Kashmir Crisis [1948]
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Jammu & Kashmir |
Kashmir the last of the defiant states, was the reverse of Hyderabad. It had a Hindu ruler Maharaja Hari Singh but his subjects were Muslims, accounting to 78% of the total population. The Mahraja was reluctant either to join India or Pakistan. But Lord Mountbatten urged him to take a decision to join either states before August 15, 1947.
The Maharaja asked for more time to consider his decision. In the meantime he asked the Indian and the Pakistani government to sign a "standstill agreement" with him. Pakistan consented but India refused.
The local population of Poonch began to press the Maharaja to accede to Pakistan. In August, 1947 they held a massive demonstration to protest against the Maharaja’s indecisiveness. The Maharaja panicked. He asked his Hindu paratroops to shoot, within a matter of seconds several hundreds Muslims were killed. Against this brutal action, a local barrister called Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim immediately set up Azad Kashmir government and began to wage guerrilla warfare against the Maharaja.
By October 1947, the war of Kashmir had began in earnest. The Pathans tribesmen from the North West Frontier Province wanted to avenge the deaths of their brothers. Thousands of Pathans warriors invaded the valley and on reaching the valley of Kashmir, they routed the Maharaja’s troops and reached the gates of Srinagar, the capital.
The Maharaja sensing defeat took refuge in Jammu. From there he appealed to India to send troops to halt the relentless onslaught of the tribesmen. India agreed on the condition that Kashmir would accede to India. On October 26, 1947 the Maharaja acceded to India. Lord Mountbatten accepted the accession on behalf of India.
On October 27, 1947 India began to air-lift her troops to Srinagar, and launched a full-scale attack on the tribesmen. Pakistan was stunned. Despite Pakistan’s slender military resources, Pakistan was prepared to send in her troops but the British General, Gracey, Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Army advised against it. Jinnah also proposed an immediate cease-fire and later that a plebiscite should be held.
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Raja Gulab Singh had purchased the State of Kashmir from the British Government in 1846 for Rs. 7.5 million |
In January, 1948 India took the dispute to the Security Council. There it accused Pakistan of aggression and demanded that Pakistan withdraw her tribesmen. But Pakistan held that accession of Kashmir had been brought about by force and requested the Security Council to arrange a cease-fire and ask both the tribesmen and the Indian troops to withdraw so that a free and impartial plebiscite could be held to ascertain the wishes of the people of Kashmir.
While the Kashmir issue was still at the table, the Indian troops launched a full scale attack and drove the tribesmen right back to the Pakistani border.
Pakistan, rushed her regular troops into Kashmir and had a full-scale war with India. She took control of Azad Kashmir Army. But the Security Council on August 13, 1948 called for an immediate cease-fire, the withdrawal of all Pakistani and Indian troops and holding of plebiscite under the UN supervision. Both the Indian and Pakistani governments accepted the resolution.
In January, 1949, the resolution began to be implemented. In July, 1949 the cease-fire line was demarcated. Pakistan’s side of Kashmir consisted of some parts of Jammu, Poonch, some areas of Western Kashmir, Gilgit and in the North a great chunk of Ladakh territory near the Chinese border. India kept the valley of Kashmir, Jammu and the remainder of Ladakh territory near the Tibet border.
The cease-fire has remained in existence since 1949. No plebiscite has been held and thus the Kashmir issue remains unresolved to-date.
