Line of Control
The Line of Control (LoC) is a 450-mile (724 km) military border that separates India and Pakistan in the disputed region of Kashmir. This line was established following the partition of British India in 1947, which created two independent nations amid significant communal tensions. Kashmir's strategic importance has made the LoC a focal point of conflict, leading to three wars between the two countries and numerous skirmishes over the decades. The region is heavily militarized, with both nations maintaining a substantial military presence along the line, which includes defensive structures such as barbed wire.
Despite the ongoing violence, leaders from both countries have sometimes engaged in dialogue, suggesting potential pathways toward peace. For instance, in 2018, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire at the LoC. However, the threat of future conflict remains, particularly after incidents like the 2016 attack on an Indian army base, which heightened tensions and led to cross-border retaliation. The LoC is not recognized as an official international border, yet it functions as one amidst the complexities of the Indo-Pakistani relationship, influencing both regional stability and international security concerns, particularly given both countries' nuclear capabilities.
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Line of Control
The Line of Control is a 450 mile (724 kilometer) region that marks the military border between India and Pakistan in the disputed state of Kashmir. The two nations were once colonized by the British, but were partitioned in 1947 once India declared its independence. Since then, both nations have laid claim to the region of Kashmir, a mountainous area to the northwest of India. The Line of Control passes through Kashmir, leading to numerous outbreaks of violence between the two nations along the line. Both nations have heavily fortified the region and routinely keep large numbers of soldiers stationed in the area.
War between India and Pakistan has broken out three times, with numerous skirmishes occurring across the Line of Control. In 1998, both nations publicly tested nuclear weapons, raising the stakes for future conflicts. Skirmishes continued to occur throughout the 2010s, with both sides launching conventional weapons across the line. In 2017 alone, more than three hundred casualties were recorded near the border. However, the nations’ leaders stopped the conflict from developing into full-scale war. In May 2018, both nations agreed to a ceasefire.
Background
The history of the Line of Control is tied to the history of India and Pakistan. During much of the nineteenth century, India was a colony of Great Britain. However, by the twentieth century, many Indian citizens had come to resent British rule and wanted to form an independent, self-governing nation. However, the Indian colonies were particularly profitable, and Britain was not immediately willing to relinquish control over such valuable resources.
In the early twentieth century, one charismatic leader, Mahatma Gandhi, began to garner international attention. Gandhi preached against colonialism and organized numerous non-violent protests against the British government. Even when the British responded to the protests with violence, Gandhi urged his followers to avoid fighting back. As anti-British sentiment continued to grow throughout India during World War II (1939–1945), many influential figures in the British government worried that the colony might appeal to Germany or Japan for aid.
In addition to conflict between the British and the Indian nationals, tensions between Indian Hindus and Muslims had grown within the colony. Many Indians believed that once independence was achieved, that the nation should remain whole. However, many of the Muslims within the country believed that they deserved their own homeland, and that it should be granted from the land controlled by the British. They organized into the Muslim League, a powerful political organization.
In 1947, two years after the end of World War II, the Indian National Congress declared its independence. In accordance with the demands of the Muslim League, the Indian National Congress also voted to partition the former colony into two separate nations: India and Pakistan. India would be comprised of much of the Hindu majority of the original British colony, while Pakistan would serve as a separate homeland for Muslims.
A period of significant religious strife between the Hindus and Muslims followed. The two nations have gone to war three times—from 1947 to 1949, in 1965, and in 1971. The nations have also engaged in violent skirmishes on numerous occasions. Many of these conflicts have evolved from disputes over control of Kashmir, a region to which both nations lay claim.
Overview
India and Pakistan are divided by a 2,065 mile (3,323 kilometer) border with a 450-mile long section running through Kashmir demarcated as the Line of Control. The line was originally intended to serve as a strong border between the two nations. However, the violent tension between the states has turned the line into a significantly more complex region.
The Line of Control passes through the contested regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Because both India and Pakistan lay claim to Kashmir, the line has become an important strategic piece in the conflict between the two nations. It is heavily militarized, with both Indian and Pakistani soldiers constantly stationed at the border. The line is also marked by large stretches of barbed wire and other fortifications. Though the area is not an internationally recognized border, it has become a functional border between the two nations.
Throughout the early history of India and Pakistan, India held a significant militaristic advantage over its neighbor. However, as time grew, Pakistan closed the gap. In 1998, the two governments each publicly tested nuclear weapons, proving to the world and each other that they possessed weapons of mass destruction. For this reason, tensions and skirmishes along the Line of Control are considered a matter of global importance. The international community is concerned that another war between the two powers could escalate into nuclear confrontation.
In recent years, positive relations between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hinted at potential peace negotiations between the two nations. In 2015, Modi visited Sharif in his home country, marking the first time in more than a decade that an Indian head of state had visited Pakistan.
However, Pakistani militant groups attacked an Indian Army base near the line in 2016. Eighteen Indian soldiers were killed in the attack. Indian officials blamed Pakistani intelligence agencies for the attacks. They retaliated, announcing that they had crossed the Line of Control to attack terrorist training camps within Pakistan.
Over the course of the next year, the two sides continued to clash, each launching attacks across the line. More than three hundred people, including numerous civilians, were killed in clashes during 2017. In May 2018, India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire along the line.
Bibliography
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