Manu Khajuria
Nigerian Novelist Chimamanda Adichie says that if we hear only a single story of another person or Country we risk a critical misunderstanding. On an Economic Times Blog published recently,the author somewhere is his analogy of the Kashmiri Pandit and Kashmiri Muslim strife refers to the KP opposition of the Glancy Commission’s recommendations under the “incredibly brutal Dogra Rule”.
It is rare that Dogras are mentioned and when they are it is either in passing or unfavourably. Though as a Dogra one wonders if it is because the Dogra History whatever little is available and accessible post 1947, is conflicting to the narrative of its people and its Maharajas or because the commentators are assured of no articulate response or opposition from the Dogras of Jammu Region.
If we are not busy holding onto our cultural and linguistic identity and explaining to a mostly clueless Nation that there are more than Kashmiri Pandits and Kashmiri Muslims in the pluralistic State of Jammu and Kashmir, we are being broadly painted communal every time we raise our voice on issues concerning us.
Most discussions on Jammu and Kashmir have been an exclusively KM and KP issue. There has been a minimal or zero showcasing of opinions from Jammu or Ladakh Region in the National Media. The very people of Jammu Region who have housed lakhs of Refugees that have trickled and poured into their City and Region since 1947, making them the Refugee Capital in the Nation somehow remain invisible in the National Mainstream. The fact that they are victims of forced migration and demographic changes themselves, has never been a part of the larger debate on Jammu and Kashmir. Adding insult to the injury, is alternatively the deafening silence with regards to their truth or a suppression and contortion of their story.
Maharaja Hari Singh the last Ruler of Jammu & Kashmir who is known for his secular and reformist credentials is swept under what the Author starkly says the “incredibly brutal Dogra Regime”. It is of little consequence that a variety of sources provide evidence otherwise.
Despite the claims of incredible brutality he like some other Dogra Kings was a man secular in nature and reformist in his ways.
There is no denying that in an improbable pluralistic State with a Hindu king ruling over a Muslim majority administering justice and peace was a fine balancing act. The Britishers also remained unfriendly and suspicious of a brave Sovereign loyal to India. The Maharaja had soon after being crowned King, asked the Resident of the British Empire to remove the Union Jack from the Residency building. The mischievous meddling of the British increased after the Maharaja representing the Prince’s in the Round Table Conference in 1930 said ” as Indians and loyal to the Land whence they derived their birth and nurtured their infancy, they stood solidly as the rest of the countrymen for their land’s enjoyment of a position of honour and equality in the British Commonwealth of Nations”.
The Maharaja was dynamic, changing with the changing times. He passed the Land Alienation Act which protected the Tenants who were mostly Muslims from being deprived of their Land holdings by money lenders who were mostly Hindus. He also capped the interest rate charged on agriculturist debtors by passing the Agriculturists Relief Regulation in 1926. Maharaja Hari Singh abolished Begar, a system of forced labour, of which the poor of Kashmir the Muslims in particular, were the main victims. Immunity was provided to agriculturists from taxes like Nazrana and Malikana. The Kahcharai Act amongst the many others were some extraordinary measures to reform and modernise the agricultural sector.Most of these Reforms including the Rural indebtedness benefitted the Muslims.
Maharaja was a great educationist. He was aware and concerned about the high rate of illiteracy amongst the Muslims and hence he encouraged his Muslim subjects to pursue an education. Urdu was made the medium of instruction in Schools and he made primary and secondary education free for all in the State, making education compulsory for boys in all municipal towns in 1930. Persian and Devnagari were the other language options. He even gave scholarships to those who wanted to pursue higher studies in Indian Universities. In academic session 1920-21 of Sri Pratap College Srinagar, there were 22 Muslims and the figures steadily rose after Maharaja Hari Singh’s coronation reaching a 93 in 1929-30. This was a credit to his educational reforms especially targeted towards the Muslim youth.
