|
|
|
That Day Kashmir Was Occupied
|
|
|
62
years ago on this day (October 27, 1947) India landed its army at Srinagar
airport to occupy Kashmir. The disaster would have happened, but could have
not continued, if the political foot soldiers, like the one
mentioned below, had not been first cultivated by the Indian state. While
narrating the events of 1947 in his autobiography 'My Life and Times'(1992:
Allied Publishers, New Delhi, India, p39)The late Syed Mir Qasim, once a
puppet chief minister of Kashmir, and himself a front-ranking foot soldier,
writes::
|
|
"...As they [Indian Army] landed at the airport some of
them killed a few Muslims. This shocked and infuriated the local people who
were there to welcome the Indian army as their savior. The shocked people
thought of carrying their dead ones to Jamia Mosque in a procession. This
could have created an uncontrollable situation and turned the people's
anger against India instead of the invaders and perhaps could have given a
different direction to the history of Kashmir. No Kashmiri leader, including
Sheikh Abdullah, could possibly stem this uprising. But Khawaja Ghulam
Mohiuddin Qarra intervened and managed to stop the procession at Lal Chowk.
He talked the mob out of its procession plan so convincingly that one of
them stood up to shout that his son was among those dead, but he would
sacrifice another son if Khawja Qara so demanded. The mob was
pacified..."
|
|
The two
foot soldiers, one who is talking and the other who is being talked about,
both are no more. Gone from this world. However,
the misery their actions, as well as of those like them, brought still persists.
We have to take on the burden, do what best we can to end the misery, and
secure the future of coming generations.
|
|
