By Isolde Doubell
08/05/2025
Kashmir has been in the news once again after 26 tourists were brutally killed at gunpoint at the end of April. The much-disputed region was primarily divided between India and Pakistan in 1947 after independence from British rule. In 1947, the rulers of princely states were given the right to become part of either Pakistan or India, or—with certain reservations—to remain independent. The maharaja of Kashmir hoped to gain independence, but when threatened by fighting in the region, he signed an Instrument of Accession to the Indian Union. This sparked decades of fighting over control of the Muslim-majority region. China holds a smaller area on the eastern border. This conflict, along with militant groups demanding independence within Kashmir, has led to tens of thousands of people killed over the years. India’s defensive stance has also meant the continuous presence of military and paramilitary troops in Kashmir. The armed forces have often used excessive force to flush out Kashmiri militants and suspected collaborators, as has now also been the case following the shooting of the tourists—traumatising and antagonising the Kashmiri people.
The India-administered area, known as Jammu and Kashmir, has grown as a tourist destination over the past few years, drawing 3.5 million tourists in 2024 compared to 2.67 million in 2022 (Reuters: Department of Tourism of Jammu and Kashmir). However, on the afternoon of 22 April, a group of terrorists targeted primarily Hindu male tourists (and one Christian) visiting the picturesque resort town of Pahalgam, killing 26. The attack triggered outrage and grief in Hindu-majority India, along with calls for action against Pakistan, a mainly Islamic nation. A militant group called the Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the attack on social media. Indian officials accuse Pakistan of funding and encouraging cross-border terrorism and have vowed to hunt down and punish the perpetrators. Pakistan denies any involvement and has also called for an international investigation into the incident.
The armies of the two nuclear-armed neighbours have been exchanging gunfire along their border following the attacks. After a cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India announced the suspension of the six-decade-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a critical agreement that governs the use of the Indus River system, which is vital to both nations. It also announced the closure of its border with Pakistan, suspension of trade, revocation of visas, and a reduction in Pakistani diplomats in India. In response, Pakistan’s National Security Committee (NSC), its top civil-military decision-making body, announced similar measures, including border and airspace closures, suspension of trade, and, significantly, a threat to suspend its participation in all bilateral agreements with India, including the Simla Agreement. The Simla Agreement, signed in 1972, forms the foundation of India-Pakistan relations, governing the 740 km Line of Control (LoC)—or de facto border—between the Indian and Pakistan-administered areas of Kashmir, and outlines commitments to resolve disputes peacefully. Pakistan’s threat to suspend the agreement marks a potentially serious escalation of tensions.
According to the Joshua Project, Jammu and Kashmir has a population of 14.4 million people, of which 66% are Muslim—more than double the Hindu population in the area. This is the only Muslim-majority region in India. Christians make up a mere 0.2%. The people of Kashmir have historically prized a spirit of cultural pluralism and religious tolerance known as Kashmiriyat. People are not openly discriminated against because of religion, and the diversity and tolerance in the region have long been a strength of Kashmir society.
The Christian heritage in Kashmir has been significant. In 1880s, two brothers—Ernest and Arthur Neve—English missionary doctors, came to Kashmir and spent decades in Srinagar, working tirelessly during five serious cholera epidemics, treating tuberculosis and eye diseases, introducing cholera and smallpox vaccinations, and truly serving the people while spreading the Christian message. The Kashmir Mission Hospital they started is now known as the Government Chest Disease Hospital. They also established the Kashmir State Leper Hospital, which was dedicated to treating leprosy patients. Missionaries also played a significant role in education in Kashmir, although there were mixed reactions to the English educational system they introduced.
Today, the small Christian community in Kashmir has the opportunity to bring light into the dark world of hate, unforgiveness, and suspicion that hangs over the region. As the enemy seeks to bring division and bloodshed among the Muslim and Hindu populations, believers can point their neighbours to Christ and His Kingdom by displaying the fruit of peace and hope amidst an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear.
Please join us in prayer:
- That the conflict will not escalate and that God will influence the leaders of both countries to make decisions that will build up and not tear down.
- For peace and comfort for the families affected by this tragedy, but also for the people of Kashmir, who have been affected by conflict for decades.
- For the local Church not to be drawn into the rhetoric or conflict, but to remain bearers of true hope and peace that can only be found in Jesus Christ.
