Root – Cause of the problem:

♤ Before 1947, J&K was a princely state as specified by British that Princes were free to join any either country or to remain independent. The Prince wanted to remain independent, while the popular movement in the state, led by Sheikh Abdullah of the national conference wanted to get rid of Maharaja Hari Singh & at the same time didn't wish to join Pakistan.

♤ Later after partition, Pakistan still had designs on J&K and to annex it forcefully it sent tribal infiltrators from its side to capture Kashmir. The Maharaja pleaded for help and India helped to drive out infiltrators only when the Maharaja signed "Instrument of Accession" to India. At the same time, it was also agreed that once the situation get normalised, the views of the people of J&K will be ascertained about their future.

♤ The tribal infiltrators had captured one part of the state which came under Pakistan's control, India maintains this as illegal and since then Kashmir has remained a major issue of conflict between India and Pakistan.

♤ Internally, there is a dispute which still persist and couldn't be resolved.This was related to J&K's special status because of Article 370 of the constitution, which gives greater autonomy to it as compared to other states in the country. All provisions of Indian constitution are not applicable to the state. Laws passed by the Parliament apply to J&K only if the state agrees. J&K has its own constitution too.

♤ There is a section of people and parties outside J&K that believes that the special status of the state doesn't allow full integration of the state with India. Hence, it should be revoked. The people residing in Jammu & Kashmir, mostly Kashmiri don't believe that autonomy conferred by Article 370 is enough. A section of Kashmiri have expressed at least three major grievances:

o The promise of "Plebiscite" hasn't been fulfilled.

o Autonomy given by Article 370, has been eroded in practice and this led to a clamor for "Greater State Autonomy".

o Democracy which is practiced in the rest of India, hasn't been institutionalised in J&K.

By 1989, the J&K state had come in the grip of a militant movement mobilised around the cause of a separate Kashmiri region. The insurgents get moral, material and military support from Pakistan. Separatist Politics has taken different forms and made up of various strands. Successive governments at the centre from time to time have made attempts to engage various separatist groups in negotiations.