 men came to our house and beat my father, he couldn't do anything, he was helpless. I never could understand why. Well soon after we fled east, to the new developing Muslim country of Bangladesh." This was said by a Muslim boy, a hopeless victim of the terrorism.
After this "war", which consisted of bombs exploding, tanks rolling down the streets and open fire of automatic weapons in sacred temples, negotiations began, and Pakistan was created (1971). Still yet, this was not the end of the situation. The Muslims, feeling overconfident of two successful liberation movements in a 25 year time span went looking for more. The land lying between India and Pakistan, called Kashmire, was liberated with India. It has a predominate Hindu population, yet its last king was Muslim. This area is rich in the expensive and luxurious fabric, cashmere. The last king of the decant ruling family had died in the same year that India got its independence on, and hence Kashmire's liberation was included in the liberation of the subcontinent. It was quickly established as a territory of India, since there was no present nation of Pakistan. With the creation of Pakistan, the Muslims started fighting for this land, and again the threat of terrorism permeated the air once more.
The fighting had been suppressed by the emergence of China as a powerful Southeastern Nation and by both Pakistan's and India's economic achievements. China and India had intense rivalry with the land known as Tibet and the Himalayan Mountain Range. There was only one major war that occurred, which China won. Consequently, in 1951 the Chinese Government gained control of Tibet. However this war had ignited Chinese/Indian relations and from it the friendship between China and Pakistan emerged (they each had a common foe, India).
"India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries, without ever having to send a single soldier across her border," said Hu Shih, former Ambassador of China to USA.
Bitter fighting started up again, when a Hindu group, in 1992 broke down the top of a Muslim Mosque and placed a statue of their God, Ram on top of it. The Muslims were infuriated by this act, and quickly destroyed 3 Hindu temples and in New Delhi, blew up a movie theater that had an occupancy of over 450 people. Moreover, they took 8 Hindu martyrs and burned them alive. Now fighting engulfed both nations, from tall buildings you could see swords swinging, hear gun-shots and the cries of dying persons. At this time, Hindu-Muslim marriages were shunned with the greatest disrespect, if they were undertaken, the family immediately joined the outcasts in the Indian Caste System.
The tensions called for a global response, when in 1998 both countries tested for nuclear weapons. The Indians' tested and created the nuclear warhead, whereas Pakistan is said to have received this information from its close Southeast Asian brothers, China. Unfortunately, not until late October, neither country signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Act. To make matters worse for India, pressure was also placed on them from China alongside Pakistan.
Currently, with active peace keeping troops from the United Nations and pressures from world powers, as well as profound negotiations, the crisis has died down, and hopefully in the near future there may be peace in this hostile area.
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