Azad J&K Gets what It Opted For in Oct 1947. India Should Keep Off: Lalit K Kaul

 

Azad J&K Gets what It Opted For in Oct 1947. India Should Keep Off

Lalit K Kaul

Nation States founded on an irrational ideology are bound to have an unpleasant existence with uncertain future and forgettable past. A (community of) people who derive their entity/uniqueness solely from their  religion while derecognizing their cultural, linguistic and ethnic dimensions becomes intrinsically intolerant to a heterogeneous society which could be multi-religious with common ethnicity, language (with various dialects) and overlapping cultures (due to geographical and environmental differences) in the region. This heterogeneous society could be multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious and with diverse cultures, like Indian society.

A Nation defined solely on the basis of religion has the weakest foundation because religion is ever changeable as witnessed in the history of human civilizations. Many religions have evolved since the birth of this universe and people have adopted new Faith while renouncing the old one, but not so with their ethnicity and associated language and culture. While languages and cultures too have evolved with time (having been influenced by alien cultures and languages) but were never renounced for some alien culture and language.

Azad J&K is the baby of ‘Two Nation Theory’, the undeniably irrational ideology ever to have been practiced in the history of the existence of human civilizations. Those who initiated the creation of Azad J&K remained convinced that Pakistan (founded on Kalma) was going to be their community’s sole emancipator. It was a conscientious political decision made by the followers of Islam who put their faith in “Muslim Brotherhood” as against secular governance of the then Maharaja or the Indian Dominion. It was their decision and so it must be their business to face the consequences of it.

At the time of the partition of India in 1947, the princely states were left with the options of joining India or Pakistan or remaining independent. Hari Singh, the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, wanted his state to remain independent. Muslims in the western districts of the Jammu province (current day Azad Kashmir) and in the Frontier Districts province (current day Gilgit-Baltistan) had wanted to join Pakistan.

Azad J&K Movement:

Azad Kashmir (Free Kashmir) was the title of a pamphlet issued by the Muslim Conference party at its 13th general session held in 1945 at Poonch. It declared that the Muslims of J&K were committed to the Muslim League’s struggle for a separate homeland (Pakistan), and that the Muslim Conference was the sole representative organisation of the Muslims of Kashmir. Then  on 19 July 1947, the party workers assembled at the house of Sardar Ibrahim Khan demanding that the Maharaja accede to Pakistan.

Soon afterward, Sardar Ibrahim Khan  escaped to Pakistan and led the Poonch Rebellion from there, with the assistance of Pakistan's prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan and other officials. In September 1947, an uprising against the maharaja broke out in Poonch, an area bordering the Rawalpindi Division  of West Punjab. The area's population, swelled by the then demobilised soldiers after WW II, rebelled against the maharaja's forces and gained control of almost the entire district. Liaquat Ali Khan appointed a committee headed by Mian Iftikharuddin  to draft a "declaration of freedom".

Following this victory, the pro-Pakistan chieftains of the western districts of Muzaffarabad, Poonch and Mirpur proclaimed a provisional Azad J&K in Rawalpindi on 3 October 1947. Ghulam Nabi Gilkar, under the assumed name "Mr. Anwar," issued a proclamation in the name of the provisional government in Muzaffarabad. However, this government quickly fizzled out with the arrest of Anwar in Srinagar.

On 21 October, several thousand Pashtun tribesmen from North-West Frontier Province poured into Jammu and Kashmir to help with the rebellion against the maharaja’s rule. They were led by experienced military leaders and were equipped with modern arms. The maharaja’s crumbling forces were unable to withstand the onslaught. The tribesmen captured the towns of Muzaffarabad and Baramulla.

On 24^th October, a second provisional government of Azad Kashmir was established at Palandri  under the leadership of Sardar Ibrahim Khan .

[The intervention of India post Maharaja signing Instrument of Accession is not relevant to this piece and nor is the UN Resolution. The content in the aforesaid lines establish a historical fact that Azad J&K took birth at the initiative of Muslims in that region.]

