South Asia is a unique space in which three dominant religions meet. These include Islam, coming from the west, Buddhism, approaching from the East, and the Hindu religion, which is the official religion of India. All of these religions have been, at one point, represented by powerful empires, each supporting their own religion as a means of geopolitical influence and justification for expansion (Thomas, 2019). North of India has been the sight of these three religions clashing with one another. The partitioning has been further exacerbated by the British overthrowing and subjugation of the Indian monarchy, followed by their departure, which left the various hostile groups in a position to fight one another.
Religion has played a significant role in the partitioning of the South Asia, and the creation of the Kashmir debate. The reasons for partitioning lie in the fact that the borders of religious influence and country borders do not match. In some places, Islamic adherents exist in pockets surrounded by Hindi, whereas in others the Hindi find themselves in a similar situation. India, Pakistan, and China utilize religion as a way to justify their territorial claims (Thomas, 2019). As it stands, Kashmir is a territory that India claims as its own. At the same time, China holds a piece of it on the grounds of protecting the local Buddhist populations, other parts were ceded to China by Pakistan, which India claims it cannot do (Thomas, 2019). The population of Kashmir is largely Muslim, which forces India to hold a significant military contingent in the area, in order to support its claims (Thomas, 2019). Thus, the presence of different religions does not bring about peace, but rather promotes division and war.
Reference
Thomas, R. G. (2019). Perspectives on Kashmir: The roots of conflict in South Asia. Routledge.