Kashmir Is a Territory Located

Kashmir is a territory located in the upper northwestern section of Southern Asia. As a country, Kashmir has a long and bitter history as several countries continue to assert their claim over the land. These countries include China, Pakistan, Indian and the inhabitants of Kashmir. At present, India controls approximately 40% of the region, while China controls 20%. Pakistan controls 35% of the region while the Kashmiri people hold the remaining 5% of the territory. From a historical perspective, several land disputes and the Wars of 1947, 1962, 1963, and 1999 have occurred over land ownership.

India officials currently maintain that Kashmir is central to India while the Pakistani government heads prefer to resolve the conflict by allowing the Kashmiri people determine rightful ownership of the territory. Such regional conflict can be examined from the primordialism and social constructivism paradigms as a means to explore issues of ethnicity and of federalism. Ethnic refers to the shared tradition, special socio-physiological characteristics, and goals of a group of people who acknowledge such commonality.

From a sociological point-of-view, ethnicity can determine the level of unity of a group of people within a country or region. Such information can be applied to a broader context when examining a primordialism perspective. Such a point-of-view indicates the Kashmiri people can work together as one ethnic group with the common goal of seeking independence from India, Pakistan, and China. By doing so, the Kashmiri people can have their own stronghold over the territory and begin to combat the growing violence that has plagued the area for decades.

As such, primordialism can be fully applied to the Kashmir conflict as the Kashmiri people are not divided by ethnicity, but by international ownership disputes. In like manner, the Kashmir conflict can also be applied to social constructivism. Social constructivism is a sociological theory that implies that the formation of national identity and ethnic group formation is a consequence and creation based on the history of Kashmir.

Constructivism is based in a socio-political framework and must be interpreted according to the specific moral proclamations that pervade the minds of the inhabitants of a nation and also the leaders who put forth such laws. Social constructivists would argue that the Kashmiri people have endured a painful history full of bloodshed due to international conflicts.

The formation of Kashmir as an independent nation has yet to come, but is possible if leaders from India, china, and Pakistan concur that the Kashmiri people should determine the fate of the region instead of the continual violent conflicts that persist. This dilemma prohibits the possibility of federalism. Federalism is a means of erecting a singular government with power sharing at the regional and national level. Currently, Kashmir is not a self-sustaining nation with a functional government structure.

India, which controls one region of Kashmir, has the most input and is on constant conflict with Pakistan over full ownership.