British colonial policies - Essay Example

The Kashmir dispute, that has clouded the region with dispute and wars is a gift of British policies, they left this question open-ended and resulted in rivalries development between the two incumbent nations. Two wars have been fought afterward one right after the independence being granted to the respective states and one in 1965. The main point of contention in both the issues was Kashmir. While Pakistan considers it its integral part, the Indians consider it as their backbone and none would let go of it.

The Red Cliffe commission that was put in place in the last days of colonial control over the region, the purpose was to devise a strategy that ensures the smooth transition and the transfer of land to the rightful owners of the place. While there were two major blocks, one of Hindus and second of Muslims, by the rule the Hindu majority areas would be awarded to the newly formed Indian State while the Muslim dominant states would be awarded to Pakistan. Improper division, and allotting of the areas like Junagarh, Gurdaspur to India, resulted in the imbalance creation between the two nations and even today the relations are relatively sour between the two.

Besides the land allocation, the resources allocation policies suffered from imbalances as well. The British Empire did not take into consideration the repercussion of the possible miss calculated allotment of resources. Pakistan and India have been on the brink of war for nearly two decades due to the Indus Basin Treaty.