After 68 blogs in 367 days, a journey which started on 14th May 2010, I have a chance to convey something which I was waiting ardently for - someone else posting @ Livin' Free - barring the opening para, the entire blog has been written by my close friend, my room mate for 3 years - Nikhil Bhan. He is a resident of Jammu & Kashmir; having grown up in a potential dynamite, a simmering volcano of hatred and power since so many years - bursting occasionally to demolish anything within its reach and damaging countless lives till date, he knows much more of Jammu and Kashmir than any of us.
We have lived a cosy and secure life till date; protected by our parents and never had to flee murderers at a tender age of 6 months - yes, that is the reality of most Kashmiri Pandits. Our neglect to their pain has compounded matters and only when the bloody terrorists reached our doorsteps did we sense the pain. Nikhil is going to share his experiences from the beautiful land of Kashmir and how its lakes have turned black (the tale of Mata Kheer Bhawani Mandir) or its mountains have turned red. His blog would shed light on the build-up to the dispute, its current scenario and its future ramifications. Now, it is one big story and hence would be broken up into multiple sections. Before I hand it over to him, I would highlight the importance of this stuff; people might feel that this topic has been discussed about many a times and hence is redundant but rarely is it the case that we get it from the horse's mouth; I trust his every word and hence it stands true for me just as it would be if you were being narrated a story from your best friend; plus, there is that lingering danger that if we do not wake up to this reality in time we might stand to lose Arunachal and other NE states in the coming future just as we have lost Kashmir (i.e the people). (I will be posting on the topic of Arunachal and sharing some new stuff I have discovered once Nikhil is done with his) Finally, I state that all his blogs are an output of his opinions, experiences and knowledge alone. I request the reader not to view it from a prism of my thinking; I also ask the reader to respect his individuality and ability of discretion and thought. Henceforth, all that is stated is of Nikhil's alone; I personally can't endorse his statements as true facts though my belief in his experiences is beyond questioning. I ask the reader to view it as a story alone and nothing else.
Jai Hind!
It is a long standing dispute over the last so many years between India and Pakistan that to which country the region of J & K belongs. You may have heard from both sides but the truth lies inside the heart and brains of the people living there. Being one of them, I would like to share the experience with you all.
For the last four years I have lived, learned and grown in a part of India. But during this time span, I had to face queries of the people regarding my nationality; and believe me it was hard to convince them. Well, thanks to my friend and room mate who listened to the reality of J&K and encouraged me to share certain unknown realities regarding the major dispute between India and Pakistan that needs to be known by the common masses of both the countries.
I want to make it clear that whatever I am going to present before you is neither a result of some hatred towards a community nor it is an attempt to have your sympathy for my community. My motive is to get people to know a situation and not to create one by my blog. I request you to go through this blog if you agree to the same. Whatever I would speak is all a summary of the nearly 22 years of my life that I have spent in that region.
Backgound:
The state of Jammu and Kashmir actually comprises of three regions Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
Jammu : History reveals that Jammu was founded by Raja Jamboolochan in the 14th century BC. During one of his hunting campaigns he reached the Tawi River where he saw a goat and a lion drinking water at the same place. The king was impressed and decided to set up a town after his name, Jamboo. With the passage of time, the name was corrupted and became "Jammu". The region mainly comprises of Rajputs, Gujjars, Bakkarwals etc.
Kashmir: (Ka = water and shimeera = desiccate). As per Kashmiri literature the valley of Kashmir was formerly a lake that was drained by the great rishi (or sage), Kashyapa (son of Marichi, son of Hindu God BRAHMA ), by cutting the gap in the hills at Baramulla (Varaha-mula). When Kashmir had been drained, Kashyapa asked Brahmans to settle there. Over the years, Kashmir has been ruled by different empires which primarily is the reason of its Cultural, Environmental and Social structure for which it is known as Heaven on Earth.
The Mughal Era:
Kashmir followed its own tradition and culture before 13th century. After this, there was the rule of Kashmir's greatest ruler Budshah (Shams-ud-Din Shah Mir of Swat dynasty) followed by the Mughal rule. The Muslims and Hindus of Kashmir lived in relative harmony as the Sufi-Islamic way of life that ordinary Muslims followed in Kashmir complemented the Rishi tradition of Kashmiri Pandits. This led to a homogeneous culture of Hindus and Muslims where both revered the same local saints and prayed at the same shrines giving rise to a Sufiana culture where Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists (Ladakh) co-existed. However, several Mughal rulers (Sultan Zain - ul -Abdin) were tolerant with other religions and some were intolerant (Sikandar Butshikan) who later forced Hindus (Brahmins) to follow Islam. As a result of this, only eleven Hindu familes were left in Kashmir from where current Kashmiri Pandits have their origin.
