FOCUS-MAY 2022

KASHMIR FILES: THE WHOLE TRUTH! There is this video going round in the social media. PV Narasimha Rao, who was the Prime Minister of India during 1991-1996 sends a special emissary to the United Nations, the then opposition leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to represent India on the troubled Kashmir issue. Addressing the General Assembly of the UN, Vajpayee states, “Before beginning my talk I want to tell you something about Rishi Kashyap, after whom Kashmir is named. Rishi Kashyap was walking through a thick forest and saw a beautiful lake. On seeing the lake, he thought ‘what a good opportunity to have a bath’. He took off his clothes, put them aside on the bank of the pond and got into the lake for taking bath. When he got out and wanted to dress, he found that his clothes were not there. It had vanished. A Pakistani had stolen them.” Vajpayee paused for a while. The Pakistani representative, who was present in the UN General Assembly jumped on his feet furiously and shouted “what are you talking about? You are lying. There was no Pakistan during Rishi Kashyap’s period. When Pakistan was not in existence then, how Pakistani could have stolen Rishi Kashyap’s clothes?” Vajpayee smiled and replied “Now that our Pakistani friend has made it clear that Pakistan was not there when Kashmir came into existence, still they claim that Kashmir belongs to them. How strange! I will begin my speech saying that Kashmir has been an integral part of India all along”. It is another matter that the assembly broke into a roaring applause at the ingenuity of Vajpayee, the Indian representative. Then, comes along a former Chief Minister of Kashmir who is also a senior Congressman of eminence, Ghulam Nabi Azad. He confesses on a video that has gone viral, “Original jitne bhi musalman hai Kashmiri mein, o sab convert huye hai Kashmiri Pandithonse” – ‘All those who call themselves as original Muslims of Kashmir, are all converted from Kashmiri Pandits’. “Main kahta hoon ki 600 saal pahle merey buzurg bhi Kashmiri Pandith the”- ‘I am saying that before 600 years even my forefathers also were Kashmiri Pandits’. “Mai Parliament mein kahunga, unko sharam aathi hai, nahee aathi hai, lekin itihaas jo hai vo theek kehena chahiye”. ‘I am prepared to tell in Parliament, whether others are ashamed to admit it, or not ashamed to admit it, the history has to tell the truth’. “Unke sabee leaders aur sabee partyonke leaders 600 saal pehle sabee Kashmiri Pandits thhe”. –‘All their leaders and leaders of all parties before 600 years were all Kashmiri Pandits’. “Kashmiri Pandit maare gaye, tabaah barbaad hogaye unse koyi inkaar nahee. Kashmiri Panditonke bagair Kashmir Adhuraa hai, incomplete”. – ‘That Kashimiri Pandits have been thrashed attacked destroyed and liquidated cannot be denied. Without Kashmiri Pandits Kashmir is incomplete’. The above two anecdotes put the issue of Kashmir in some kind of a logical perspective. History of Kashmir, from 10th century up to 1300, informs, the reign of Emperor Ashoka and other rulers from beyond the Khyber. Collapse of the local ruling family in Kashmir led to a Ladhaki Tibetan Buddhist named Prince Rinchin taking over the reins of Srinagar. He wanted to become a Hindu so that he becomes close to his people. But sadly, the Kashmiri Pandits refused to make him a Hindu. According to them, he could not become a Hindu because they could not decide which caste he should join on conversion. Thus the curse of caste had its spell even as early as 14th century. According to some historians, Prince Rinchin became a Muslim and a sequence of Muslim dynasties began to rule over Kashmir since early 14th century. Muslim rule continued until Ranjit Singh defeated Afghani rulers. Like Christianity spread in Europe after the conversion of Roman Emperor Kashmiris followed their rulers, if not all, most of them. Dogras, who were the army heads in Ranjit Singh reign, fell out with Sikh rulers after Ranjit Singh and helped the Britishers in their war with Sikhs. With such rulers, what chance Hindus could have a case! Britishers gifted Kashmir to Dogras as a reward. So a Hindu ruler came back to Kashmir. But his subjects, in the meanwhile, were more Muslims than Hindus. As always Muslims were unhappy being ruled by non-Muslims. Thus Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah became a product of evolving Kashmir. His grandfather was born a Hindu Pandit, whose family converted to Islam in 1766. Born in 1905, Sheikh Abdullah was probably the most educated of his time in Kashmir. After a post graduation from Aligarh Muslim University in 1931 he approached Maharaja Hari Singh’s office for a government job in civil service. He was rejected. This probably was a historic mistake of the Maharaja. Sheikh