ABSTRACT

Indian politicians across the ideological spectrum, diplomats and envoys travelling to the Islamic capitals abroad, government spokesmen, journalists and scholars alike have warned of serious consequeces for Indian Muslims should Kashmir secede either peacefully or as a result of war. As the dispute with Pakistan was fresh, none of the Indian Muslim organizations extended their sphere of activity to the Valley, nor did the Kashmiri Muslim leadership seek a wider national role. From the inception of the conflict to about 1950, Indian claim on Jammu and Kashmir rested on the legality of the Maharaja's accession to India and the facts of tribal invasion, with no reference to the impact of the dispute on Hindu-Muslim relations in the country. The 1971 Indo-Pakistani War over Bangladesh, both exposed Pakistan's military weakness as well as shattered Pakistan's image as a haven for Indian Muslims.