Since the partition of India in 1947, Kashmir, with a predominantly Muslim population, has been the site of militant unrest and a cause for war with Pakistan. Despite numerous UN proclamations calling for a plebiscite, the Kashmiri people have never been given a direct opportunity to voice their preference on the question of accession, and many within the state claim the central government of India has retreated from its original support for autonomy and democracy. The only up-to-date human rights reporting available on this conflicted region, Human Rights in India examines the past year of civil war and abuses committed by both sides. Government security forces have massacred large numbers of unarmed civilians, conducted warrantless house-to-house searches, seized youths, beat protestors, and destroyed whole neighborhoods. The militants have flagrantly violated international rules of war by summarily executing numerous civil servants and suspected government informers, throwing explosive devices at buses and government buildings, sowing terror through death threats and assassinating members of the minority Hindu community and Muslims thought to be insufficiently supportive of the insurgency.
Kashmir Under Siege