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| Geelani & Co has no moral right to oppose division of J&K | | News ANALYSIS-II | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Sept 8: The Kashmiri Muslim leadership did not regard even the Muslims of Jammu province as part of their struggle against the Treaty of Amritsar. It did not trust the Muslims of this province because they were ethnically different and because they belonged to different culture. The memoranda and petitions submitted by the Kashmiri Muslim leadership and their supporters in British India and Muslim League to the British Government and the Crown representatives in Jammu and Kashmir from time to time eloquently proved their vehement opposition to the Amritsar Treaty and formation of Jammu and Kashmir State and distrust in the Jammu Muslims. The resolutions and petitions submitted by the Kashmiri leadership did not even once voice the grievances of the Muslims of Jammu province. The Muslims of Jammu province, like the Hindus of the province and the Maharaja, were aliens to the Kashmiri Muslim leadership.
The Kashmiri leadership, undoubtedly, had soft corner for the Europeans and the Muslims inhabiting other parts of British India. The leadership unambiguously and unequivocally showed concern only for safeguarding and promoting the regional interest of Kashmir and aspirations of the Muslims of Kashmir. They showed absolutely no interest in the people inhabiting other regions of the state, as is the case today. The present plight of the Jammu Muslims, the Jammu Hindus and other non-Muslim minorities in the state makes things crystal clear.
Right from the beginning, the Kashmiri Muslim leadership adopted a rather discriminatory attitude towards the people of Jammu province. The under-representation in the Assembly and the state services of the Jammu Hindus and Muslims is sufficient to prove the oft-repeated charge that they are being grossly neglected and discriminated against in every sphere and in every walk of life. A visit to the Doda area and Poonch and Rajouri districts in the Jammu region would help any impartial investigator reach a conclusion that the people of these areas, mostly Muslims, are languishing for want of patronage.
That the Kashmiri Muslim leadership regarded the Maharaja and the Hindus of Jammu region "aliens" and that it hated and denounced them in downright language is evident from the poem in Urdu published in the Lahore-based Kashmiri Magazine. There are hundreds and hundreds of such poems available.
The said poem, when translated into English, would read like this:
"The maharaja of Hindu religion is the ruler of our country" (read Kashmir).
"Our affairs are in the hands of aliens."
"For this reason our life and death is in the grip of their hands."
"Funds for schools and madrassas are being raised from us."
"But other nationalities benefit by them."
"A Brahmin wins Maharaja's favours because he is of the same faith."
"For this reason we receive no honour in the court of the Maharaja."
"To be sure the majority of the State Subjects are Mohammdans."
"But this numerical superiority did not raise our fortune in balance."
That the approach of the Kashmiri Muslim leadership had become totally sectarian and parochial could also be seen from the demands it put forth from time to time between 1846 and 1946. A reference here to just 11 instances in this regard would be in order.
One: The Revenue and Settlement Departments be reorganized with Kashmiri Muslims occupying the offices of the Revenue Member (read Revenue Minister), the provincial Governors, the Wazir-e-Wazarats (read Deputy Commissioners) and the Tehsildars". "This", according to the Kashmiri Muslim leadership, "would save the poor cultivators from wholesale corruption and extortions practiced by the Revenue and Settlement Departments consisted exclusively of Hindus with the sole exception of one Secretary to the Government."
Two: "The Police Department should be reorganized in order to restore confidence among the Muslims of Kashmir to whom it appeared highly dangerous that the police department should be manned by the Hindus who look upon the Muslims as their natural enemies. Unless and until the Hindus were removed from the department, the usefulness of the highly competent and experienced British and Muslim officials would be greatly neutralized. Further steps should be taken to devise a system in which a host of mischievous and dishonest Hindu subordinates, who miss no opportunity of vilifying the Muslim community, are replaced."
Three: "Hindi should not be introduced in the State schools and offices" for, according to the Kashmiri Muslim leadership, "this measure is bound to create a split and bitterness between the Hindus and Muslims."
Four: "The question of proprietary rights of land be settled for all and the Muslims of Kashmir restored to their due proprietary rights."
Five: "The Muslim element in the State Council be increased in proportion to the population of Kashmir province" (read Kashmiri Muslims).
Six: "Further recruitment of Hindus in all grades of service should be stopped henceforth and to enable the Muslims of Kashmir to receive their legitimate share in the administration of the state all the vacancies in all the departments caused by retirement, death or dismissal of the present incumbents henceforth be reserved for local Muslims (read Kashmiri Muslims). In case a local Muslim of requisite qualification and abilities is not available, a Muslim may be imported from outside who would be of independent character and temporarily appointed till a local Muslim of requisite qualifications is available." (To be continued) |
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