In his early years he even led the Namaz in Srinagar despite protests from his Hindu subjects. The Maharaja’s Army was a reflection of the State’s diversity comprising of Dogras, Pathans, Gorkhas and Muslims from Poonch, Mirpur and Punjab Region.
He was the architect of many a Social Reforms. He made prostitution illegal in the State and many initiatives were taken to fight the evil of trafficking. He was one of the first Rulers to legislate against child marriage. Maharaja Hari Singh opened all public schools, colleges and wells to the untouchables in 1931 followed a year later by opening of all State Temples to them and the abolishing of untouchability in 1940. His removal of legal disabilities of the remarriage of Hindu widows, was regarded as a Doctrine in theSub-Continent.
Unfortunately the Maharaja with all his good intentions could not match the plotting of the Colonial Rulers who were never his friends. That coupled with the growing unrest and radicalisation of the newly educated Youth culminated in the unfortunate event of 1931 when 21 people were killed by the State Forces. This was preceded by a series of events including a provocative speech by Abdul Qadir who appeared mysteriously some months before in Srinagar and stoked communal tensions and spread false rumours. This remains a blot on the Maharaja’s Reign and is today still considered a contentious issue for the Dogras of Jammu who see it as an unfortunate incident as a result of conspiracy.
The Maharaja was quick to acknowledge the unrest and appointed a Commission under Sir G B Clancy to look into the grievances of the Muslims. He accepted all the recommendations of the Glancy Commission despite the ‘Roti Agitation’ by the KP Youth which died down but succeeded in preventing employment reservation based on communal lines. Despite this the Maharaja appointed Maulvi Abdul Rahim, one of the Leaders of the 1931 agitation as a Judge in 1934. The number of Kashmiri Muslims in administrative services steadily rose under the Maharaja from 3,052 Muslim officials, including 55 gazetted officials , out a total strength of 8,683 in April 1932, to 5070, including 150 gazetted officials, out of 13,790 in April 1945, giving them about 40% representation in the State Civil Services.
It was Maharaja Hari Singh who endorsed the formation of a Legislative Assembly called the Jammu and Kashmir Praja Sabha in 1934. The early Praja Sabha’s elected members constituted of 21 Muslims, 10 Hindus and 2 Sikhs. The elected seats increased to 40 in 1939. In 1944 the Maharaja asked the Praja Sabha to nominate a 6 Panel member 3 from Jammu and 3 from Kashmir including the Frontier Provinces. He would choose 2 Members, one a Muslim, as his Ministers. Mirza Afzel Beg from National Conference was the first to be appointed as the King’s Minsiter along with Ganga Ram, a Dogra Politician. Even in his administrative reforms the Maharaja proved right his first statement after assuming the high office in 1925 that “Justice is my Religion”.
The mistakes, miscommunication and misfortune combined together do not justify his Rule as brutal because his Reforms and secular intentions shine through. The generic and bad choice of terms ” incredibly brutal Dogra Regime” are unjustified and uncalled for.
A friend in reference to my angst over this falsehood said write a response and get it published in the Jammu Regional Papers. She believed that the National Publications would not publish it, because Dogras are not a ‘hot topic’ and in her words not even a ‘ Kashmir Issue’ highlighting the inherent problem.The State of Jammu and Kashmir is complex but any solution or commentary which does not address the issues and registers the voices of all the resident ethnic groups will be skewed and incomplete. Kashmir is incomplete without Jammu and Ladakh. Jammu and Kashmir stands naked without the fabric of its plurality and multi ethnicity.
The KP and KM issue is well known but the Dogras of Jammu Region who have been shut out since the last 67 years are finding their authentic cultural voice which is vital to any discussion on the future of the State. The voices of Kashmir, Ladakh and Jammu put together become the Voice of the State. Even with one missing it is reduced to a cacophony.
Jammu and Kashmir is a tapestry of overlapping threads. A composition of overlapping stories. Be forewarned of the implications and dangers of a single story. Reject a single story.
(The author is London based freelancer)
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