Note: Every Indian youth should be aware of this story. It’s an article with a political and emotional hue. It will clear to a extend why the likes of Arundhati Roy are opposing the Indian domination of the valley of Kashmir.
Plebiscite – a vote by inhabitants of a region, to decide a question of importance concerning them.
Who am I ? I am Kashmir. Once called the paradise on earth today I am a hell on earth. Don’t know when this never ending pain will get over. The Blood, murders, suppression, hatred ………uuhhh the list is long so maybe some other day. The question is “Why I am here?” I am feeling like sharing a page from my personal history with you. It’s the story that explains why I have gone through unbearable agony through decades .The story of extreme betrayal and starting of unending journey of hatred between India and Pakistan. I was quite ecstatic on 15 August 1947 when I and about 500 of princely sibling states of mine were free and independent of the British rule, on our own. Our rulers were given a free choice of joining Pakistan, India or being independent countries. While most of the princely states moved on to become a part of union of India after the persuasion (better said a threatening persuasion) by then Minister for Home and States Affairs Vallabhbhai Patel who had the responsibility of welding the British Indian provinces and the princely states into a united India.
The then reining ruler of mine King Hari Singh was in favour of letting me being an independent state. Like me Bhopal, Travancore and Hyderabad announced that they did not intend to join either dominion. Junagarh decieded to be with Pakistan. It was quite a turbulent times. What was coming was rather imaginable but not expected by Pakistan or others. The unfair policies of India which were going to be displayed in their full glory.
The story of betrayal started with an irony. I was ruled by a Hindu ruler but my inhabited by majority were Muslims and I wanted to be an independent state. At the same time The Nawab of Junagadh, a princely state located on the south-western end of Gujarat was a Muslim but the majority of its inhabitants was Hindus and wanted to join Pakistan.
A silent deal was getting created in the mind of Patel that if Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Then Pakistan’s president) let India have Junagadh and Hyderabad (which wanted to be an independent state and was supported by Pakistan), Patel would not object to me(Kashmir) acceding to Pakistan .A speech by Patel at the Bahauddin College in Junagadh following the latter's take-over, where he said that "we would agree to Kashmir if they agreed to Hyderabad and junagarh", suggests that he may have been amenable to this idea.
The Junagarh Story
The Junagarh Story
Junagadh, having no common border with Pakistan, arguing that it could be reached from Pakistan by sea, signed a letter of accession to Pakistan. Pakistan supported it and was ready to accept it as its own state. Eventually India refused to accept the accession. The government of India called for a plebiscite to decide the question of accession, Pakistan agreed and was taken into confidence that the same will be done for me, the state of Kashmir. But simultaneously, they cut off supplies of fuel and coal to Junagadh, severed air and postal links, sent troops to the frontier. On 7 November 1947, Junagadh's court, facing collapse, invited the Government of India to take over the State's administration. The Government of India agreed. A plebiscite was conducted in February 1948, which went almost unanimously in favor of accession to India, which India knew very well. The Great Hyderabad Coup
Pakistan played by rules and supported the Hyderabad willingness to be an independent country. Hyderabad which was landlocked by India from all sides was strangled by Indian government and all roads leading to Hyderabad were blocked suffocating it to its natural death. Pakistan raised its voice against it but was silenced and convinced that if Pakistan let India have Hyderabad India will conduct a plebiscite in Kashmir. Baffled Hyderabad ran to attempted to approach the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice. Again they suggested a plebiscite. The Indian leaders got bewildered and seeking the international pressures falling upon it rules and policies were changed overnight and an army mission Operation Polo was launched, the troops met little resistance and within 2 days took complete control of the state. Despite vehement protests from Pakistan and strong criticism from other countries, Hyderabad was absorbed into India.
Finally My (Kashmir) Abduction
This created a stir in Pakistani political class and they were failed to understand the extremes of Indian cunning political policies that the Indian leaders were creating to get most of the disputed land by hook or crook. But then also the leaders of the newly formed Pakistan were playing by rules and were expecting for a plebiscite in the valley of Kashmir as decided while doing the same for junagarh but it never happened and with a shameless nod the Indian states refused for the same. The shocked public of Pakistan revolted. At that time a Pathan tribesmen from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan crossed the border and entered into my lands. The invaders made rapid progress towards my capital Srinagar. The Hindu Maharaja of mine wrote to India, asking for military assistance. India made him sign forcefully, Instrument of Accession. The Maharaja complied, but Nehru declared that it would have to be confirmed by a Plebiscite, which was said to silence the international bodies that were voicing against the forceful domination of mine by India . The plebiscite was never held, and on 26 January 1950, the Constitution of India came into force in Kashmir.
PS: How many Indians know this story? , This is not a story but historical facts wide open out there on the net, Wikipedia, books, records………. , Till today no plebiscite has been done. Pakistan knows it and feel betrayed, my inhabitants know it and feel insecure and suppressed but the Indian population isn’t aware. What they are aware are of the dialogs “doodh mango toh kheer denge , Kashmir manga to cheer denge” from some sunny deol flick. They hate Pakistan for no fault of theirs, the propaganda is so huge, and the hatred machine in India is running at its glory through Political speeches, anti Pakistani movies, Rival cricket matches and what not. The likes of Arundhati Roy know the truth but are suppressed to their core. It’s difficult to digest for Indian population but if today plebiscite happens I will be a part of Pakistan. And that I believe explains why there are more army personnel than my own inhabitants on my land.