Abdullah manages to become a teacher in a government school in Srinagar and gets into public life to fight for Kashmiri’s right and formed a political outfit Muslim Conference. His higher education, tall built, sonorous voice endeared him to Kashmiris and he became their natural leader, to fight for them. However in March 1938, he changed the name of the party as National Conference, since he was very secular in his outlook and was therefore against the division of the country on communal lines. Sheikh Abdullah took upon himself the responsibility of better life for Kashmiris and felt that people's power should replace autocracy of Dogra kings. His demand for freedom from Dogra autocracy got him into trouble with Hari Singh. On his way to Delhi Sheikh Abdullah was arrested and jailed for 3 years in July 1946. To the great joy of Kashmiris Jawaharlal Nehru visited Sheikh Abdullah in jail. Thus a bond was forged between Kashmiris, Nehru & Sheikh Abdullah. However under intense pressure from New Delhi, Sheikh was released sometime around end of September 1947. Immediately thereafter on 4th October he addressed a historic rally in Srinagar. “We shall not believe in the two-nation theory which has spread so much poison. When brother kills brother in the whole of Hindustan, Kashmir raised its voice of Hindu-Muslim unity. I can assure Hindus & Sikhs that as long as I am alive their life and honour will be safe”. M.J. Akbar confirms this in his book KASHMIR BEHIND THE VALE. “In Kashmir there was not a single communal incident during partition, despite the horrors in neighboring Pakistan”, (P/xiv/Introduction) Like Nizam of Hyderabad, Maharaja Hari Singh too was keen to have independent Kashmir. Kashmir did remain independent, although for a mere 9 weeks, under some Standstill Agreement. On 15th August 1947, India becomes politically independent. Unlike other states within India, Kashmir remained independent outside India, like other princely states. But the October 1947 attack on Kashmir by the Pakistani army in the garb of Pakistani tribals hastened the then Dogra ruler of Kashmir Hari Singh scurrying for help to New Delhi. On being told ‘only after formal accession treaty, can any help come’, Hari Singh was forced to sign on the dotted line, due to the crookedness of Pakistani perfidy. Thus on 26th October 1947, Kashmir became an integral part of India. However, it took some 14 months for the Indian army to force the Pakistan army into the wasteland of Northwest Kashmir. But Prime Minister Nehru, in his wisdom, despite advice of the then army leadership to the contrary, referred the issue to the United Nations. A bilateral issue, between two neighbors thus sadly became an international issue. Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Arun Raha was candid and categorical, that ‘the present day POK, the Pakistani Occupied Kashmir, would not have been there, if the country had gone for a military solution instead of taking a kind of ‘moral high ground’ and rushing to the UN for some peaceful resolution’. Here, it needs to be noted that the Instrument of Accession did allow some elements of freedom. “Kashmir”, in the words of MJ Akbar “had joined the Union of India, but not the laws of India. It was still governed by the Jammu & Kashmir Constitution Act of 1939, with Delhi’s jurisdiction extending only to External Affairs, Defense and Communication”. Having become part of India, election became necessary. In the September 1951 election, all 45 seats were won by National Conference and Sheikh Abdullah became the leader of the ruling party in Assembly. Nehru visited Kashmir soon thereafter to share the joy of new found freedom of Kashmiris. “Slogans like Kashmir will go with Nehru and India forever” rent the air. However, Dr. Karan Singh, the son of Hari Singh, being only a ceremonial head of state, was not happy. As head of state, he was not calling the shots. He managed to engineer the split in National Conference to upstage Sheikh Abdullah by his deputy Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad. Sheikh Abdullah was arrested on trumped-up charges of Pro Pakistani conspiracy on 8th August 1953, next day, the ‘Yes’ man Bakshi’s government was installed. In 1954, a special Article 370 was drafted purely as “Temporary, Transitional” with some special provisions for the governance of Jammu & Kashmir. The article acknowledges the special status of the state of Jammu & Kashmir in terms of autonomy and its power to formulate laws for the state's permanent residents. Although it was clearly “Temporary and Transitional”, it was allowed to remain in statute books forever, for varieties of socio-political and personal reasons of men who mattered in the issue. Soon thereafter Article 35A was conceived through a Presidential