(KASHMIR STORY) Kashmir, the last of the defiant states, was the reverse of Hyderabad. It had a Hindu ruler, Maharaja Hari Singh, but his subjects were mostly Muslims, accounting to 78% of the total population. The Maharaja was reluctant to join either India or Pakistan, butLord Mountbatten urged him to take a decision to join either of the states before 15 August 1947. The Maharaja asked for more time to consider his decision. In the meantime he asked the Indian and the Pakistani Governments to sign a “standstill agreement” with him. Pakistan consented while India refused and instead began secretly transporting Indian forces into Kashmir to forcibly take over the state. Wordspread throughout Kashmir of an imminent "Indian attack" and the local population of Poonch in particular began to press the Maharaja to accede to Pakistan. In August 1947, Poonch residents held a massive demonstration to protest against the Maharaja’s indecisiveness.The Maharaja panicked and called the Indian forces to open fire on the protesters, thus setting off the Kashmir Crisis of 1947. Indian paratroopers opened fire killing several hundred protesters. Rising up against this brutal action, Barrister Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim immediately set up the Azad Kashmir Government and began to wage guerrilla warfare against the Maharaja and the Indian forces which were illegally in Kashmir. By October 1947, the war of Kashmir had begun in earnest. The Pathan tribesmen, wanting to avenge the deaths of their brothers, invaded the valley. On reaching theValley of Kashmir, they defeated the Maharaja’s troops and reached the gates of Srinagar. The Maharaja sensing his defeat took refuge in Jammu whence he appealed to India to send more troops to halt the onslaught of the tribesmen. India agreed onthe condition that Kashmir would accede to India. On 26 October 1947, the Maharaja acceded to India. Lord Mountbatten accepted the accession on behalf of India. On 27 October 1947, India began to airlift her troops to Srinagar, and launched a full-scale attack on the tribesmen. Pakistan was stunned. Despite her scant military resources, Pakistan was prepared to send inher troops but the British General Gracey, Commander-in-Chief of the Pakistan Army, was against it. Jinnah proposed an immediate ceasefire and later on a fair and free plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir. In January 1948, India took the dispute to the Security Council. There it accused Pakistan of aggression and demanded that Pakistan withdraw her tribesmen. But Pakistan held that the accession of Kashmir had been brought about by force. The government requested the Security Council to arrange a cease-fire and asked both the tribesmen and the Indian troops to withdraw so that a free and impartial plebiscite could be held to ascertain the wishes of the people of Kashmir. While the Kashmir issue was still on the table, the Indian troops launched a full-scale attack and drove the tribesmen right back to the Pakistani border. Pakistan rushed her regular troops into Kashmir and a full-scale war with India ensued. She took control of the Azad Kashmir Army. But the Security Council on August 13, 1948, called for an immediate ceasefire, the withdrawal of all Pakistani and Indian troops and holding of plebiscite under United Nations’ supervision. Both the Indian and Pakistani governments accepted the resolution. The United Nations was invited by India to mediate the quarrel resulting in the UN Security Council passing Resolution 47 on 21 April 1948. The war ended in December 1948 with the Line of Control dividing Kashmir into territories administered by Pakistan (Azad Kashmir) and Indian Occupied Kashmir. Under UN Security Council Resolution 47, Kashmir is internationallyrecognized as disputed territory between Pakistan and India. The Kashmiri people have the right to Self Determination under this resolution. Until now, Pakistan and China have expressed support for the plebiscite while India has continued to refuse
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 14:41:08 +0000
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