The modern political philosophy of the civilized world recognizes the right of well defined nations to establish a sovereign nation-state. Thus establishing geographically and demographically a viable nation-state is the fundamental political right of every state-less nation of world including the Kashmiri nation. The Kashmiri nation under the banner of Muslim Conference converted into National Conference on 11th June 1939 led by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah started its political struggle for democracy in 1932. The “Naya Kashmir” Manifesto of National Conference released in 1944 did recognize the role of Maharaja Hari Singh as a constitutional monarch of democratic Jammu and Kashmir. Similarly, Muslim Conference led by Choudhary Ghulam Abbass in May 1947 also supported the idea that Maharaja Hari Singh should declare the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir as an independent country and assume the status of the constitutional head of the state. However, Maharaja Hari Singh was not prepared at that point of time to share power with the local political leadership. Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah launched his “Quit Kashmir” Movement against Maharaja Hari Singh on 20th May 1946 to pressurize the hereditary ruler to accede to his demand of complete democracy in the Dogra Kingdom. In response to Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah’s revolt against the Dogra ruler, the Kashmiri nationalist leader was arrested and put behind the bars by the Hari Singh administration. The Muslim Conference under the leadership Choudhry Ghulam Abbass also launched a similar campaign and he was also arrested by the Dogra administration.
Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah was arrested again by Pandit Ramchandra Kak, Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, just before the formal independence of the Indian subcontinent from the British rule in mid-August 1947. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah through the patronage of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, wanted to become the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, so he wrote a letter of apology to Maharaja Hari Singh on 27th September 1947 to secure his release from the prison on 29th September1947. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah had became the natural allies after the British Parliament did approve the Partition Plan on 3rd June 1947. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was interested in acquiring Kashmir with the help of Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, the popular leader of Kashmiri nation and Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah was interested in becoming the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir with the help of Prime Minister of India. The Pakistani tribal raid in Kashmir on 22nd October 1947 offered a golden opportunity for the two natural allies to execute their mission Kashmir. On 24th October 1947 Maharaja Hari Singh sent his Prime Minister Meherchand Mahajan to New Delhi to request Government of India for military assistance. Maharaja Hari Singh was ultimately compelled by both Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallab Bhai Patel to submit Instrument of Accession of Jammu and Kashmir State with Indian Union and induct Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah in his government prior to any military assistance. Maharaja Hari Singh in a state of helplessness submitted the Instrument of Accession of Jammu and Kashmir State to Lord Mountbatten, Governor General of India on 26th October1947 ,thereby surrendering his control over defence, foreign affairs and communication to the Indian Union. The next day early in the morning Indian troops landed at Srinagar Airport to drag out the Pakistani tribal invaders from Kashmir.
On 29th October 1947 Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah was appointed as the Emergency Administrator by Maharaja Hari Singh and was subsequently elevated to the position of Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir State on 5th March 1948.The pro-Pakistan Kashmiries led by Mirwaiz Mohammad Yusuf Shah were initially coerced by Abdullah administration but following the Nehru-Abdullah Accord in 1952 the Hindu nationalists led by Dr Shama Prasad Mukherjee launched the anti-Kashmir protests condemning separate Constitution, Prime Minister, President and flag for Jammu and Kashmir State. Dr Shama Prasad Mukherjee as the Jansang leader tried to defy the permit system of Jammu and Kashmir and was arrested by Abdullah administration at Lakhinpur and put behind the bars. Dr Shama Prasad Mukherjee was in fact following the policy adopted by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru because once Sheikh Abdullah was arrested in 1946 by Hari Singh Government, Nehru had tried to enter Kashmir without permit but Pandit Ramchandra Kak got him arrested at Domel. Following the custodial death of Shama Prasad Mukherjee the Hindu nationalists blamed Abdullah for the death of their leader and heightened their agitation against the Nehru-Abdullah Accord. The agitation made Abdullah very furious, so on 13th July 1953 he declared parting his ways with Indian leadership. On 8th August Abdullah was dismissed from Prime Ministership and on 9th August 1953 put behind the bars by Karan Singh, the Sader Riyasat of Jammu and Kashmir State.
