Introduction In late 1947, the newly created states of India and Pakistan went to war over the Kashmir Valley. A UN-brokered ceasefire divided the state into territories controlled by India and Pakistan and decided that a referendum would be held in which the people of Kashmir could choose to join either country. The referendum has not been held to date. India has granted its part of Kashmir a special status within its constitution, allowing for a large degree of self-autonomy. However, successive Kashmir governments were dissolved by the Indian government and elections were held only in the presence of its armed forces. In 1965, Pakistan and India waged a second indecisive war over Kashmir. In the 1980s, resistance within Kashmir itself against the Indian government took on a violent character, with guerrilla attacks against Indian army bases. India responded with heavy-handed military crackdowns, and the situation has only gotten worse and worse since then. More than 34,000 people are estimated to have died in the valley and relations between the two countries have become increasingly acrimonious. India blames Pakistan for the militant insurgency, claiming Islamabad supports cross-border terrorism. Pakistan responds by merely providing diplomatic and moral support, while also claiming that India's history of human rights abuses in the valley is to blame. With both countries now in possession of nuclear weapons; After the recent war in KARGIL and the increasing number of civilian deaths, refugees and other human rights issues within Kashmir, the conflict seems to be taking on a more serious nature. In this article I will discuss the Kashmir conflict in depth, examining the issue… halfway through the paper… is poverty. Kashmir is the best place to start, and not just because it is the heart of the Indo-Pakistani conflict. Our histories, cultures and religions have converged in Kashmir. Our rivers begin there, the mountains meet there and our dreams rest there. “Works Cited “The Hindu: A View from Pakistan: Resolving Kashmir Now.” The Hindu. Eqbal Ahmad, November 1996. Web. 16 November 2011. “BBC News | SOUTH ASIA | Protest against Kashmir 'disappearances'" BBC News - Home. 10 March 2000. Web. 16 November 2011. .Kashmir: a way forward. Network. 16 November 2011. "Indian preaching in Kashmir | Pakistan Daily". News from Pakistan | Pakistani newspaper. 26 August 2009. Web. 16 November. 2011. .