Kashmir- A Victim to Hypocrisy
By Alam Rind • Dec 1st, 2009 • Category: Politics • 4 CommentsOn the fateful day of October 27, 1947, Indian troops landed in Srinagar and forcefully started occupying the state. The whole operation was premeditated and launched with the tacit approval of British Raj. There are evidences that Maharaja Hari Singh, Ruler of Kashmir was forced to sign a post dated document of “accession to India”, to justify their aggression. The basic principle that in case of dispute, the issue of accession of any state to Pakistan or India would be decided on the basis of “right of self determination” was denied. This unjust move mutilated the rights of the people of Kashmir and subjected them to unending atrocities at the hands of Indian occupation forces.
As a damage control measure, Mr. Jawaharlal Nehre, then Prime Minister of India in a communication to Prime Minister of Pakistan, on October 31, 1947 said, “Our assurance that we shall withdraw our forces from Kashmir as soon as peace and order are restored and leave the decision regarding the future of this state to the people of state is not merely a pledge to your government but also to the people of Kashmir and to the world”. This statement by itself, highly questions the validity of accession document and intention of Indian Leadership. Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, disappointment on this unfair episode and being fully aware of the situation while speaking to Lord Mountbatten on November 1, 1947 said “The accession (of Kashmir to India) was not a bona fide one since it rested on fraud and violence and would never be accepted by Pakistan…… Accession was the end of a long intrigue”. So a seed, which would breed a lasting conflict in Sub-continent, was sown.
Certainly, Qaid-e-Azam could not over look such a situation. He immediately ordered General Sir Douglas Gracy, who was then acting as the Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army, to move two brigades of the Pakistan Army into Kashmir, one from Rawalpindi and other from Sialkot. He ignored the orders and expressed his inability to do so without the consent of Field Marshal Auchinlek. The Field Marshal threatened Qaid-e-Azam to withdraw all the British officers from Pakistan Army, whereas, he never extended such a threat to India in spite of their operations in Kashmir. Consequently, the employment of Pakistan Army was delayed. It was General Akbar who supported the point of view of Qaid-e-Azam and sent Pakistan Army in May 1948. At this belated stage Army at best could consolidate the gains of freedom fighters and “Tribal Lashkars”, organized by Sardar Mohammad Ibrahim Khan and Major Anwar.
Christopher Beaumont, Radcliffe’s private secretary had revealed the extent to which he had compromised the integrity of his mission. Radcliffe was under pressure from Mountbatten to protect the interests of India, especially in regard to Kashmir. Gurdaspur, having predominant Muslim population was transferred to India in order to provide them a defendable ground line of communication with Kashmir. British, quite deliberately supported Indian aspiration for a hegemonic position in the region. Allocation of Gurdaspur and subsequent occupation of Kashmir provided India a window of access to Central Asian States of formal USSR, China, Afghanistan and the province of NWFP.
Rational reasons for accession of Kashmir to Pakistan like its geographical contiguousness, economic dependency, communication system, cultural affinity and Muslim majority were denied. Above all, the control of the rivers originating from Kashmir, slipped into the hands of India, making Pakistan’s agro based economy vulnerable to manipulation. Issues like Kishanganga Hydroelectric project, Baglihar Dam, diversion of water of Neelum River into Wullar Lake and construction of a very large number of hydropower projects in occupied Kashmir are a constant source of concern. The momentous strategic advantage gained by India at the initial stage of partition has now started effecting Pakistan as a merciless coercive tool, directly distressing its food basket.
India could not reconcile with the existence of Pakistan and is continuously working against it. Her role in 1971 war, occupation of Siachan Glacier and continuing disputes over water, Sir Creek etc speaks of her long term intentions. She is incessantly sponsoring anti-state elements in Baluchistan and fueling anti-Pakistan Taliban through her setups in Afghanistan. These in fact are acts of terrorism, committed by India, against Pakistan, but to the contrary, they are maligning Pakistan as a “State Sponsoring Terrorism”. It certainly is a part of a well thought out policy to weaken and destabilize Pakistan.
