M LGupta
Jammu and Kashmir state founded by Gulab Singh, the Raja of Jammu on March 16, 1846 was an unethinic marriage of three different units geographically, linguistically and historically. Hari Singh was the last successor of Gulab Singh having succeeded his uncle Pratap Singh in March 1926.His first two acts were making primary education compulsory and bringing in of Agriculturist Relief Act thereby relieving his agriculturist from the clutches of money lenders. The period witnessed freedom movement in India which also projected similar feelings among Kashmiris having witnessed slavery under successive rule since 1346 A.D. Under foreigners Shah Mir and his successors, Mughals, Afghans, Sikhs and Jammu Dogras . Muslim Conference was founded in Kashmir valley by Sheikh Abdullah in 1932. Maharaja Gulab Singh had brought cheap labour to Jammu forest belts from famine struck Kashmir valley in 1828 onwards much against the interest of Jammu Labour. In order to safeguard the interests of the descendent of these Kashmirs Sheikh changed the name of his party on 28 June 1938 to National Conference on the advice of Kashmir labour leaders namely, Bakshi Gulam Mohammad and G.M.Sadiq. After the division of India in August 1947 the newly founded Pakistan out of Muslim majority areas of India sent tribal raiders under the command of regular army officers to invade Kashmir. Tribals were also sent to Jammu region. Forced by these invasion of the State then King Hari Singh on 26 October 1947 acceded to Indian Union. The Indian Prime Minister Pt. Nehru a Kashmiri by origin forced the king to hand over administration of the State to Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah as Prime Minister. Protected by Nehru, Sheikh took many arbitrary decisions frustrating the king who left the state handing over king’s power to his son Karan Singh .Sheikh soon promulgated Land Sealing Act depriving mostly Hindu landlords both in Jammu and Valley of their lands and handing the same to these migratory Kashmiri forest labourers in Jammu region. Thus, the first demographic changes in Jammu region were made this way by the Sheikh. While Jammu people were still sulking under these changes Nehru and Sheikh entered into Delhi agreement in 1953 abolishing monarchy in the State. There was a long drawn agitation in Jammu region against this agreement led by Pt. Perm Nath Dogra and his party Praja Prashad. Frustrated by this agitation, Sheikh in his numerous speeches had referred kings rule as that of Jammu Dogras, as such he despised Jammu people. In Kashmir valley Sheikh’s home region, he had come under severe criticism due to mal administration and failure of crops in 1949-51 which had led to famine like situation.He further made position of his friend Nehru untenable by resorting to criticism of Indian Government. Supported by his Cabinet colleagues Sheikh’s deputy Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad took as Prime Minister of the State and put Sheikh and his close confidant Mirza Afzal Beg into preventive custody at Jammu’s hill resort of Kud . Bakshi’s era was marked by all round development but his kiths and kins having amassed disproportionate assets brought down Bakshi’s regime. After a brief spell Mr Sadiq took over as Prime Minister of the state in Feb 1964. He was the tallest of all leaders in the secular history of Jammu & Kashmir. During his regime, National Conference was merged with Indian Congress thus paving way for renaming the post of Prime Minister of the State to that of Chief Minister at par with other Indian states. He and people of Kashmir stood up with Indian Army during Pakistan’s 2nd Invasion of State in 1965. He also admitted tensions existing between people of Jammu & Ladakh region with those of Kashmir and appointed Gajendra Gadkar Commission who in its report described the main cause on the feeling of political neglect as descrimination but State Government continued its policy of drift and inaction. Sadiq in order to eliminate charisma of the Sheikh in the Valley released him from preventive detention in1964. But Sadiq unfortunately breathed his last on December 12, 1971 when third Indo-Pak war was at its peak. He was succeeded by Syeed Mir Qasim a minister in his Cabinet. After Pakistan lost 1971 war , Sheikh’s ardour for Pakistan or independent Kashmir diminished. On 25th February, 1975 he returned to power through an accord with the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi but soon proved a turncoat by deserting the Congress at the head of which he had come to power. Sheikh and his successors could not rule the State as it should have been. The State witnessed rise of militancy during Farooq Abdullah’s rule. Now after 27 years Dr Farooq blames the present disapensation of PDP-BJP for the crisis.
The later got the mandate of Jammu people and in order to respect their aspiration Late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed rejected the offer of Abdullah’s support of their party for forming PDP led Government. Indians have always advocated acceptance of diversity and rejected radicalism of religion .God is one, therefore, love for humanity, democracy and kashmiryat are the best prayer to the divine . Infact, fast spread of corruption during the Congress rule of sixty years in the country has tarnished the country . Though Modi came to power on the plank of corruption free India, he has failed to touch the root causes like election system and governance. He should at least constitute a high level committee which may debate and consider suggestions to eradicate corruption .He may also consider reorganization of Jammu & Kashmir to give equal opportunities to all the regions and settle back Kashmiris irrespective of religion and date of migration back in the valley . He may also deport foreign nationals like Bangladeshis and Burmese have made inroads in Jammu region back to their countries.
(The author is former MD JKML)
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