Sometimes, one decision can alter the entire course of destiny. For Jammu and Kashmir, that decision came on 26 October 1947. On this day, Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of the princely state, signed the Instrument of Accession, choosing to join India that is Bharat, Kashmir’s home, its own civilisation. Illustration by The Geostrata The decision was made during immense external aggression at the hands of Pakistan. Within days of independence, Pakistan activated Operation Gul