Pakistan has the potential to come out of the present quagmire as it is a nation with the ability to stand arrestingly in the face hardship and danger, gifted with large arable and fertile planes, exceptional mineral resource reservoir and a population of around 180,000,000 of which approximately 40% are below 30 years of age. Its people are conscientious and its Armed Forces dedicated, patriotic and second to none in professionalism. Only thing we need is to put our act together to surmount present difficulties. Immediate problems of terrorists in FATA areas bordering Afghanistan and bomb blasts in the cities of Pakistan are efforts to demoralize the people and to destabilize the country. We can overcome the situation through our whole hearted support to the Armed Forces and by acting as ears and eyes for security agencies. Every unusual activity observed must be immediately reported as a social and national obligation. As a strong and a vibrant Pakistan will not only guarantee us safety, security and prosperity, but will also help us resolve Kashmir dispute on favorable terms. We owe the responsibility of pulling our selves out of the present turmoil not only for the future of our generations but also for future of the people of Kashmir as the dawn of freedom for them is not far, it might have been obscured by the dust of events.
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Very nice read, India has never accepted Pakistan and we often hear talks of Akhand Bharat to this day. India should learn from USSR which could not hold territories that were ideologically different form herself even though she was a bigger power than India. India took the dispute to UNSC when she found the going hard in Kashmir but now she denies role of UN in Kashmir. It means India is not prepared to give her popular leader and first PM Nehru a listening ear and will track back on it’s founding fathers.
The misfortune of Pakistan was that it’s resources were held up by India at time of partition and army was lead by a british officer who ordered a retreat when the Pak army reached the srinagar during 1948 war. Then again in 1962 US assured to solve this problem and asked Pakistan not to attack Kashmir (funny Obama said last week they don’t have anything to do with Kashmir). Now you can see how bad it is going to affect Pakistan given the water head-works and building of dams and diversion of water to India. I just don’t think India is going to relinquish control of Kashmir peacefully and reality bites.
MAHARAJA WAS STRUGGLING FOR AN INDEPENDENT JAMMU KASHMIR
The beginning of 1942, brought various new
issues and new problems. Following quick Japanese
advance towards Indian border, the British Government
sent Sir Cripps to India to soften Indian sentiments by
promising independence after war, with the right to
session for the Muslim majority provence`s and the
princely order. - ‘
British recognition of the right of Muslim majority provinces to opt out of the so-called Indian federation cheered up those Muslims who disagreed with the establishment of Hindu raj. The Muslim Conference in Kashmir from now on found it Advantageous to line up with Muslim League while the National Conference under the leadership of Sheikh Abdullah (an old friend of Nehru) had inclined towards the Indian National Congress. Instead of leading the national independence movement both parties were working sincerely for the enslavement of their motherland.
The past history of different nations teaches us that whenever the people of a given state stood up against a callous ruler or fascist regime they failed for three main reasons;
1:-People struggled and fought with no political leadership.
2:-The leadership was politically incompetent.
3:-The leadership had its price.
Now if the principles of division of the subcontinent were not ignored and violated by the officers of British Government (Lord Mount Batten and his Civil and Military team), there would have been 562 independent states, an independent Indian states India. But a long planned policy of British imperialism was not in favour of Indian states to remain as independent units outside of India. In 1927, the All India States Peoples conference was formed with a view of attaining responsible Government in the Indian states through representative
Institutions under the aegis of their rulers for eventual integration of states with larger India. Various intrigues were incited in the name of elementary civil rights in a whole series of princely states.In the beginning the Indian National Congress apparently refrained from taking up directly agitation and activity in the Indian states by limiting herself to a policy that ‘the internal struggle of the people must not be made in the name of Congress in the states. For this purpose independent organizations should be started and continued as they exist already in the states,
The Ludhiana session of the All India States Conference was held in February 1939 and Mr. Nehru was elected as president. The Conference declared that ‘the time has come when this struggle should be coordinated with a wider struggle of Indian independence of which it is an integral part.Such an integrated struggle must necessarily be carried on under the guidance of the Congress”.
As time passed by, in between 1944-46 a unique session of National Conference was held at
Sopore in Kashmir on 3 August 1945. The session blessed by the presence of Moulana Azad, Abdul Gaffer Khan(Sarhadi Gandhi) and Pundit Nehru. A meeting of standing Committee of All India States Peoples Conference took place simultaneously under the chairmanship of Mr. Nehru, in which emphasis was laid on the identical nature of political movement in British India and the Indian states.
