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| A Look through the mist | | People of Jammu & Kashmir have seen six decades of uncertainty | | Daya Sagar | 11/1/2011 10:32:10 PM |
| Maharaja Hari Singh , the only designated authority under the Indian Independence Act 1947 and Government of India Act 1935 as adopted by the then Governor General of India, signed unconditional instrument of accession in 26th October 1947 in favour of Independent Dominion of India ( had handed over the Instrument of Accession after signing to V. P. Menon, Secretary in States Ministry of Government of India ) and Lord Mountbatten GGOI formally accepted the Instrument Accession on 27 Oct. The First contingent of Indian troops landed at Srinagar airport in the morning of 27 Oct 1947. Sheikh Abdullah was invited by Maharaja to work as head of the emergency administration on 30th Oct 1947 along with the Dewan /Prime Minister of the Maharaja. In October 1948 a special Convention of NC endorsed the decision of Maharaja for accession to India. It said Kashmir can not find its proper place in Pakistan, a citadel of reaction and decaying feudalism
Most of the area of Jammu Province of Maharaja's J&K fell to Pakistan after 26 October 1947 . Except Muzaffarabad all area of Kashmir Province had been cleared of the Pakistani raiders by 10th November 1947. Most of the area of J&K was lost after 10th November. Mirpur fell on 25-11-1947. Where will now people trace Mirpur from the laps of Mangla Dam for their "great grand children?"
Relations between Maharaja and Sheikh Mohd Abdullah did not remain normal.. Government of India did accede to wills of Sheikh. Maharaja's Dewan Mehar Chand Mahajan was nearly made defunct. He was replaced by Sheikh Abdullah as Prime Minister .
It was on 1-1-1948 that India approached United Nations Organisation to stop Pakistan from aiding the raiders in Kashmir. UN Security Council passed a resolution on 17-1-1948 resolution requesting India and Pakistan to desist from aggravating the situation in J&K. With no result coming the Security Council appointed a three member UN Commission on India and Pakistan ( UNCIP) Commission on 20-01-1948 to settle Kashmir issue.
For Maharaja the conditions were bad on the borders as well as with the State since Sheikh Abdullah had not still set aside his Quit Kashmir campaign against Maharaja Hari Singh. Maharaja announced on 5-03-1948 that a popular government will be there in State. Maharaja issued a proclamation on 5-03-1948 for convening of National Assembly. Through National assembly power was to be transferred to representatives of the people with Maharaja as the Constitution local head for local governance with in the Indian State of J&K . Interim Government was also set up with Sheikh Abdullah as Prime Minister.
UN Security Council asked India and Pakistan on 21-04-1948 to with draw troops from J&K. It was on 13-08-1948 that UN Commission for India & Pakistan presented a proposal for cease fire in Kashmir to India and Pakistan. Sheikh Abdullah along with three others was nominated by the Maharaj of Indian Princely State to take part in the Constituent assembly of India .It was exactly after one year of going to UNO on 1-1-1949 that India declared unilateral ceasefire with the intruders from across the borders of J&K. India & Pakistan accepted ceasefire formally on 5-01-1949. UNCIP presented a final truce proposal 27-1-1949 .Military representatives of India and Pakistan agreed in Karachi for a workable ceasefire.
It was 1st May 1949 that Sardar Patel suggested Hari Singh for a temporary exit from the State in a meeting at Delhi. It was suggested that Yuvraj Karan Singh be appointed as Regent by Maharaja in his absence. Maharaja accepted the same and communicated his consent while he was staying in Imperial Hotel New Delhi. He placed some security and economy related conditions before Patel on 6-05-1949. Sardar Patel, Home Minister of India, assured Maharaja on 23-05-1949 of the security of Yuvraj Karan Singh as Regent and representative of Maharaja in Kashmir. Karan Singh came to Srinagar on 20 June 1949 for the first time as Regent. And the temporary exit of Hari Singh from J&K became his permanent exit after delegating royal powers of His Highness to Yuvraj Karan Singh.
UN Security Council resolved on 24-2-1950 to wind up UN Commission on India and Pakistan and a send a UN representative in Kashmir. Sir Owen Dixon, a Judge of Australian High Court took over the duties of UN Representative in Kashmir on 27-05-1950. Sir Dixon presented a report on 27-10-1950 to UN Security Council saying there were no immediate prospects of India and Pakistan settling their differences on Kashmir. Security Council again took up Kashmir issue on 28-02-1951 and it was on 1-05-1951 that Dr. Frank Grahm was appointed as UN mediator between India and Pakistan.
In October 1950 General Council of National Conference had also given its a Constituent Assembly when convened to decide on all vital issues concerning future of J&K. Yuvraj Karan Singh as Head of J&K State issued a proclamation on 1-05-1951 for elections to Constituent Assembly of J&K. The Constituent Assembly was to devise a Constitution for future governess .
In the mean time on 19-12-1951 Dr. Frank Grahm submitted a report to UN. Jawahar Lal Nehru even visited Karachi for talks on 25-07-1952 . The conditions remained without any visible reform in the mindset of Pakistan. The people of J&K were in distress and under confusion. Those displaced from Pakistan Occupied areas of J&K were living in illusion and were helplessly waiting for the exit of invaders from POK.