The British Era:
Gulab Singh, ruler of the state back in 1845 signed a treaty with the British. Accordingly, the State of Lahore (i.e. West Punjab) along with the hilly countries between Beas and Indus, which was equivalent to (rupees) one crore of indemnity, were handed over to the British. The rest was conceded to Gulab Singh in exchange of Lahore.
The Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu (as it was then called) was constituted between 1820 and 1858 and was somewhat artificial in composition and it did not develop a fully coherent identity, partly as a result of its disparate origins and partly as a result of the autocratic rule which it experienced on the fringes of Empire. It combined disparate regions, religions, and ethnicities: to the east, Ladakh was ethnically and culturally Tibetan and its inhabitants practised Buddhism; to the south, Jammu had a mixed population of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs; After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, in which Kashmir sided with the British, and the subsequent assumption of direct rule by Great Britain, the princely state of Kashmir came under the paramountcy of the British Crown.
Ranbir Singh's grandson Hari Singh ascended the throne of Kashmir in 1925. The Maharajah Hari Singh never represented the will of his subjects, creating tension between the Hindu rulers and the Muslim population of Kashmir. Muslims in Kashmir detested him, as they were heavily taxed and had grown tired of his insensitivity to their religious concerns. The Dogra rule (the name of the municipal governments) had excluded Muslims from the civil service and the armed services. Islamic religious ceremonies were taxed. Historically, Muslims were banned from organizing politically, which would only be tolerated beginning in the 1930s. In 1931, in response to a sermon that had tones of opposition to the government, the villages of Jandial, Makila and Dana were ransacked and destroyed by the Dogra army and their inhabitants burned alive. A legislative assembly, with no real power, was created in January 1947. It issued one statement that represented the will of the Muslim people: "After carefully considering the position, the conference has arrived at the conclusion that accession of the State of Jammu & Kashmir to Pakistan is absolutely necessary in view of the geographic, economic, linguistic, cultural and religious condition. It is therefore necessary that the State should accede to Pakistan". On the other side, the Hindu as well as some non Hindu population opted to be with India. In order not to take a step in a hurry, the decision about which nation to join was delayed.
1947 - Partition Of India - Real cause of Dispute:
Ranbir Singh's grandson Hari Singh, who had ascended the throne of Kashmir in 1925, was the reigning monarch in 1947 at the conclusion of British rule of the subcontinent and the subsequent partition of the British Indian Empire into the newly independent Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. As parties to the partition process, both countries had agreed that the rulers of princely states would be given the right to opt for either Pakistan or India or—in special cases—to remain independent. In 1947, Kashmir's population was "77% Muslim and 20% Hindu" .To postpone making a hurried decision, the Maharaja signed a "standstill" agreement with Pakistan, which ensured continuity of trade, travel, communication, and similar services between the two. Such an agreement was pending with India.
In October 1947, Pashtuns from Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province invaded Kashmir. The ostensible aim of the guerilla campaign was to frighten Hari Singh into submission. Instead the Maharaja appealed for assistance, and the Governor-General agreed on the condition that the ruler accede to India. This was spelled out in a letter from the Governor General of India, Lord Mountbatten, to the Maharaja on 27 October 1947. In the letter, accepting the accession, Mountbatten made it clear that the State would only be incorporated into the Indian Union after the approval of the people of Kashmir.
The Maharaja agreed to join India by signing the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947. Once the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession, Indian soldiers entered Kashmir and drove the Pakistani-sponsored invaders from all but a small section of the state. The United Nations was then invited to mediate the quarrel. The UN mission insisted that the opinion of Kashmiris must be ascertained, while India insisted that no referendum could occur until all of the state had been cleared of the invaders. However, this chain of events is disputed by Pakistan, which claims that the Indian army entered Kashmir before the Instrument of Accession was signed.
The Pakistani government immediately contested the accession, suggesting that it was fraudulent, that the Maharaja acted under duress, and that he had no right to sign an agreement with India when the standstill agreement with Pakistan was still in force.
In the last days of 1948, a ceasefire was agreed under UN auspices; however, since the plebiscite demanded by the UN was never conducted, relations between India and Pakistan soured that eventually led to two more wars over Kashmir in 1965 and 1999. India has control of about half the area of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir; Pakistan controls a third of the region comprising of the Northern Areas, or historically known as regions of Gilgit and Baltistan, and Pakistan Administered Kashmir. (PoK)
This is what led to the creation of World's biggest dispute that has become a cause of unrest in both the countries (TO BE CONTINUED....)