In June 1946, when Pundit Nehru went to see his old friend Sheikh Abdullah’s trial, Abdullah (Kashmiri Gandhi) was a vice president of All India States People’s Conference.
Addressing the All India Congress Committee on 15th June 1947, Pundit Nehru firmly declared that Congress would not recognize the independence of any state in India. “Further, any recognition of such independence by any foreign power will be considered an unfriendly act”.
Parallel to all India states Peoples Conference, All India Muslim League was organized. States Muslim League was benevolent and neutral towards the ruler’s of Indian States.They were assured that All India States Muslim League recognizes the right of each state to choose its destiny. Also emphasized that their independence will be respected.
Maharaja Hari Singh was well informed about the political situation in the sub-continent.Recognizing the political affiliation and loyalties of Muslim Conference and National Conference, Maharaja had managed to organize another party on 24th of October 1946, “All Jammu and Kashmir state People’s Conference, opposite to All India States Peoples Conference and All India States Muslim League.Maharaja Hari Singh did have an option of signing the instrument of accession before 15th of August 1947, but he chose not to sign any document of accession before that date. He was put under immense pressure from all quarters. At one time he suffered colic pain when the matter was to be thrashed out in a meeting between him and Lord Mount Batten, George Abell, Colonel Web and his Prime Minister.
Indian leader Mr. Gandhi tried his utmost to manipulate the Maharaja to sign the instrument of accession but in vain.All these events point out very clearly that the Maharaja Hari Singh’s scheme of things were set in favour or complete independent, sovereign Jammu and Kashmir state.
But British imperialism had its own agenda to engineer a dispute (over the State of Jammu and Kashmir) by dividing the state between India and Pakistan. And in order to bring forth a quick approval by both countries British imperialists forced a powerless Maharaja Hari Singh (who lost his sovereignty along with a Treaty of Amritsar which ended on 15th of August 1947) to run away from the state by arranging, through Mount Batten, an Indian military invasion from India s side and tribal raids from Pakistan side and thus created a dispute over Kashmir between India and Pakistan with no end in sight.
Hi nadeem,
You are absolutely correct about games being played by British Imperialism.But maharajah Hari Singh was a willing tool of the Britishers as was maharajah of Travancore in south India as was Nawab of Bugti of balochistan etc who all wanted INDEPENDENT KINGDOMS.
Even Indian national Congress under Gandhi and Indian Union Muslim league under Quaid e Azam were also playing the game of British imperialism and big Indian cats like 22 families in India and 7 families in Pakistan.All feared the secular Indian national Army of Nethaji Subhash Bose.The battle cry of INA subdued the religious fervour of Hindus and Muslims and their secret code world was RAM RAHIM TO RECOGNISE EACH OTHER.
That is why British created Jamaat e Islami under Maulana Maudoodi and RSS under Guru Golwalker to serve the British war effort. Both supported the Britsh war effort and opposed quit india movement.
Even now USA is working on a plan of Independent Kashmir which is not the case of UN resolution which gives option of only joining either Pakistan or India.
Why does everyone here think Pakistan is innocent and “Dhoodh ka Dhula”? Everyone is cunning but not Pakistan eh? What ludicrous propaganda.
Under the agreement between India and Pakistan, the Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh would be given an opportunity to discuss with both sides and come to an agreement. But the evil Pakistan could not wait and sent tribals and Army disguised as tribals into Kashmir through the backdoor just like Kargil (They are really good at cunning ways, can’t never fight face to face like men)
That is when Hari Singh implored to Nehru to help him but even then Nehru put his foot down and said we cannot do anything legally till the King signs the Instrument of Accession. When Maharaja Hari Singh signed the instrument of accession in the presence of Patel and Mountbatten who arrived in Jammu from Rangoon, the Indian Army intervened.
If your country is so godammned pure, why don’t you check your track record of governance? Military coups, hangings, assassinations and democracy killed! Now you will say that India is involved in all the Military coups of Pakistan! LOL what a bunch of losers! Sore losers!