Even internal conditions in J&K were fast changing. It was in early 1953 that attitude of Sheikh Abdullah showed some apparent unpleasant difference to wards India. Mr. Ghulam Mohd Sadiq was at that the President of J&K Constituent Assembly and Bakshi Ghulam Mohd was the Dy Prime Minister in the government of Sheikh Mohd Abdullah. It was in the same period that Dr. Grahm reported failure of Geneva talks on Kashmir to UN Security Council on 31-03-1953.
Government of India also smelled some non cooperation on the part of Sheikh Mohd Abdullah. As a result Sheikh Abdullah was dismissed by Regent (Sadar e Riyasat) Yuv Raj Karan Singh and was arrested on 9-08-1953. Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad succeeded Sheikh Abdullah as the new Prime Minister .
The elected Constituent Assembly of J&K was on job and it also resoled in favour of the 26th Oct 1947 accession of J&K with India on 6-02-1954 as was signed by Maharaja Hari Singh .
Since the J&K Constitution had not yet been framed, the economic affairs of the State were not stable, It was for this reason that recommendations were incorporated in Indian Constitution through Presidential Economic Development & Planning Order issued on 14-05-1954 to enable the J&K State secure financial assistance from GOI . A year after that on 13-05-1955 Pakistan Prime Minister Mohd Ali and Minister for Interior Iskandar Mirza visited New Delhi for talks with the aim to secure peaceful coexistence of India and Pakistan. But the intentions were not revealing worth a solution. Mohd. Ali on his return to Karachi on 18-05-1955 named the talks neither a failure nor a success. J&K Constituent Assembly also unanimously passed a part of the constitution on 30-10-1956 defining the State of J&K as an integral part of Union of India. In 1957 the Constitution of J&K came into effect. But the international community kept on siding with Pakistan and did not label Pakistan as aggressor. Pakistan even rejected Jarrings proposal of 17-11-1957 for referring Kashmir question to International Court of Justice. In the mean time in September 1960 Nehru, Ayub Khan and Vice President World Bank jointly signed Indus Water Treaty.
Unfortunately for the people of J&K China too entered the scene and looked for an ally in Pakistan. Chinese troops opened fire on Indian troops near Dhola in NEFA and in Ladakh areas. Chinese attack heavily on 20 October 1962 and India lost Tawang in NEFA on 25-10-1962. Indo Pak talks on matters including Kashmir were going on in Karachi at ministerial levels on 27-12-1962 but Pakistan and China also signed boundary agreement on 28-12-1962.
Political plans kept on changing in an the environment of uncertain policies of Delhi as regards J&K. Ghulam Mohmmed Sadiq took over as Prime Minister of J&K from Mr. Shamas u Din in February 1964 . On 20-03-1964 UN SC again resumed debate on Kashmir. Sheikh Mohmmed Abdullah was released from jail on 8-04-1964 . Sheikh Abdullah was allowed to go Pakistan on 24-05-1964 and he met Ayub Khan in Rawalpindi but no fruitful results came.
On 9-06-1964 Lal Bahadur Shastri was sworn as PM of India. Bhakshi Ghulam Mohammed was arrested on 22-09-1964 in Srinagar by Sadiq to save his Government. Shastri and Ayub also met in Karachi. And it was in May 1965 Sheikh and Mirza Afrzal Beg were again detained in Ooty under Defence of India rules. Pakistan opened a new chapter when it attacked in Chhamb Sector on 1-09-1965 . The 1947 attack by Pakistan / Pakistan sponsored invaders on J&K appeared losing its significance before the international community. UN SC adopted on 20-09-1965 a ceasefire resolution and India and Pakistan again agreed to a general ceasefire from 03:30 a.m. IST . Lal Bahadur Shastri and Ayub Khan met in Tashkant. As a result of Tashkant Conference from 4 to 10 January Tashkant Declaration was signed on 11 January 1966. Lal Bahadur also died in Tashkant under mysterious circumstances same day. Face has much changed after 1971 and 1999 Indo Pak wars. Deliberations that followed Shimla Agreement too did not end the uncertainties .The role of UN and Indian Complaint as of 1-1-1948 virtually lost its significance for attending to the aggression that for all technical reasons was made on India by Pakistan. After 1989 eruption of Militancy in J&K mass migration from Kashmir valley no any workable exercise has been done even for solving the internal confusions and questions. Common man has been pushed more into confusions by the manner the J&K affairs have been handled so far by not segregating the internal issues from the extra territorial / foreign ideology issue like reorganizations of J&K / Autonomy Resolution and Self Rule.
Those who came to this side of Line of actual Control from POK have almost been forgotten by Government of India where as they should have been the first displaced persons to be attended to. Where will now people trace Mirpur in the laps of Mangla Dam after 64 Years ? So, any more time lost in not attending to the J&K issues truthfully and with commitment would prove fatal.
. (*Daya Sagar is a social activist and leading coloumnist on J&K Affairs [email protected] 9419796096) |
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