Two years later Mirza Mohammad Àfzal Beigh launched his Jammu and Kashmir Plebiscite Front on 9th August 1955 to demand right of self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir State. The Plebiscite Front of Mirza Mohammad Àfzal Beigh was sponsored by Pakistan. The Government of India found its new collaborators in Kashmir after Sheikh Abdullah and Àfzal Beigh joined the separatist camp supported by Pakistan. The Jammu and Kashmir National Liberation Front of Mohammad Maqbool Bhat in mid-1960s and Al-Fateh in early 1970s were also sponsored by Pakistan Inter Services Intelligence. The Guerrilla warfare in Kashmir through the logistical support of Pakistan was started by HAJY Group of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front of late Mohammad Amanullah Khan in mid-1988 to have armed struggle in Kashmir against the continued presence of Indian troops in Kashmir. The post-1953 Indian collaborators in Kashmir included Bakhshi Ghulam Mohammad, Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq, Syed Mir Qasim, Mufti Mohammad Syed, Farooq Abdullah, Umer Abdullah, Mehboba Mufti and Sajjad Lone. Shah Faisal may be sincere in trying to have good governance in Kashmir but his participation in Indian mainstream politics will certainly damage the Kashmiri nationalist cause and will help India in defending its legitimate control over Kashmir.
The intelligence agencies of Pakistan took advantage of frustration among the defeated candidates of Muslim United Front for J&K Legislative Assembly because of the rigging of these elections in 15 Kashmir based constituencies on 23rd March 1987. The misuse of Amanullah Khan’s Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front by ISI to start armed revolt against Indian State in Kashmir in late 1980s paved the way for Pakistani state and non-state agencies to send in Kashmir the militants of pro-Pakistan organizations like Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkare Toiba, Jaishe Muhammad, Harkatul Ansar and Ghazvatul Hind etc. to fight back Indian military, paramilitary and police forces. The Indian political show as well as the Pakistani militant attacks and strike calls by Huriyat Conference(s) are not spontaneous but state managed by New Delhi and Islamabad. In the geopolitical competition for influence and control over Kashmir between India and Pakistan, the native people of conflict-ridden Kashmir have forgotten their own history, identity and national interest over the period of time. There can be no worst tragedy for a nation than witnessing the local leadership collaborating with external powers in the name of religion and political ideology to foster alien rule over the three millennium old sovereign nation.
The 88 years of political history of Kashmir from 1931 years is witness to the fact that the Muslim Conference and National Conference leadership of Jammu and Kashmir mobilized the masses in the name of democracy at the grass roots level and at the political level tried their best to win the goodwill of Maharaja Hari Singh to assume political power in the state. However, when they realized the futility of their exercise, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah collaborated with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in the name of secularism and Choudhry Ghulam Abass fell in the trap of Mohammad Ali Jinnah in the name of Muslim nationalism to work against the Kashmiri nationalist cause. The Joint Resistance Leadership of Kashmir is continuing the legacy of Choudhry Ghulam Abbass and Mirwaiz Mohammad Yusuf Shah whereas as the Indian mainstream politicians in Kashmir are carrying forward the legacy of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. So both the political camps in Kashmir are the collaborators of external powers bent upon usurping Kashmir. Pakistan is trying to legitimize its claim on Kashmir on the basis of two-nation theory to be imposed on the Muslim majority state as well as the imperialist two-option UN Security Council Resolutions on Jammu and Kashmir from 21st April 1948 onwards and the India is banking upon Maharaja Hari Singh’s Instrument of Accession of Jammu and Kashmir on 26th October 1947 as well as the Jammu and Kashmir Constituent Assembly’s ratification of accession of the state with Indian Union on 6th February 1954.
In order to rekindle the spirit of Kashmiri nationalism among Kashmiri youth, there is a serious need to promote Kashmiri national consciousness among our young generation to defend the territory and sovereignty of our motherland. The time has come when the Kashmiri hyper- nationalists must rise to the occasion and declare the collaborators of India and Pakistan as the enemies of Kashmiri nationalist cause. The Indian mainstream politicians as well as the advocates of accession of Kashmir with Pakistan must be isolated through social boycott and peaceful political opposition. The well informed and politically mature people of Kashmir can democratically and quite peacefully oppose the collaborators of India and Pakistan in Kashmir to uphold the Kashmiri nationalist cause and struggle selflessly for establishing the sovereign, secular and democratic Republic of Kashmiristan completely free from both India and Pakistan.
Prof. G.M.Athar can be reached at ghathar@yahoo.co.in