Summary of How Kashmiris Got So Good At Smoking Indian Soldiers

00:00:00 - 00:30:00

In the YouTube video titled "How Kashmiris Got So Good At Smoking Indian Soldiers," the speaker delves into the turbulent history of conflict and oppression in Kashmir, as well as the ongoing resistance against Indian forces. The video highlights the internet shutdown in Kashmir, the longest in modern history, and the repressive measures imposed on the Kashmiri people. It traces the roots of the conflict back to the partition of India in 1947, which resulted in religious tensions and discrimination against Muslims in Kashmir. The rigged elections, human rights abuses, and armed resistance in the region are also discussed. The video calls for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir crisis and emphasizes the importance of raising awareness about the situation.

• 00:00:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "How Kashmiris Got So Good At Smoking Indian Soldiers," the speaker discusses the long history of conflict and oppression in Kashmir, a territory in India where the internet has been shut off for five consecutive years since 2017, making it the most internet-shut off place in the world. The longest shutdown, which began in August 2019 and ended in February 2021, included landlines and cell phone networks, marking the longest internet ban in modern history. During this time, there were checkpoints, sandbag bunkers, and prison camps with torture, summary executions, and disappearances. The people of Kashmir have been living under military occupation and oppression since the British rule in 1846. Although Kashmir was one of the largest princely states with 4 million people, it was ruled by a Hindu ruler on behalf of the British, resulting in religious freedoms being hindered, and Muslims being excluded from government jobs and heavily taxed. The region was partitioned in 1947, resulting in the displacement of tens of millions, and the unfinished business of partition is the ongoing Kashmir conflict. Despite the end of the princely state in 1947, the oppressive era continues to cast a long shadow. Hari Singh, the ruler of Kashmir at the time of partition, ultimately chose to join India due to past grievances and the presence of a sizable Hindu population. However, this decision resulted in ongoing conflict and military occupation that continues to this day.
• 00:05:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "How Kashmiris Got So Good At Smoking Indian Soldiers," the speaker discusses the historical events leading to the resistance and conflict in Kashmir between India and Pakistan. The Maharaja of Jammu decided to eliminate the Muslim population in Jammu in response to fierce resistance, resulting in the death or displacement of about 500,000 Muslims. India's official takeover of Kashmir in 1949 led to the installation of non-autonomous governments in the region through rigged elections. In 1978, the Indian government passed draconian laws allowing for preventive detention without charge or trial. Inspired by the Algerian war of independence, two leaders, Aman Lan and Makbul Bahat, formed the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), an independent group seeking Kashmiri independence, and organized resistance through secret networks and cells. The 1987 election in Indian-administered Kashmir was marred by widespread rigging, and the National Conference, the ruling party, was favored through pre-stamped ballots and violent takeovers of polling stations. This election fraud and ongoing military rule fueled the kashmiri resistance and their desire for independence.
• 00:10:00 In this section of the video, the speaker recounts the events leading up to the escalation of violence and armed resistance in Kashmir, starting with the rigged elections in 1987 and the subsequent call for armed rebellion by their principal. The increasing tensions culminated in the shooting of the principal himself and the killing of prominent figures, sparking mass protests and a violent crackdown by Indian forces. The tactics used by the Jamaat-e-Islami Liberation Front (JKLF) included assassinations and kidnappings, which gained international attention. When India attempted to placate the population by appointing a Muslim home minister, the JKLF responded by kidnapping his daughter. The Indian government's heavy-handed response led to widespread protests and massacres, most notably the Gadal Bridge massacre, where over 100 unarmed protesters were killed by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
• 00:15:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "How Kashmiris Got So Good At Smoking Indian Soldiers," the discussion shifts to the unrest in the Kashmir Valley in the early 1990s, which led to widespread violence and resistance against Indian forces. The period began with the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) launching attacks, and in response, tens of thousands of Indian security personnel were deployed. However, the resistance was strong, with many young men crossing the border into Pakistan for training and returning to wage battles against the Indian army. eager to become fighters. The availability of firearms, provided through foreign aid during the Soviet-Afghan War and funneled into Kashmir through ISI, further intensified the conflict. The Indian forces responded with terror and massacres, declaring Kashmir a disturbed area and enforcing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, granting them total impunity from prosecution. Despite the JKLF's decline due to military losses and internal splits, the Indian security forces continued the violence and targeted killings, leading to thousands of deaths.
• 00:20:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "How Kashmiris Got So Good At Smoking Indian Soldiers," the speaker discusses how Pakistan's support for militant groups in Indian-administered Kashmir, whether moral and diplomatic or through the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), led to a significant rise in the power of militant organizations such as Hisb-e-Mujahideen and the pro-Pakistan resistance movement. The speaker draws parallels between the Kashmir conflict and the Palestine conflict, noting how the moderate JKLF was decimated in favor of the fundamentalist Hisb-e-Mujahideen, changing the course of the conflict against India. The speaker then explores the "Fedayeen" campaign, which began in 1999, where teenage gunmen would launch bold attacks on security forces. These attacks, which often lasted for days and resulted in numerous casualties, peaked in 2001 when fighters killed over 160 security personnel. The Fedayeen campaign marked the ascent of two major militant organizations in the region, Lashari-e-Taiba Army of the Pas and Jaish-e-Muhammad Army of the Prophet. The Fedayeen attacks were not limited to security forces but also targeted civilians and government buildings, such as the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature and the Indian Parliament.
• 00:25:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "How Kashmiris Got So Good At Smoking Indian Soldiers," the speaker discusses the background of the attack on Indian paramilitary forces in Kashmir in February 2019. Following the Carill war between India and Pakistan in Kashmir in 1999, relations between the two countries had never been more strained. Adil Ahmad Dar, a local resident of Kashmir, was inspired to join the resistance against Indian troops after facing brutal treatment from them, including being shot in the leg and beatings. The largest fatal attack on Indian forces since the Gorilla War began in 1989 occurred on February 19, 2019, when a van carrying explosives struck a bus carrying 40 CRPF troops, killing all 40 and injuring 35 others. The attack was a brutal reminder that the resistance against Indian rule in Kashmir was far from over, and tensions escalated further with India's declaration of revoking Article 370 in 2020, leading to human rights violations and the widespread use of torture in detention centers. Over 60,000 people have been tortured in interrogation centers in Kashmir, with methods including electric shocks, beatings, prolonged suspension by hands and feet, burning with heated objects, and starvation.
• 00:30:00 In this section of the YouTube video titled "How Kashmiris Got So Good At Smoking Indian Soldiers," the speaker discusses the ongoing conflict in Kashmir and the human rights abuses taking place there. Reports of tortured deaths of Kashmiris in Indian custody have emerged, and armed resistance against Indian rule continues. The situation in the Valley of Kashmir, which hosts the biggest and bloodiest military occupation in the world, has left more than 80,000 people dead. The military occupation involves arbitrary arrests, curfews, raids, and checkpoints, with extrajudicial execution, rape, and torture being exposed to the Valley's 4 million Muslims. Despite this immense human suffering, Kashmir's crisis occupies a barely perceptible place in the global moral imagination. The speaker emphasizes the need for a settlement, potentially modeled after the Good Friday agreement in Northern Ireland, to withdraw troops and porously demilitarize the border. The speaker also invites viewers to join their Discord server for exclusive content and support them on Patreon.