Shiban Khaibri
Yes, it is the day to pay our tributes to the unprecedented valour, resolve, commitment and the superb quality of soldiery of the savior of Kashmir Brig. Rajindra Singh, the savior of Srinagar aerodrome Major Som Nath Sharma and many other lion hearted Indian army Jawans in their heroic role to resist, repulse and defeat the savage marauders of the Kabayalis and Pakistani combine attackers in 1947, the nation in general and the people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in particular, are in perpetual gratitude to these heroes for offering the supreme sacrifice to save Kashmir and the people and thus thwart the nefarious designs of Pakistan to wrest Kashmir by force. It is, therefore, the day to thank heavens for being a part of this great democratic country by means of the last popular ruler of Jammu and Kashmir Maharaja Hari Singh in acceding to the union of India duly backed by the people through the then tallest leader Sheikh Abdullah and later ratified by the state constituent Assembly. Accordingly, The constitution of Jammu and Kashmir, vide its Preamble Part2, section 3 states, “The state of Jammu and Kashmir is and shall be an integral part of India.”
After thoughts and vagaries of imported politico- religious designs, later, in a part of the state notwithstanding, the state government must declare the historic accession day as a holiday and conduct the celebrations officially. This writer has been consistently justifying the demand for “Accession Day” being declared as a holiday by writing about it for the last many years especially in these very columns and speaking about it in social and political forums. This is the least we can do both to underline the importance of the sacrifices and the gallant deeds of the icons of heroic feats of Brig. Rajindra Singh and Maj. Som Nath Sharma and others. The younger generations often do feel in a quandary about the reasons of July 13 being declared as a Gazetted holiday but not the auspicious accession day. Each year, with these celebrations and the consequential involvement of the people, especially the student community, the proud gallantries of our soldiers who defended the state and its people, shall get deep rooted in their psyche giving a push to their emotional devotion to patriotism and love and respect for our valiant soldiers who pledge to sacrifice their today to make our tomorrow secure.
Kabaylis or tribesmen who were mostly Deobandi Pushtoons , Afridis and Mehsoods from Tirah and Waziristan areas along with regular Pakistani army men under the command of one Col. Akber Khan, entered the state of Jammu and Kasdhmir on Oct22, 1947 . The main group of invaders drove down the Domel Baramulla road leading direct to Srinagar. The attack was the result of the Pakistan’s first “Jihad” , the blue print of which had been prepared by Col. Akber Khan who led and commanded these invaders under his assumed name or nom de guerre of General Tariq into Kashmir to wrest it for Pakistan by force and deceit. Tariq kept propaganda mill working spreading lies and falsehood that the invaders were in fact “liberators” and were executing the religious duties only. The “honorarium” for this type of religious duties was no cash payments but the booty in cash, kind and “otherwise”, whichever, wherever and how much they could lay their hands upon from the innocent, defenceless and hapless inhabitants mainly Hindus and Sikhs.
Tariq’s satanic actions, historically speaking, were in direct compliance with wishes and instructions of the ruling elite comprising mainly Mohamed Ali Jinnah, Liaqat Ali Khan and other Pakistani Muslim League and Muslim Conference leaders. Jinnah had been told by Tariq Khan that the approaching Eid then falling due within a week or so, he could celebrate in the heart of Srinagar, so much were the schemers of the attack confident of the success of their nefarious operations. Pakistan, before orchestrating this attack on Kashmir imposed economic blockade of the state by crash cutting all supplies of essential commodities like salt, kerosene oil, food grains etc and suspended rail traffic between Sialkot and Jammu etc. Sardar Mohamed Ibrahim Khan, who had earlier been a top legal officer in the government of the Maharaja, actively helped Col. Tariq execute his Jihadi plan under the code name of “Operation Gulmurg”. Sardar Ibrahim Khan later became the first (so called) “President of Aazad Kashmir”. This Ibrahim Khan, throughout early 1947 was reported to have extensively toured Jammu and Kashmir for allied nefarious activities to ensure some support to the invaders in the impending attack on Kashmir. A section in the army of the secular minded Maharaja, as a result, deserted and did acts of treachery, thus insulting their salt by crossing over to the attackers’ side martyring many of their own colleagues and snatching their weapons. This too became the cause of the reversals of the state forces and the fall of Domel, Muzaffarabad and even Baramulla so fast. But as an old saying goes, “Treachery will eventually betray itself , though wary enough at first,” it yielded no desired results for the Pakistani leaders.
Discussing accession day is meaningless unless we bring forth the unmatched levels of displaying of gallantry by the then Chief of the Army staff Brig. Rajindra Singh who made things happen in reality which otherwise, we read in novels and fantasies only. On Oct22, he received the orders to contain the savage intruders and hordes of invaders who had let loose the reign of killings, rapes, arson, loot and destruction all around making non Muslims their targets. He was to defend the state “till the last man and the last bullet”. He could “manage ” just about a hundred soldiers and headed towards Muzaffarabad to take on the treacherous enemy 60 times more in strength and heavily armed , despite that he stalled their advancing spree by blowing the vital Uri bridge. He held back the enemy for full two days which proved very crucial to save Kashmir and for arrival of the Indian army to save Kashmir and Kashmiris. The brave Brigadier attained his martyrdom at Booniyar, inserting his name in the annals of the history of soldiery of its unique kind by taking part in active operations despite being the chief of army staff. He was awarded the prestigious Mahavir Chakra, the first recipient in Independent India.
Whatever was still left of the state forces, they repositioned at Baramulla on the night of Oct 26/27. When the savage marauders entered Baramulla, they pounced upon the people mainly non Muslims like hungry wolves. They burnt the beautiful town, indulged in worst savagery and concentrated on loot, rapes and killings. They turned the whole beautiful town into a ghost town, a dreaded one, replete with strewn dead bodies, burnt houses and bellows of thick smoke. They did not leave even the nuns and the medical staff of the Missionary Hospital in Baramulla. The space constraints come in between the detailed heart rending account and touching other relevant points also, briefly.
The other brave heart, who saved the imminent fall of Srinagar aerodrome, was Maj.Som Nath Sharma who took part in the operations with his left hand in plaster. A group of more than 700 savage raiders converged on Budgam to capture the airport to preempt any move of landing of Indian army. The ratio of the invaders and the army was 7:1. The Major realized the importance of his task to save Srinagar and the airport, he cut some white cloth into brick size pieces and strewed them on the landing strip in full view of the enemy to enable incoming aircraft carrying army to navigate and land. He did not leave the spot till the treacherous enemy came just nearer by less than 50 yards. His last words were, ” We are heavily outnumbered, won’t leave an inch and shall fight to our last man and the last bullet.” He attained martyrdom at a young age of his 24th year but not before he saved Srinagar and the airport. For his exemplary bravery and inspiring example he was awarded the country’s first Paramvir Chakra.
A 19 year old Muslim shop keeper of Baramulla , Mohd. Maqbool Sheerwani also played a yeoman’s role by tactfully frustrating the hordes of marauders in their advancement to Srinagar for which he was nailed alive on a cross and pumped 15 bullets. His body was brought down after three days by the army. Every year on its infantry day, the Indian army commemorates Martyrdom of Sheerwani.
There are enough of the likes of Col.Akbar Khan in Pakistan, now in horrendous vistas. There are many , if not more back home in their support as they run their shops selling products of hate, zealotry, fundamentalism , separatism, jihad and the like and the decided issue of accession is being attempted to be questioned, violated and even rejected. The proxy war, of terror and mayhem sponsored by Pakistan against this country are their tools with which they spill blood of the innocents. We have all to resist, fight and resolutely defeat them.
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