KASHMIRIS and Pakistanis all across the world observe 27th Octoberas the Black Dayevery year. This fateful day (27 October, 1947) marks the annexation of the State of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) by the Indian government through deceit and coercion. The all-round significance of Kashmir issue merits dispassionate unfolding of the annals of history especiallywith regards to acquainting the new generation with real knowledge.
Following on the World War-II and winning of British elections by the Labor Party (staunchly in favor for decolonization), Viceroy Lord Mountbatten was sent to subcontinent with the mandate to relinquish power by June, 1948. However, diametrically divergent political stance by the Congress and the Muslim League and results of the 1946 State elections, compelled the British to advance the process.Subsequent to thorough deliberations, the partition plan was announced simultaneously in London and Delhi on 3rd June 1947, to divide the British India into two independent States: India and Pakistan-in London, to the British Parliament by the Prime Minister Clement Attlee while in Delhi, on all India Radio by the Viceroy Lord Mountbatten. The Viceroy’s announcement was followed by the address from MrJawaharlal Nehru, Qaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and Sardar Baldev Singh that marked unanimous acceptance of the Plan. The plan was formally enacted into law through the Indian Independence Act of 1947 by the British Parliament in July 1947.
Salient features, provisions and principle of the partition plan included: (i) Punjab and Bengal to be partitioned along religious lines through a Boundary Commission chaired by Sir Cyril Radcliffe; (ii) Erstwhile NWFP and Sylhet to decide through public referendum; (iii) the 565 princely states to either accede to India or Pakistan, factoring in geographical contiguity, demography and popular will; (iv) timeline for the transfer of power was accelerated from June 1948 to 15 August, 1947.
Based on the principles of partition plan, the Daily Herald published a map on 04 June 1947, depicting very interesting details especially with respect to partition of Punjab and Bengal. In case of Bengal, seven sister states of eastern India were separated from Western India by erstwhile east Pakistan while in Punjab’s case, Muslim majority areas predominantly west/along the river Bias including districts Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Firozpur andJalandhar were to be made part of Pakistan. Especially in case of Gurdaspur with Pathankot as one of its Tehsils, was meant to put the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at rest for good. The reason being that Pathankot provided almost the only road link/gateway to Kashmir for India while Kashmir’s contiguity provided multiple natural/manmade crossings with Pakistan. Therefore, agreed upon principles like popular will, religious majority and geographical contiguity made irrefutable claim for Kashmir to be the part of Pakistan.
Nevertheless, on 17 August 1947, the declaration of these districts as part of India instead of Pakistan by the Radcliff’s boundary commission came as a lethal surprise for the residents. According to historical accounts, this late and deadly decision not only forced around 15 million people to migrate under lawless and riotous conditions in which over one million innocent civilians lost their lives but also created a potential nuclear flash point in south Asia.
Additionally, the dubious conduct of Kashmir’s Maharaja Hari Singh and the Indian government was like adding insult to injury to the Kashmiris. During the August 1947, Maharaja wished to sign the ‘standstill agreement’with both the countries to which Pakistan acceded while Indian reluctance created serious doubts regarding their intentions.Kashmiris’pro-
On 22 October 1947, these freedom fighters overran Maharaja’s state forces and captured Muzaffarabad and Baramulla. Maharaja fled to Jammu and asked for help from India.The Indian government, taking advantage of the situation, declined to help until Maharaja signed the infamous ‘Instrument of Accession’ with India. Facing imminent defeat, the Maharaja reportedly signed the controversial Instrument of Accession on 26 October, 1947 (counter historical accounts reveal that the instrument was never signed). As a quid pro quo, India airlifted its regular military troops to Srinagar on 27 October 1947, which compelled Pakistan to launch its regular forces and resulted into the outbreak of first war between Pakistan and India.
India took the issue to the United Nations Security Council in 1948 and eversince, UNSC has passed numerousresolutions aimed at resolving the conflict.The foundational premise of the resolutionsunder which theissue of Jammu and Kashmir must be settled rests around holding a free, fair, and impartial plebiscite conducted under the UN auspices. As a student of geopolitics, critical analysis of these events reveals more serious questions then answers.In essence, on one hand, Kashmir is an unsettled partition agenda that has caused at least three full scale wars besides number of low intensity conflicts/skirmishes between Pakistan and India. These events have resulted in colossal loss of life and property, and has turned the region into a nuclear flash point. On the other hand, since 25 October 1947, India has been continuously and consistently changing its goal posts to suit its domestic political needs. The revoking of articles 35A and 370 with an attempt to alter the constitutional status of Kashmir is another stepin the same direction. However, Indian policy of denial and diversion does not conform to the regional and global realities and sooner or later, global community has to intervene in order to give people of this region a better chance to live.
—The author is a retired Air Officer from Pakistan Air Force and recipient of SI(M) and TI(M). Currently, he is serving as Registrar in DHA Suffa University.