Order only to help the ‘permanent residents’ with their rights and privileges as defined by the Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh and notified in 1932. What is interesting about article 35A is, it is the not included in the main body of the constitution, that is after 35, 36 has followed without 35A appearing immediately after 35. Thus, 35A remained unknown to the public until it was challenged on its validity by Kashmiris themselves. Article 370 was, by hindsight, a personal gift of Jawaharlal Nehru to Sheikh Abdullah and his Kashmir. This was forced through despite stiff opposition of B. R. Ambedkar, the then Union Law Minister and the architect of Indian Constitution. Sheikh Abdullah was released after 4 years. Things were not easy for Sheikh Abdullah. He was alienated by the Bakshi government. He was clearly a thorn-in-the-flesh for both, Governor as well as Chief Minister Bakshi. On a conspiracy theory that he is entertaining thoughts of secession from India, he was again arrested in 1958 and jailed for 6 year. In 1964, he was released. However on 27th May 1964, Jawaharlal Nehru, a friend of Kashmir and Sheikh Abdullah, passed away. Losing a good friend distressed Sheikh Abdullah greatly. Lal Bahadur Shastri became the new Prime Minister, but the rapport of Nehru couldn't be sustained. The chasm widened and assertion for self-determination became shriller, leading to New Delhi becoming more hostile. Early 1965, Sheikh Abdullah traveled abroad and did the most unthinkable. He met and spoke to Chinese premier Chou- en-lai in Algiers. This was justifiably seen as a hostile act and his passport was cancelled. Sheikh returned in May 1965. War of September 1965 humiliated Pakistan. It lost the war and failed to win Kashmiri goodwill as well. Sheikh Abdullah who was detained on his return from foreign trip was released in January 1968 at the behest of Jayaprakash Narayan. In the meanwhile with the questionable death of Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi became the Indian Prime Minister. 1971 war with Pakistan led to liberation of East Pakistan and creation of Bangladesh, chastened Sheikh Abdullah on the Pakistani crookedness. He lost all trust on Pakistan. However India failed to use the bargaining chip of huge Pakistani POW while drawing Shimla Agreement with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Kashmir was effectively partitioned by recognising a Line of Control, thus created POK (Pakistan Occupied Kashmir). Sheikh Abdullah made up his mind to go with India and hoped for greater autonomy. In 1975, Sheikh Abdullah became Chief Minister with the help of Congress party, but the emergency that followed changed it all. Janata party came to power at New Delhi. Fresh election in Jammu & Kashmir brought Sheikh Abdullah back as CM. He remained CM from July 1977 until his death on 8th September 1982. Laid in state at the Srinagar Polo ground his body was draped in Indian tricolour. Yes, at last Sheikh Abdullah died as an Indian and Pakistan had no comment to offer. Despite lecturing on democracy, Sheikh Abdullah, like the Congress, had groomed his son Farooq Abdullah to take over. Indira Gandhi came back to power after Janata fiasco and wanted a role in J&K. She changed the less pliant BK Nehru to more pliant Jagmohan as the governor of Jammu & Kashmir. New Delhi engineered a split in National Conference. Farooq Abdullah lost majority. His government was dismissed by the governor. It was a brazen butchery of democracy. Many winters later and many ups and downs, there have been far reaching changes in the body politic of the country. Indira Gandhi was assassinated. Rajiv Gandhi became the PM after a massive sympathy win with over 400 seats in Loksabha. With such majority India could have been reshaped, but Rajiv Gandhi lost it all in five years. V.P. Singh became the Prime Minister. For whatever reasons, he made a Kashmiri as the most powerful member of his cabinet. Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, a Congress deserter, was made the Union Home Minister. In the meanwhile militancy had raised its ugly head. Pakistan actively helped separatists. On 8th December 1989, in less than a week in the hot seat as Union Home Minister, Dr. Rubaiya Syeed, an unmarried daughter of Mufti Mohammed Syeed, was kidnapped by four militants. Was it planned!? Militants demanded the release of 5 terrorists held in jail in exchange for the release of Dr. Rubaiya. Farooq Abdullah, the then Chief Minister, was firm, not to yield to terrorists demand. He felt, it would lead to grave consequences of far-reaching nature. He wanted to explore all possibilities including negotiation. But Prime Minister VP Singh buckled under the advice of Union Home Minister and father of kidnapped Dr. Rubaiya. According