Pakistan’s Barbarism in Azad J&K: The Reason

What’s fundamental to the regimes (irrespective of  whether it is a democratic state or a kingdom) in Arabic/Muslim countries is that the ruler (Prime Minister/President/King) is an ambassador/servant of Allah and who is administering a territory of Allah (Allah is declared to be owner of All that exists) as per His commands as prescribed in Al Quran. Therefore Al Quran is the guiding principle and hence the ‘Constitution’. As stated very clearly by the Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman in his chat with a press correspondent on ‘Vision 2030’ that his Constitution is Al Quran.

Therefore, since the ruler is ruling for and on behalf of Allah no questions by his subjects  shall be entertained and none answered because Allah prohibits questioning. Because Allah is All Knower and therefore He cannot be questioned. History of the existence of Pakistan certifies it. Islam prohibits questioning from “believers” because only “dis-believers” question and that’s why they are doomed to ‘Fires of Hell’. So, if anybody/any group questions the ruler, they all are doomed to ‘Fires of Hell’ and that ‘Hell’ is creatable on this planet itself as it helps reduce burden on Allah to judge people on the ‘Judgement Day’.

The 1955 Poonch uprising:

Major causes of the rebellion were the demand of the local people for autonomy in administrative, political representation and budgetary affairs. A resistance movement seeking a more democratic state of Azad Kashmir had been active since September 1950. When Sardar Ibrahim Khan protested, his government was dismissed.

General elections were held in 1952. Sher Ahmad Khan took office as the President of Azad Kashmir. Sardar Abdul Qayyum  was also part of the cabinet. However, after the passing of the Azad Kashmir Rules of Business in October 1952, all executive power was vested in the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs (Pakistan).

A revolt erupted in Rawalakot and Palandri in the Poonch district as a reaction to this action by the Pakistani State. The conflict lasted from February 1955 until late 1956. The Pakistani government responded by deploying the Punjab Constabulary and military contingents to suppress the armed opposition. The 17-month intense conflict involved artillery fire, destruction of properties, and the arrest of key rebellion leaders across Rawalakot and Palandri. State control and order were eventually restored by late 1956 following crackdowns and subsequent political settlements.

Later on Sardar Abdul Qayyum and Sardar Ibrahim Khan were to write:

Sardar Abdul Qayyum wrote , "In 1955 when police were brought in from the Punjab, what they did here is a black stain on our history... When in 1956 I became the president I got a chance to reduce their grievances. Hence a number of people who were in prison and suffering distress were released.... but those whose homes were burnt out were not compensated. Although to reduce their sorrows in sympathy, I gave them bits of money.”

On the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, Sardar Ibrahim Khan exclaimed, "The Ministry played havoc with the Azad Kashmir movement and had it finally liquidated to the satisfaction of all bureaucrats in Pakistan." On democracy in AJK, he also stated, "It is like hell. It is the worst example of democracy.... It has not served Kashmiris at all. It has always divided [them] and made them fight amongst themselves."

It has been the Tradition:

So, the way Pakistani rulers have been responding to the ongoing protests in Azad J&K is in the culture of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It’s Islamic Law. No questioning the rulers because they are working for and on behalf of Allah. Islam approves of No Human Rights! Because a “believer” cannot place a demand on Allah (Ruler in material world)! Allah (Ruler) gives as much as He decides because He knows the requirements of all “believers”.

Why is India crying foul?

The fundamental nature of a “believer” is anti “dis-believer” because this enmity is cultivated in them due to Islam’s Ideology. India came to the rescue of the residents of erstwhile East Pakistan and thereafter cooperated with newly born B’desh for achieving its political stability and economic growth. To what end? Traitors to the cause of Humanity are followers of Islam because Life is ‘Hereafter’ and for enjoying Hoors in Jannah, destruction has to be caused on this planet.

Let Azad J&K resolve her issues with Pakistan; both are Islamic and Azad J&K, like Pakistan, was born out of hatred for Hindus and Hindu India. India should have nothing to with Azad J&K. Because “dis-believers” and “believers” are like 2 poles of the Earth which can never meet with each other, except when the ruler (rules for and on behalf of Allah) decides like those in Middle East countries.