The majority of residents living in Kashmir are Muslim thus linking their identity to Muslim majority Pakistan more so than to the government of India which is Hindu. The Indian Government and the majority Hindu city of Jammu reject this fact and want to allow more Hindu people to settle in the valley and have greater power eg in land ownership. This in turn leads to violence between the two and the need for military presence to prevent it.
Ideally the people of Kashmir would like to be recognised as an independent state but as is often the case with such disputes, no country wants to relinquish power or land, particularly to a long time enemy. The feud over Kashmir has been raging for fifty years over rightful ownership and shows no signs of slowing up. Most Kashmiris are exasperated by all the violence and desire peace but an extreme minority will go to extreme lengths to amass support in the fight for independence. On occasions Pakistani insurgents have been known to infiltrate the valley to recruit and encourage extremists to fight the military and Hindu population. Violence between Hindu and Muslim groups can escalate without warning and affected cities should be avoided.
So what does this all mean for you the tourist?
Hopefully the only sign you’ll see that there is a dispute taking place will be the presence of military once you arrive in the state, lots of military! Military personnel from the Indian Army are stationed on rooftops, intersections, in bunkers, at the airport and even atop the main ridge alongside the gondola. The military are present to discourage any rise in violence or insurgence and are amassed in the thousands. Thankfully they are on ‘our’ side and will likely be more than happy to pose with you for photos in Gulmarg and may even let you hold an AK-47 for your next Facebook profile shot. Always be sensitive around the military in cities such as Srinigar, at the airport and on the transport routes through the state. When violence does occur it is very unlikely to involve tourists and is generally isolated to the larger towns, it is very improbable that Gulmarg will be the scene of violence.
For the safest journey it is recommended to travel directly from Srinigar airport to Gulmarg by taxi on arrival. A couple of days exploring Srinigar can be lovely but you should always check government warnings and news briefs beforehand. There are a number of sites that provide up to date and valuable information on the political situation in Kashmir such as:
Smart Traveller Homepage www.smartraveller.gov.au/
BBC News South Asia http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/default.stm
Kashmir Observer www.kashmirobserver.com
Kashmir Times www.kashmirtimes.com
Reuters http://in.reuters.com/
Al Jazeera http://english.aljazeera.net?English
Bear in mind that government sites err heavily on the side of caution thus reducing their obligation to feel responsible should an incident occur. Remember that each year thousands of tourists just like you visit Gulmarg and there have been no incidents of violence against any of them. Also check that your travel insurance is valid in Kashmir, some providers don’t cover the region.
If you would like to learn more about the conflict over Kashmir you can read the following interesting article:
The Coldest War www.wesjones.com/coldest
Or search the web; there are plenty of amazing articles out there.
