South Asia Notes South Asia Nuclear Proliferation Jammu and Kashmir

South Asia Britain controlled India since the mid-1700s – made many changes to the Indian way of life some of those changes were beneficial others were not Mohandas Gandhi used nonviolent methods to help India gain independence from Britain

South Asia When India became independent in 1947, it was divided into two countries, India and Pakistan (Pakistan had two parts West Pakistan and East Pakistan)

South Asia After a civil war in 1971, the eastern part of Pakistan became the nation of Bangladesh

South Asia Most Indians live in rural villages where traditional ways of life remain Most villages now have electricity and television reaches about 75% of all Indians The growth of cities and the rise of a middle class are major trends in modern India

South Asia Indian society has been organized into a caste system for hundreds of years Today the caste system continues to shape people’s lives despite the fact that it has become less rigid India’s government is working hard to raise the country’s standard of living

South Asia Pakistan Along it’s Northern and Western borders is one of the world’s highest mountain ranges – the Hindu Kush Mountains keep cold air from penetrating during the winter so temperatures are generally warm or hot The Indus River is the lifeline of this largely dry country

South Asia Afghanistan As a result of invasions and migrations, Afghanistan includes many ethnic groups Russia and Britain both tried unsuccessfully to conquer Afghanistan When the Soviet Union withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989 the Taliban came to power

South Asia Bangladesh The country is an enormous delta formed by three powerful rivers The soil is very fertile but flooding occurs regularly Overpopulation is a problem. Bangladesh is the ninth most populous country of the world

South Asia Nepal and Bhutan Nepal is about 90 percent Hindu Bhutan is about 75 percent Buddhist Both high mountains and politics kept these countries separated from the rest of the world until the middle of the 20 th century

South Asia Sri Lanka Deforestation may have helped changed Sri Lanka’s weather and caused droughts The Tamils (TAHM uhlz) minority are seeking a separate state

South Asia: Land and Resources. AIMS Multimedia unitedstreaming. 4 May 2007

Nuclear Proliferation in South Asia

India and Pakistan have both refused to sign the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) India detonated a nuclear device in 1974 that it said was “peaceful”

Nuclear Proliferation in South Asia India conducted underground testing on five nuclear weapons in May of 1998 Seventeen days later Pakistan conducted it’s own tests detonating six devices to equal the number of Indian tests

Nuclear Proliferation in South Asia It is estimated that India has about 85 nuclear weapons and that Pakistan has about 25 nuclear devices Both nations have surface to surface missiles that could deliver these weapons into any part of the other nation’s territory These countries have been hostile since independence in 1947

Jammu and Kashmir Of particular concern is the situation in Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir Under the plan for independence in 1947 Kashmir was supposed to be free to join either Pakistan or India The ruler of Kashmir decided to join with India in return for military aid and a promise of a referendum Pakistan believes that Kashmir should have been made part of Pakistan in 1947 because the majority of the inhabitants are Muslim

Jammu and Kashmir Neither Pakistan nor India favor independence for the region The “Line of Control” separates Pakistan controlled Kashmir from Indian controlled Kashmir China also controls a small part of Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir Rival forces have entrenched themselves on the Siachen glacier (more than 6,000 meters high) More die from the harsh conditions of the environment than from combat

Jammu and Kashmir Insurgents have been fighting Indian defense forces in Indian controlled Kashmir since 1989 India claims that these forces are being armed by Pakistan Pakistan claims that while they support the insurgents politically they are not supplying them with arms

Jammu and Kashmir The UN deployed a peacekeeping force to the region in 1949 to monitor a ceasefire UNMOGIP Formal hostilities renewed in 1971 (despite the presence of UNMOGIP)