A brief general knowledge about Jammu and Kashmir
originally posted to The Facebook page of Syed Ali Shah Geelani
Buddhism was introduced in Kashmir in about 245 BC.
Ruled by independent Rajas upto: 1325
Muslim Sultans: 1325 to 1585
Mughals Rulers: 1586 to 1752
Afghan Rulers: 1752 to 1819
Sikh Rulers: 1819 to 1846
Sale of Kashmir to Dogras Under Amritsar Treaty: 16th March, 1846
Movement against repressive measures of Dogra Raja Hari Singh: 1931
Launching of All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference by Shiekh Muhammad Abudallah :1932
National Conference: 1939
National Conference launched Quit Kashmir Movement: 1946
Partition of Indian sub-continent: 14 August, 1947
Popular revolt began against the repressive rules Of Maha Raja and an independent government Was Proclaimed in the liberated territories: 24 th October, 1947
The Heaven Split
1.
Pakistan and India came into existence as independent states in
August, 1947. The principle of partition was specified in the plan :
The all Muslim majority areas were to constitute part of Pakistan and
similarly the Hindu majority areas were to go to India . Besides, the
565 princely States at that time including the State of Jammu and
Kashmir were given the option either to join Pakistan or India . Such
joining to either State was to be determined by the geographical
contiguity and communal composition of the population. The State of
Jammu and Kashmir with a 77 % Muslims majority (according to 1941
Census)should gave acceded to Pakistan.
2. The
Maharaja of Kashmir entered into a stand-still agreement with the
Government of Pakistan on 15 th August, 1947 and decided to continue
all the arrangements that had till than existed between the Jammu and
Kashmir and the British Government. It was assumed that this was the
prelude to the full accession of the State to Pakistan.
3.
However, the Maharaja of Kashmir took certain measures which
betrayed his intention of not acceding to Pakistan . Particularly
important was his order that Muslims in the State should surrender
their arms, followed by the disarming of Muslims in the police and the
State army. These measures resulted in an insurrection by the people
of Kashmir against the Maharaja. The insurrection which started in
August, 1947 gained momentum in September and on 24 th of October the
Azad Kashmir Government was formally proclaimed.
4.
The Maharaja of Kashmir, making this insurrection an excuse and
accusing Pakistan for having organized the invasion by the Pathan
tribesmen acceded the state to India on 26 th of October and asked it
for military help. Indian troops were flown to Srinagar on 27 th Of
October and launched an offensive against the Muslims who had refused
to accept the State's accession.
The so-called accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India has no legal and moral footings for the following reasons :-
i) It was contrary to wishes of the people.
ii)
The existence of an earlier stand-still agreement created a legal
bar to the ruler's capacity to alter the existing position
unilaterally.
iii) At the time he offered accession to India ,
the ruler himself had fled the State and a peoples government had
taken the control over large portion of the territory of the state.
The
Indian acceptance of the accession of Jammu and Kashmir was
conditional. The Governor-General of India while conveying acceptance
of Maharaja's request wrote
“ In consistence with their policy
that, in the case of any state where the issue of accession has been
subject of dispute, the question of accession should be decided in
accordance with the wishes of the people of the State, It is my
government's wish that as soon as law and order have been restored in
Kashmir and her soil cleared of the invaders, the question of
State's should be settled by a reference to the people”.
Similar assurance was given by the Indian Prime Minister to the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
In
1947, India and Pakistan went to war over Kashmir . During the war,
India brought the issue before the Security Council on January 1,
1948. It pleaded that Pakistan was responsible for creating
disturbance in Kashmir and wanted the Security Council to ask
Pakistan to with draw the tribesmen who had entered the State. The
Security Council did not endorse the Indian position and in its
resolution of 17 th January, 1948 appealed to the parties to improve
the atmosphere and to refrain from doing anything that might aggravate
the situation.
Simultaneously the Indian Government
intensified its military build up and operations in Kashmir and
launched a full scale offensive in order to impose military solution
in Kashmir,
The United Nations Commission on India and Pakistan
(UNCIP) was established through Security Council resolution on 20 th
January, 1948, which was reconstituted on 21 st April, 1948 through
another resolution and instructed “ to proceed at once to the
sub-continent”. The resolution provided for a plebiscite by India and
Pakistan , acting in cooperation with each other and with the
Commission.
Commission Action:
The United Commission
on India and Pakistan arrived in the sub-continent on 7th July,
1948 and immediately engaged in consultation with the Indian and
Pakistan authorities. After undertaking the survey of the situation,
the Commission adopted a resolution on 13 th August, 1948, containing
the proposals for ceasefire order, truce agreement and
re-affirmation of the desire for a plebiscite in Kashmir . The
Commission also decided that It will appoint military observers to
supervise the observance of the ceasefire order. The UNCIP resolution
of 13th August, 1948 was accepted by both India and Pakistan.
Appointment of Military Observers:
On
19 the November, 1948, the Commission received an urgent
communication from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan concerning
reinforcement of Indian troops in Kashmir and attacks by those
troops against positions held by forces of Azad Kashmir.
After
series of contact with the representative of both the governments,
the UNCIP sent its final recommendations to India and Pakistan on
December 11, 1948. Both the governments accepted the UNCIP proposals
and recommendations of the Commission were subsequently adopted in
UNCIP resolution dated 5 th January, 1949.
