Read the passage and answer the questions:
Jammu and Kashmir
Before 1947, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) was a Princely State. Its ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, did not want to merge either with India or Pakistan but to have an independent status for his state. Pakistani leaders thought that Kashmir region ‘belonged’ to Pakistan, since majority population of State was Muslim. But this is not how people of state themselves saw it—they thought of themselves as Kashmiris above all. This issue of regional aspiration is known as Kashmiriyat. Popular movement in State, led by Sheikh Abdullah of National Conference, wanted to get rid of Maharaja but was against joining Pakistan. National Conference was a secular organization and had a long association with Congress. Sheikh Abdullah was a personal friend of some of leading nationalist leaders, including Nehru.
In October 1947, Pakistan sent tribal infiltrators from its side to capture Kashmir. This forced Maharaja to ask for Indian military help. India extended military support and drove back infiltrators from Kashmir valley, but only after Maharaja had signed an ‘Instrument of Accession’ with Government of India. However, as Pakistan continued to control a sizeable part of state, issue was taken to United Nations Organisation, which in its resolution dated 21 April 1948, recommended a three-step process to resolve issue. Firstly, Pakistan had to withdraw its nationals who entered Kashmir. Secondly, India needed to progressively reduce its forces so as to maintain law and order. Thirdly, a plebiscite was to be conducted in a free and impartial manner. However, no progress could be achieved under this resolution. In meantime, Sheikh Abdullah took over as Prime Minister of State of J&K in March 1948, while India agreed to grant it provisional autonomy under Article 370. The head of government in State was then called Prime Minister.
Since then, politics of Jammu and Kashmir remained controversial and conflict-ridden both for external and internal reasons. Externally, Pakistan has always claimed that Kashmir valley should be part of Pakistan. As noted above, Pakistan sponsored a tribal invasion of State in 1947, as a consequence of which one part of the State came under Pakistani control. However, it is the Indian territory which is under illegal occupation by Pakistan called as Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK).
The issue of regional aspirations in Kashmir is known as-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Kashmiriyat
Option (1) Hurriyat — Incorrect. The Hurriyat Conference is a group that led disturbances in the State in later years. It is a political group, not the name of the regional aspiration.
Option (2) National Conference — Incorrect. The National Conference was the secular party led by Sheikh Abdullah that led the popular movement against the Maharaja; it is a party, not the aspiration itself.
Option (3) Kashmiriyat — Correct. The people of the State thought of themselves as Kashmiris above all, and this issue of regional aspiration is known as Kashmiriyat.
Option (4) Tafriqiat — Incorrect. The people thought of themselves as Kashmiris above all, so the aspiration takes its name from Kashmir itself; ‘Tafriqiat’ has no link with that.
NCERT (2025-26): “Roots of the Problem … Before 1947, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) was a Princely State. Its ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh did not want to merge either with India or Pakistan but to have an independent status for his state. The Pakistani leaders thought that Kashmir region ‘belonged’ to Pakistan, since the majority population of the State was Muslim. But this is not how the people of the state themselves saw it— they thought of themselves as Kashmiris above all. This issue of regional aspiration is known as Kashmiriyat. The popular movement in the State, led by Sheikh Abdullah of the National Conference, wanted to get rid of the Maharaja, but was against joining Pakistan. The National Conference was a secular organisation and had a long association with the Congress. Sheikh Abdullah was a personal friend of some of the leading nationalist leaders including Nehru.” |