Violence Spreads After Kashmir Shrine Siege

Kashmir, a subject of dispute for nuclear powers India and Pakistan since both states gained independence in 1947, is the home for a growing separatist movement by majority Muslims who would like to shake off Indian rule in that region. Hindu-Muslim clashes increased since June, when Kashmir government leaders backed away from a decision to give 40 acres of forestland to a Hindu shrine. Hindu activists have blocked trucks carrying supplies to the region and removed railway tracks leading to the region’s winter capital, while the “Indian Supreme Court banned mobile text messaging in the area this week, hoping to halt the spread of rumours that may incite more unrest,” reports Rhys Blakely for the Times in London. He adds: “There are mounting fears that the Amarnath row could spill over into other parts of India to spark more Hindu-Muslim violence.” Extremists have taken credit for a series of bomb attacks in some of India’s major cities, and the nation’s politicians are split over how to best handle the conflict without further deepening the Hindu-Muslim divide. – YaleGlobal