China now blames Britain for Kashmir problem; sparks row [details]

Amid the ongoing border row with India, China, in a surprise diplomatic move, on Friday blamed the British for troubles in Kashmir.

As the BJP government headed by Narendra Modi is going to complete seven years on May 30, the Chinese government official spokesman appears to have seized this opportunity to generate a new debate on the Kashmir problem.

In a series of tweets, the Chinese government spokesperson Zhao Lijian attacked the UK and its British imperialistic past, with respect to India and Indian Kashmir.

Quoting an article published in Chinese government's controlled media - Xinhuanet, written by Xin Ping with caption - 'Kashmir: A Crack in the Jewel in the Crown of the British Empire', Lijian tweeted, "If British India was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire, then Kashmir has been the biggest crack in it when the crown finally fell over on that land".

He further tweeted, "The British Empire fell, but the poison of hatred has been injected into the body politic of two peoples for decades to come. The land once as pristine as its famous Kashmir Sapphires was carved by innumerable scars, cracked by the greed of imperialists and soaked by the tears of people in fear".

As long as the bloodshed in Kashmir continues, Britain can never clean itself from its bloody colonial past, Zhao added.

The article quotes ex-UK PM David Cameron

The article had quoted David Cameron, the former UK Prime Minister to point out Britain's admission to the creation of modern geopolitical conflicts. Former British Prime Minister David Cameron on September 5, 2011, had held his own country responsible for many of the world's historic problems, including the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan.

Cameron's remarks came during his visit to Pakistan when he was asked at a university in Islamabad as to how Britain could help to end the row over Kashmir.

"I don't want to try to insert Britain in some leading role where, as with so many of the world's problems, we are responsible for the issue in the first place," Cameron, had stated.

What historian says?

Eminent historian and expert on Jammu and Kashmir Prof Hari Om is of the opinion that China is not less than an aggressor. "A huge portion of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) is under its own illegal occupation so China has no right to speak on this issue", Prof Hari Om, told The International Business Times, adding, "China's latest diplomatic move is aimed at just creating confusion".

Prof Hari Om said, unlike other major powers, China is also eying on strategically important areas of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. He, however, endorsed that Britain was responsible for the present Kashmir problem.

"Delay is accepting accession proposal of last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh and the cease-fire between Indian and Pakistani Armies on December 31, 1947, after the infamous tribal invasion were two main causes of Kashmir problem", he argued.

Historical facts about Britain's undue inference in erstwhile state of J&K

It is a historical fact that Britishers had a vested interest in the erstwhile princely state of J&K. To keep a watch on the movement of Russia in Gilgit Baltistan, a British officer was posted in Gilgit in 1868 to act as an intelligence outpost. A British political agency or the Gilgit Agency was established in 1877.

In 1913, The Britisher created the Gilgit Scouts, a paramilitary force, which had 600 Officers and men. In 1932, the British seconded one Col Calvin to Maharaja's Hari Singh's Civil Service and prevailed upon him to appoint the Col as his Prime Minister. Col Calvin through his machinations persuaded Maharaja Hari Singh to lease Gilgit out to the British Government of India for a period of 60 years since 1935. Gilgit-Baltistan was not only a buffer against the Russians but also to act as an outpost for Xinjiang in China, where the Russian activities had increased considerably.

A fortnight before Independence (August 1947), the British terminated the lease of Gilgit and with this, the charge of the area shifted to Brigadier Ghansara Singh, a governor appointed by Maharaja. It was Major Brown and his second-in-command Captain Matheson, who in October 1947, instigated their men (582 officers and men) of Gilgit Scouts to revolt against the Dogra rule.

China illegally occupied 37,555 sq Kms of PoJK

The legitimate frontiers of the erstwhile princely State of Jammu & Kashmir, headed by the last ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, comprised a total area of 2,22,236 sq kms,

Upon the signing of the Instrument of Accession on October 26, 1947, the legality of which is indisputable, the territory belongs to India. Of the total territory, 78,114 sq kms are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan, 37,555 sq kms, and a further 5,180 sq kms in the Shaksgam Valley, illegally ceded by Pakistan to China under their provisional "border agreement" of March 02, 1963, have since also been under China's illegally occupation.

The fact that China occupies approximately 42,735 sq kms of the territory of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

China is part of the great game to capture mineral-rich areas of PoJK

China's so-called love for Kashmir is not new. After the 1947-48 war, China has been showing great interest in Kashmir, especially in the areas under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. After retaining a major portion of PoJK due to December 31, 1947 cease-fire, Pakistan has carved a direct geographic interface with China. Pakistan without the PoJK would have little strategic value for China.

"Without this territory, China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the strategic thrust to Gwadar Port would also have not been possible", said strategic expert RPN Singh. "The China factor in J&K also came into play before the 1965 war. In February 1965, Sheikh Abdullah toured Europe, West Asia which included a pilgrimage to Mecca. He was accompanied by his wife and Mohammad Afzal Beg. He met the then Chinese Prime Minister Chou En-Lai in Algiers. The Indian government construed this as an act of treason and threatened to cancel his passport if he did not return immediately. On his arrival at the Delhi airport in May 1965, he and Beg were arrested", Singh said.