If you haven't noticed it before, look carefully next time. A number of newspapers, magazines, atlases, textbooks and other sources of information regularly make the mistake of placing Kashmir in India on maps.

Or they show Azad Kashmir as disputed while occupied Kashmir is shown as part of India.
It is often the influence of Indian propaganda that publications show Kashmir and Azad Kashmir in India or show Azad Kashmir as disputed and occupied Kashmir in India There really should be no excuse for these fallacies.

After all, the United Nations, India (at least on paper) and Pakistan all agree that Kashmir is disputed territories (although India regularly likes to trick people into thinking the territory is not disputed).

Whether this error is intentional or accidental, Pakistani-Americans must refute the lie. Start off by locating a proper map of Kashmir. Your best source is the United Nations (see http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/htmain.htm Go this site and under the section "general maps" choose "Jammu and Kashmir").

The UN map shows Kashmir as a 'disputed territory'. UN military observers are still stationed in India-occupied Kashmir (IOK) to oversee the Line of Control. UN resolutions also exist with their commitment for free plebiscite in Kashmir.

Once you've found the right map, contact the publisher of the offending publication. If it's a textbook or atlas for example, search the web under the company's name and get a telephone number. Then call the company, asking who to contact about the mistake in their textbook. Get a telephone number, e-mail address and mailing address.

Call this individual, explain the purpose of you contacting them and ask them the reason for their error. Follow up by writing a letter to the person (see sample below) and include a copy the error in the book, along with the correct map of Kashmir in it.

In the case of a newspaper or magazine, contact the editor and get his or her name and contact information. Then write the letter, include the original article and accompanying map, along with the correct map. Make sure to follow up with a phone call to make sure the editor received the information.

But don't stop there. Make sure to check the page where the publication prints corrections to errors in previous issues (sometimes, this section is called "erratum"). If you don't see a speedy response to your complaint, keep calling. If after about a month, you haven't received a response or a correction has not been issued, contact the publication's ombudsperson. This individual takes care of consumer complaints.

The key to success in all of this is to be persistent in correcting the error. Until you keep following up on your complaint, little attention will be paid to it.

Sample letter

To Whom It May Concern:

In your July 18 report on Kashmir entitled "Fresh allegations of rape dog Indian army in Kashmir", there is an accompanying map of the territory that contains a serious error: Kashmir is shown in India. This is in correct.

Kashmir is internationally recognized by the United Nations, as well as neighboring India and Pakistan, as a "disputed territory". It belongs to neither India nor Pakistan, although the Indian army is currently occupying a large part of the territory. In fact, currently the military presence is so heavy that there is one Indian soldier for every seven Kashmiris in the area.

The issue of Kashmir is a 55-year-old one that involves serious human rights abuses as well as the denial of self-determination for the Kashmiri people by successive governments of India since 1948. There are a number or UN resolutions which have been passed defining Kashmir as a disputed territory and its relationship vis-à-vis India and Pakistan (most notably, the resolution adopted on August 13, 1948).

Please do not repeat this factual error again, as it ignores the reality of the situation, not to mention the suffering and right to self-determination of the people of Kashmir.

Sincerely,
(your name)

Date/Time Last Modified: 6/17/2002 3:47:51 PM

Readers' Comment

arun: 8/21/2005 6:50:17 AM
this article sucks.jammu and kashmir is an integral part of india.

: 10/2/2005 6:07:29 AM
india was is and will be a part of india forever this article is nonsense.

JACQUES: 10/8/2005 4:55:11 AM
Article is completely wrong Kashmir was is and always will be a part of India

PP: 10/10/2005 4:45:09 AM
Rubbish article. Kashmir is an integral a part of India and there is no Qn about this.

Punjab: 10/11/2005 12:35:45 AM
Persistence finally paid off. The new Rand-McNally atlas is rumored to have corrected this rather grevious error. P.S. Sorry about the whole Bangladesh thing.

George: 3/19/2006 4:22:55 PM
Kashmir is and will always be part of India.