Nikhil Bhan
We have lived a cosy and secure life till date; protected by our parents and never had to flee murderers at a tender age of 6 months - yes, that is the reality of most Kashmiri Pandits. Our neglect to their pain has compounded matters and only when the bloody terrorists reached our doorsteps did we sense the pain. Nikhil is going to share his experiences from the beautiful land of Kashmir and how its lakes have turned black (the tale of Mata Kheer Bhawani Mandir) or its mountains have turned red. His blog would shed light on the build-up to the dispute, its current scenario and its future ramifications. Now, it is one big story and hence would be broken up into multiple sections. Before I hand it over to him, I would highlight the importance of this stuff; people might feel that this topic has been discussed about many a times and hence is redundant but rarely is it the case that we get it from the horse's mouth; I trust his every word and hence it stands true for me just as it would be if you were being narrated a story from your best friend; plus, there is that lingering danger that if we do not wake up to this reality in time we might stand to lose Arunachal and other NE states in the coming future just as we have lost Kashmir (i.e the people). (I will be posting on the topic of Arunachal and sharing some new stuff I have discovered once Nikhil is done with his) Finally, I state that all his blogs are an output of his opinions, experiences and knowledge alone. I request the reader not to view it from a prism of my thinking; I also ask the reader to respect his individuality and ability of discretion and thought. Henceforth, all that is stated is of Nikhil's alone; I personally can't endorse his statements as true facts though my belief in his experiences is beyond questioning. I ask the reader to view it as a story alone and nothing else.
Jai Hind!
It is a long standing dispute over the last so many years between India and Pakistan that to which country the region of J & K belongs. You may have heard from both sides but the truth lies inside the heart and brains of the people living there. Being one of them, I would like to share the experience with you all.
For the last four years I have lived, learned and grown in a part of India. But during this time span, I had to face queries of the people regarding my nationality; and believe me it was hard to convince them. Well, thanks to my friend and room mate who listened to the reality of J&K and encouraged me to share certain unknown realities regarding the major dispute between India and Pakistan that needs to be known by the common masses of both the countries.
I want to make it clear that whatever I am going to present before you is neither a result of some hatred towards a community nor it is an attempt to have your sympathy for my community. My motive is to get people to know a situation and not to create one by my blog. I request you to go through this blog if you agree to the same. Whatever I would speak is all a summary of the nearly 22 years of my life that I have spent in that region.
Backgound:
The state of Jammu and Kashmir actually comprises of three regions Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
Jammu : History reveals that Jammu was founded by Raja Jamboolochan in the 14th century BC. During one of his hunting campaigns he reached the Tawi River where he saw a goat and a lion drinking water at the same place. The king was impressed and decided to set up a town after his name, Jamboo. With the passage of time, the name was corrupted and became "Jammu". The region mainly comprises of Rajputs, Gujjars, Bakkarwals etc.
Kashmir: (Ka = water and shimeera = desiccate). As per Kashmiri literature the valley of Kashmir was formerly a lake that was drained by the great rishi (or sage), Kashyapa (son of Marichi, son of Hindu God BRAHMA ), by cutting the gap in the hills at Baramulla (Varaha-mula). When Kashmir had been drained, Kashyapa asked Brahmans to settle there. Over the years, Kashmir has been ruled by different empires which primarily is the reason of its Cultural, Environmental and Social structure for which it is known as Heaven on Earth.
STEPS OF DISPUTE
The Mughal Era:
Kashmir followed its own tradition and culture before 13th century. After this, there was the rule of Kashmir's greatest ruler Budshah (Shams-ud-Din Shah Mir of Swat dynasty) followed by the Mughal rule. The Muslims and Hindus of Kashmir lived in relative harmony as the Sufi-Islamic way of life that ordinary Muslims followed in Kashmir complemented the Rishi tradition of Kashmiri Pandits. This led to a homogeneous culture of Hindus and Muslims where both revered the same local saints and prayed at the same shrines giving rise to a Sufiana culture where Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists (Ladakh) co-existed. However, several Mughal rulers (Sultan Zain - ul -Abdin) were tolerant with other religions and some were intolerant (Sikandar Butshikan) who later forced Hindus (Brahmins) to follow Islam. As a result of this, only eleven Hindu familes were left in Kashmir from where current Kashmiri Pandits have their origin.
The British Era:
Gulab Singh, ruler of the state back in 1845 signed a treaty with the British. Accordingly, the State of Lahore (i.e. West Punjab) along with the hilly countries between Beas and Indus, which was equivalent to (rupees) one crore of indemnity, were handed over to the British. The rest was conceded to Gulab Singh in exchange of Lahore.