to Farooq Abdullah there was a strong possibility of her release without the release of those 5 terrorists. On 13th December 1989, Dr. Rubaiya was set free after two hours of the release of 5 terrorists by the government. Those released terrorists, reportedly left for their hideouts and then to POK, after a triumphant procession by locals. By hindsight, could the appointment of Mufti Mohammed Syeed on 2nd December 1989, as Union Home Minister, kidnap of his daughter Dr. Rubaiya on 8th December 1989, and the release of 5 terrorists on 13th December 1989, all in a matter of 10 days, are interlinked!? Was Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, an ambitious, but disgruntled Kashmiri, was planning some long-term coup? Wasn’t he playing a dangerous and diabolic game to promote himself and family? HAS THIS BEEN THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR that led to the rise in violent separatist movement in Kashmir?! New Delhi acted ‘tough’ after the ‘kidnapping’. VP Singh brought Jagmohan as governor Farooq Abdullah resigned. J&K came under president’s rule. Jagmohan ordered house to house search, unrest spread, youth started going to POK for arms training. Benazir Bhutto openly supported secession. Azadi became the shrill cry Hindus started to migrate out of valley in hordes. Close to 100,000 left the valley. That was about the time that separatists led by Yasin Malik took upon themselves the task of cleansing Kashmir Valley of Hindus. He was the one who had murdered 4 Indian Air force officers on January 25, 1990. According to the recently released film KASHMIR FILES, Hindus were given three choices- Convert, Flee or Be Killed, by announcing in the loudspeakers from local mosque. Many fled but many got killed as well. Although film mostly centres round the family of Pushkar Nath and the suffering and annihilation experienced by the family. But the truth is far more horrendous and diabolic. On May 1st, 1990, Sarvanand Kaul was picked up by terrorists. Son accompanies them. They were, according to sources in the public space, hung on a tree and terrorists most brutally killed them. Sarvanand Kaul, was a litterateur, a Gandhian, Urdu poet, writer, researcher and social reformer etc. He was also teaching in the local Madrasa. These details did not stop the separatist butchers of Kashmir in murdering him and his son in cold blood. Film has a passing glimpse of their hanging. Girija Bhat, a teacher was similarly picked up, was collectively assaulted sexually. Body was cut into pieces and sent to Indian defense forces. The film shows a glimpse of her being cut into pieces. Scores of men and women being killed and thrown to Zelum river, film does not show these scenes. Terrorists even packed Hindus in gunny sacks and thrown into Dal Lake. The film does mention these atrocities. LESSONS LIFE TAUGHT ME UNKNOWINGLY is an Autobiography of film actor Anupam Kher, a Kashmiri, and an actor in ‘Kashmir Files’. He mentions about a policeman, a Hindu visiting a shopkeeper, a Muslim, whom he retains in his shop until late evening only to be handed over to the terrorist. How, he was shot to bleed to death, and hung him from a bridge. The episode is not shown in the film. Rahul Pandita wrote “Our Moon Has blood clots”. He describes therein the visit of 37 year old Navin Sapru to a local tailor to pick up his coat. He was caught by terrorists and was shot. As he was rolling on the ground, terrorists danced around him. The crowd around pelted stones at him and in some minutes he breathed his last. This too is not in the film. Yes, the film initially shows only some killings of members of one family. But towards the end, the whole group belonging to the family was shown as being shot and killed. Policeman being killed, army men being killed and citizens being killed is shown in just passing. The film is an attempt at factual presentation of events during these uncertain days in the valley. It had remained away from public gaze for over 30 years. ‘Kashmir Files’ is a story needed to be told and heard. Vivek Agnihotri has rendered a signal service to the cause of Kashmiri Hindus. POST SCRIPT: There have been many developments, post migration of Hindus from Kashmir. Governments changed, last being that of a coalition between BJP and PDP led by Mehabooba Mufti. On 5th August 2019, Indian Parliament voted a resolution to revoke the temporary special status granted under article 370 of the constitution. On 31st October 2019, the state of Jammu & Kashmir was reorganised into two union territories namely Jammu & Kashmir & Ladakh. An election is expected to take place sometime in 2022. The development is expected to lead to some fundamental positive changes in the socio-political ambience of the state. Hope it does-Editors