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And the first place we're going this August 12th is Kashmir. This is a region of southern Asia. And according to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Kashmir is the scene of the largest territorial dispute on the planet. India controls part of Kashmir but wants all of it to be Indian territory. Pakistan controls part of Kashmir but wants all of it to be Pakistani territory. China also controls a section of Kashmir.
Since 1949, India has given the part of Kashmir it controls a special status. The Indian state has been allowed to have its own constitution, its own flag and its own control over many parts of day-to-day life. But last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the special status of Indian controlled Kashmir caused separatism, terrorism and corruption. So India's government voted to reorganize and reclassify Indian territory in Kashmir. The changes give India's government more control over what happens there.
This angered Pakistan. It doesn't want India to have anymore influence in any part of Kashmir and it called India's decision illegal. China also protested India's decision concerning Kashmir. Relations between India and Pakistan have gotten worse as the tensions have climbed. Though when it comes to Kashmir that's nothing new.
NIKHIL KUMAR: Why is Kashmir such a big deal? Because nuclear armed rivals India and Pakistan have been fighting over it for more than 70 years. Both claim the region in its entirety. India currently controls around 45 percent of Kashmir's territory and Pakistan controls about 35 percent. China controls the rest. So how did we get here? The problems began in 1947, when India and Pakistan gained independence from Great Britain. Kashmir initially remained independent. But later, its ruler signed a letter aceeding to India sparking a war with Pakistan.
War broke out again in 1965 and again in 1971. Even after both India and Pakistan became nuclear powers, border clashes continued, including notably in 1999 when violence stopped short of a full scale war. The flashpoint remains the heavily militarized align of control which divides the Pakistani and Indian controlled regions of Kashmir. Relations between the two countries will continue to ebb and flow, but Kashmir is sure to be a thorn in the side of relations between India and Pakistan for the foreseeable future.