The Princely State of Kashmir and Jammu (as it was then called) was constituted between 1820 and 1858 and was somewhat artificial in composition and it did not develop a fully coherent identity, partly as a result of its disparate origins and partly as a result of the autocratic rule which it experienced on the fringes of Empire. It combined disparate regions, religions, and ethnicities: to the east, Ladakh was ethnically and culturally Tibetan and its inhabitants practised Buddhism; to the south, Jammu had a mixed population of Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs; After the Indian Rebellion of 1857, in which Kashmir sided with the British, and the subsequent assumption of direct rule by Great Britain, the princely state of Kashmir came under the paramountcy of the British Crown.
Ranbir Singh's grandson Hari Singh ascended the throne of Kashmir in 1925. The Maharajah Hari Singh never represented the will of his subjects, creating tension between the Hindu rulers and the Muslim population of Kashmir. Muslims in Kashmir detested him, as they were heavily taxed and had grown tired of his insensitivity to their religious concerns. The Dogra rule (the name of the municipal governments) had excluded Muslims from the civil service and the armed services. Islamic religious ceremonies were taxed. Historically, Muslims were banned from organizing politically, which would only be tolerated beginning in the 1930s. In 1931, in response to a sermon that had tones of opposition to the government, the villages of Jandial, Makila and Dana were ransacked and destroyed by the Dogra army and their inhabitants burned alive. A legislative assembly, with no real power, was created in January 1947. It issued one statement that represented the will of the Muslim people: "After carefully considering the position, the conference has arrived at the conclusion that accession of the State of Jammu & Kashmir to Pakistan is absolutely necessary in view of the geographic, economic, linguistic, cultural and religious condition. It is therefore necessary that the State should accede to Pakistan". On the other side, the Hindu as well as some non Hindu population opted to be with India. In order not to take a step in a hurry, the decision about which nation to join was delayed.
1947 - Partition Of India - Real cause of Dispute:
Ranbir Singh's grandson Hari Singh, who had ascended the throne of Kashmir in 1925, was the reigning monarch in 1947 at the conclusion of British rule of the subcontinent and the subsequent partition of the British Indian Empire into the newly independent Union of India and the Dominion of Pakistan. As parties to the partition process, both countries had agreed that the rulers of princely states would be given the right to opt for either Pakistan or India or—in special cases—to remain independent. In 1947, Kashmir's population was "77% Muslim and 20% Hindu" .To postpone making a hurried decision, the Maharaja signed a "standstill" agreement with Pakistan, which ensured continuity of trade, travel, communication, and similar services between the two. Such an agreement was pending with India.
In October 1947, Pashtuns from Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province invaded Kashmir. The ostensible aim of the guerilla campaign was to frighten Hari Singh into submission. Instead the Maharaja appealed for assistance, and the Governor-General agreed on the condition that the ruler accede to India. This was spelled out in a letter from the Governor General of India, Lord Mountbatten, to the Maharaja on 27 October 1947. In the letter, accepting the accession, Mountbatten made it clear that the State would only be incorporated into the Indian Union after the approval of the people of Kashmir.
The Maharaja agreed to join India by signing the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947. Once the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession, Indian soldiers entered Kashmir and drove the Pakistani-sponsored invaders from all but a small section of the state. The United Nations was then invited to mediate the quarrel. The UN mission insisted that the opinion of Kashmiris must be ascertained, while India insisted that no referendum could occur until all of the state had been cleared of the invaders. However, this chain of events is disputed by Pakistan, which claims that the Indian army entered Kashmir before the Instrument of Accession was signed.
The Pakistani government immediately contested the accession, suggesting that it was fraudulent, that the Maharaja acted under duress, and that he had no right to sign an agreement with India when the standstill agreement with Pakistan was still in force.
In the last days of 1948, a ceasefire was agreed under UN auspices; however, since the plebiscite demanded by the UN was never conducted, relations between India and Pakistan soured that eventually led to two more wars over Kashmir in 1965 and 1999. India has control of about half the area of the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir; Pakistan controls a third of the region comprising of the Northern Areas, or historically known as regions of Gilgit and Baltistan, and Pakistan Administered Kashmir. (PoK)
This is what led to the creation of World's biggest dispute that has become a cause of unrest in both the countries (TO BE CONTINUED....)
Nikhil Bhan
2 comments:
its "a part" of India, but goin "apart" from India!!!
Well said Aniket. But we'll not let it happen.I am depending on young soldiers of Truth Team & their friends! It was a nice informative right up by Nikhil. Awaiting next part eagerly.
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