ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the people of Kashmir hardly took note of the Sylhet plebiscite. It also argues that by approaching the events in Kashmir in the initial years of the dispute as a Muslim and Hindu issue, a serious error of judgement had occurred. The chapter shows that the decision to trust Sheikh Abdullah with the important responsibility was the first big mistake that the government of India made. It suggests that from the moment that Abdullah was brought to centre stage the crisis in Kashmir began to take on added complications and issues. The invaders had marched into Kashmir with the impression and the confidence that the local population would come out in their support. The issue of the ‘plebiscite’ has been a major part of the narrative on Kashmir. Most observers and commentators who travelled through the region have noted that the mass of Kashmiri population was generally happy with the merger of the state with India.