Ved: 4/6/2006 8:45:23 PM
>>Kashmir is internationally recognized by the United Nations, as well as neighboring India and Pakistan, as a "disputed territory". It belongs to neither India nor Pakistan, although the Indian army is currently occupying a large part of the territory. <<< This is entirely false. Neither India nor the UN designate the area of Jammu and Kashmir as disputed territory. The state of Jammu and Kashmir legally belongs to India by the virtue of Instrument of accession signed in 1948. Pakistani army which invaded this state in that year flouted the international treaties of peace by declaring war on a neutral state. Pakistani army to this day continues to occupy the parts of land it captured at the time. So far as the presence of Indian army is concerned, Kashmir is a state of India and it is the internal matter of the country to deal with terrorists sponsored by pakistan in any way possible, including deployment of troops. >>The issue of Kashmir is a 55-year-old one that involves serious human rights abuses as well as the denial of self-determination for the Kashmiri people by successive governments of India since 1948.<< This also includes the denial of self-determination by people of PoK (pakistan occupied kashmir), in the form of absence of any democracy and allowance for stationing of neutral human rights observers. The state of PoK is used as a training ground for jehadis and terrorists which are recruited from all over pakistan and sent into India, much against the wishes of the local populace. As such it is a request to stop spreading misinformation and show the whole state of Kashmir as an integral part of India In fact, currently the military presence is so heavy that there is one Indian soldier for every seven Kashmiris in the area

iftikar pathan: 5/8/2006 6:44:20 AM
kashmir is the blood of india and u poor pak politicians cannot succeed in making us fools all the time in the name of Islam to walk your path. Islam is more safe in India than yoiurs country b coz Azim Premzi is the undisputed jewel of India.

Ravi B K: 5/12/2006 12:43:40 PM
Jammu and Kashmir is troubled territory. That does not make it legal for pakistan to lay claim. It was India which went to the UN in 1948 to solve the problem. The UN said that Pakistan should withdraw all forces from the northern occupied regions before any progress could be made. As regards plebiscite PAKISTAN ITSELF WAS NOT CREATED WITH A PLEBISCITE BUT ACCORDING TO THE WHIMS OF ONE MAN JINNAH. It is laughable that pakistan should ask for a plebiscite in J&K. Its own existence would then be illegal...

FAq: 5/29/2006 6:25:47 PM
This is good to clear the mistake.Kashmir issu should be solved by the wishes of kashmiris.

Digjam: 6/17/2006 4:57:17 PM
Please correct yourself. Kashmir is part of India and you do what ever you can. You guys not goona get it. Dont waste your energy on Kasmir. Focus on your development. If you think that because of relegion you want Kashmir to be separated than, you are fools. More than 30 Carore Muslims live in India think of them. What will happen to them the day Kashmir is separated from India. For those muslims stop this propaganada against India in the name of Kashmir. What your leaders have done to POK is well known. So lets live peacefully... Jai Hind!!!! Digjam

abdul chauhan: 8/24/2006 12:19:46 PM
this is not right. azad kashmmir is just a excuse of pakistan. it is always powered by pakistan. Pakistanis have done nothing for Kashmiris. in the recent earth quake , lots of people died. i would not accept those Kashmiris who talks about " Jihad" 10 times a day. I know there are some Kashmiri who wants to join with Pak. but , pak has given a huge part of kashmir to China. and just to get free guns from china. this is not right. Kashmir is a problem between Kashmri people , pakistan and hindustan. pakistan has done a mistake by giving a part of kashmir to china, which most of the people do not know. There is no right to give part of disputed area to third country. The truth is there has been many riots between shia and sunni in pakistan , specially in Karachi. i also agree there is been a riot in guj , which i agree was again some muslims. but, even it is better and safer than pakistan. pakistan mean holy land. but , it is not really pak. Azad kashmir is just a mask of so called holy land ( i mean pakistan0

suj: 9/24/2006 12:53:26 PM
The whole state of Jammu & Kashmir is integral part of india...which no one..including pakistan can take away. It is a disputed territory because pakistan is allowed to exist by india. It was Pakistan who invaded J&K. It was Pakistan who did not follow the UN resolutions. It is in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, that most of the Human rights violations occur. Pakistan only know how to hate. I feel pity for pakistan for yielding to the US pressure...considering that they have their military leader as their dictator...and pakistan's military has no guts to stand up to any enemy...leave alone the US. I do admire Iran...for their firm stand against their enemies...but pakistan...is a country of cowards...and they day india runs out of patience....after that....we'll read about Pakistan in the HISTORY BOOKS.

roshan: 2/2/2007 8:48:39 PM
there is no doubt that JAMMU and KASHMIR is the integral part of india. no one could ever part us from kashmir. if pakistan thinks that it could do this on the lines of relegion then they should remeber this that there are more muslims in india then in pakistan.

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