Dr Ganesh Malhotra
Sixty four years ago on the evening of August 8, 1953, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, using the powers of the Sadar-i-Riyasat Dr Karan Singh, dismissed the government of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and ordered his arrest.
The beginning was on the basis of an intelligence report, sent by the IB officer in charge of Kashmir, B N Mullik, that Abdullah had left for Gulmarg that morning to make secret contact with a representative from Pakistan.
This was such a matter which Nehru could not ignore. Abdullah’s unhappiness with New Delhi, and New Delhi’s suspicion about Abdullah had become a public fact.
Delhi was under pressure due to the agitation launched by Jana Sangh formed in 1951 by Shyama Prasad Mookerjea, a Bengali stalwart of the freedom movement and member of the first Nehru Cabinet after 1947. Jana Sangh’s first manifesto emphasised on full integration of J&K into India. The candidatures of all the candidates of opposition were rejected in first election on flimsy grounds and all candidates of NC got elected for Constituent assembly with the knowledge of Centre. So it became all NC affair and Centre preferred silence over it. These developments added to resentment in Jammu region. In December 1952, Mookerjea announced a popular agitation for the abolition of Article 370, which gave the state specific rights.
Nehru’s patience was tested further when Abdullah, in a speech at Ranbirsinghpura on April 10, 1952, dismissed full integration into India as “unrealistic, childish and savouring of lunacy”.
Sheikh reacting on developments in Jammu held that if today Jammu has rebelled, it is not far off when we will lose all sympathy in the Valley. In the circumstances, independence is best because Pakistan would never agree to a unilateral arrangement and our borders will always be attacked by them.
In those circumstances there is a Kashmir plan that Sheikh outlined. The Plan was discussed by Sheikh and Mirza Beg with a senior government official in Jammu on February 20, 1953. It was communicated in to PM Nehru three days later. It is believed that this Plan fully convinced Nehru about the prevailing confusion in Abdullah’s mind. Kashmir plan was titled “Possible Alternatives for an Honourable Settlement between Indian and Pakistan on the Kashmir Issue” it said:
* The people of the State may be given full and unfettered freedom to express their desire whether they wish to acceded to India or Pakistan.
* In order to achieve this objective, the most vital and controversial issue is the conditions under which the wishes of the people will be ascertained.
* The entire State of J&K to be made independent with full guarantee of India and Pakistan as well as the UN.
* The entire State of J&K may be kept under trusteeship of the UN for a period of 10 years after which the people may opt for India or Pakistan.
* The entire State of J&K under the condominium of India and Pakistan.
Nehru wrote to Maulana Azad on March 1, 1953, “My fear is that Sheikh Sahib, in his present frame of mind, is likely to do something or take some step, which might make things worse…”
Abdullah was released on 8 January, 1958. His release strengthened the opposition to Bakshi government and demand for plebiscite launched by the Plebiscite Front. Abdullah was reported to be provoking riots and “holding secret meetings in his house in which questions of demanding a plebiscite for merging the state with Pakistan, large scale enlistment of Razakers. Alarmed with these developments Bakshi Gulam Mohammad and his advisers, notably B.N. Mullik and D.P. Dhar were left with no option but to arrest Abdullah and his associates on 30 April 1958.
On 5 April 1964, acting on Nehru’s direct instructions, bypassing the Home ministry in Delhi, the Prime Minister of Kashmir G.M Sadiq announced that case against Sheikh Abdullah was withdrawn immediately “in the best interests of the state”114 He was released unconditionally from jail on 8 April, 1964.
Abdullah made visit to Pakistan on 24 May 1964 and was given a welcome there. In his talks with President Ayub Khan he gave the idea of Confederation which the later out rightly rejected.
Sheikh Abdullah along with his wife and Plebiscite Front leader Mirza Afzal Beg proceeded on a foreign tour, including pilgrimage to holy Mecca on 5 February 1965. He used this opportunity to highlight Kashmir issue on international forum and gained a fear amount of success. He met Chinese Premier, Chu-En-Lai in Algeria, who invited him to China. It was taken seriously in New Delhi as the worst transgression committed by Abdullah at a time when India having very low relations with China. There was uproar in Parliament and he was instructed to return immediately to India on pain of forfeiture of his passport. He flew back to New Delhi but was detained at the airport for another three years. Sheikh Abdullah organized an All Party Convention in October 1968, to seek a solution of the Kashmir issue. It was attended by 260 delegated hailing from all parts of the state. Sheikh Abdullah too may have calculated that after India’s decisive victory in the Bangladesh war, his bargaining power was weaker than ever. Though he continued to speak in favour of Kashmiri’s right to self determination in public meetings but in his official discourse he would accept the reality that reconciliation with New Delhi was the best option to follow.
Indira Gandhi too showed her willingness for dialogue with Abdullah to “Deinternationalize Kashmir issue”. Although she made it clear that it was not possible to restore pre-1953 position of India’s constitutional relationship with Kashmir. She told Parliament later that, “Sheikh Abdullah was very anxious that, to start with the constitutional relationship between the state and the centre would be as it was in 1953 when he was in power. It was explained to him that the clock could not be put back in this manner”. As it goes, Abdullah accepted the status quo at the cost of everything he stood for by accepting the now concluded Delhi Agreement, of 1974 signed by his deputy Afzal Beg.
As a result of this agreement was installed as Chief Minister of State. But the main point which was not understandable was permitting the State to review all laws enacted by State after 1953 (arrest of Sheikh). These points clearly raise questions about the legitimacy of Governments between 1953-1975. When all the laws were enacted and passed by the Governments elected with due electoral process then this is totally unjustified point in Kashmir accord. If pre 1953 was to be restored then what was all this going on for last 22 years. It was like making Sheikh undisputed leader and bringing the Centre in question. This shows inconsistency on the part of decision makers. Restoring the Pre 1953 situation meant integration of J&K with India or disintegration? This was like reversing the situation to twenty two years back and giving life to the prevailing problem.
In 2000 J&K assembly passed autonomy report which was rejected by Union Cabinet unanimously. This autonomy was not just autonomy but restoring Pre 1953 status. Interlocutors appointed by previous Government also voiced similar views. Here the point is why such elements that are supported by just few people have been given unconditional rope to let the things dance according to their tunes. Where is Jammu and Ladakh in all these happenings? What were and are their views?
Few days back some arrests were made by NIA and other Central agencies. Will these developments bear some fruits or the prevailing dilemmas since 1947 continue?
(The author is a J&K based Strategic and Political analyst)
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