Counter to Sudheendra Kulkarni article of Gilgit Baltistan in “The Wire”

Pakistan has announced that it will merge the occupied territory of Gilgit Baltistan as a fifth province. And before the whole statements could be read out, Pakistani Aman ki Asha types in India have already started churning out series supporting Pakistani claim on Gilgit Baltistan, and where else but in ‘Wire’ that termed Army Chief as General Dyer.

The group that supports Pakistan on issue of Jammu Kashmir has a modus operandi. It banks on the ignorance of the general people on the issue, chooses certain facts uses them selectively, out of context to weave an untruth, which has certain twisted threads of truth. Medieval and ancient sensibilities are often conflated with modern ones, creating a fake narrative. And then the lies are paraded as truth backed by documents. Sudheendra Kulkarni series in The Wire on Pakistani claims on Gilgit are nothing but a secessionist attempt to change the de jure boundary of an India, clothed as historic facts.

The first truth the readers have to understand is, contrary to SS Kulkarni, Gilgit Baltistan was always a part of Bharat. Before 19 century, nations had frontiers which were flexible and concept of flexible territories. Thus, the frontier of a nation could stretch to far off territories without interfering in day to day activities. Hence the frontiers of a Bharat stretched all the way to Afghanistan, Kasha (called Kashi), Yarkhand (Harikhand), Tashkent. Frontiers and territories would increase and decrease with the authority and Millitary power of the emperors. Gilgit Baltistan and the tribal areas of Hunza, Nagar, Darel, and Tangir, Punial etc. all mentioned were since ancient times the frontiers of Bharat. Kushan king Kanishka ruled these areas, The extent of Lalitaditya kingdom reached till Tibet. The whole area of Gilgit Baltistan, including Hunza, Nagar, Chilas, Astore, and Diamer which the writer mentions has thousands of Rock carvings and petroglyphs, many are in Brahmi! Buddhist statues are carved outside Gilgit, Skardu has Manthal statues. Hunza has thousands of Buddha carvings including UNESCO protected Sacred Rock of Hunza. And SS Kulkarni wants us to believe Hunza, Diamer, Gilgit, Baltistan had no connections with Bharat and were annexed by force?? The Diamer Bhasha dam and a cascade of proposed Dams under CPEC will submerge these, so maybe Wire and Kulkarni want to keep the truth out till it is submerged?

Kulkarni asserts citing out of context statements from documents that Dogra kings were illegitimate rulers, British stooges etc.  The political structure of pre 1947 India was that British had 2 structures- British India and more than 565 princely states. Only British India was partitioned, princely states were not. They had the option to either accede to Dominion of Pakistan or of India, depending on geographical contiguity. There was NO option for a third dominion or for partition of any state. Congress had suggested that plebiscite be taken in all princely states, while Jinnah had proposed only Rulers should decide. British rejected the plebiscite and accepted the ruler deciding where to accede to. Thus only Maharaja Hari Singh had the authority to decide which dominion to accede to.

So, once it is established that according to prevailing rules, Accession of J&K to Dominion of India was legal and final, the cabal tried all its might in last 70 decades to impute that Dogras were not legitimate rulers. They throw in the canard of Dogra kings purchasing Kashmir from British. Before Sikhs conquered Kashmir, Afghans had invaded Kashmir and ruled it nearly for 100 years. Before that Mughals, before that Chak dynasty of Gilgit, and before that it was Balti Prince Rinchen, and before that for centuries it was Hindu Kings. So can we take out one segment and claim ownership of that segment on Kashmir. The treaty was between British and Sikhs where instead of paying indemnity, Sikhs gave up part of territory. The Dogra kings then went to Kashmir and defeated the Army and won it. Gilgit Baltistan and all the frontier areas were annexed openly by conquests and were administered very well by the Dogras. Now the ‘Kashmir vale being bought’ narrative is shifting to Gilgit, Hunza etc. Selective quotes from books damming Hari Singh and Dogra kings are picked out.

Dogra kings were very able administrators. Trade routes were very well maintained. A book “Kashmir to Kashgar” written in 1873 by H.W Bellew praises the routes and the prosperity witnessed in Princely state. The annual reports of the trade on Leh Kashgar routes state that the routes were so safe that if transport animals perished, the traders could leave their merchandise and go to next post and bring new transport to pick up merchandise.

Coming to Gilgit agency – it is an indisputable fact that British had decided under the India independence act to dissolve all treaties with All princely states. Since April 1947, meetings were held on when to vacate Gilgit agency. The area was remote, in high mountains and the area was inaccessible during winters.Nehru wrote two letters requesting British not to vacate the agency until J&K decided its accession but the British refused his requests and the reversion of Gilgit agency was announced via a gazette notification.

The Gilgit scouts had negotiated terms of employment with Maharaja Hari Singh. Major a Brown had demanded and got the same salary and rations as the maharaja’s army. The residents of Gilgit were happy about being reverted to Dogra rule. The Mirs of Hunza and Nagar were in Srinagar to negotiate their sanads (tributes, gifts etc.). The Maharaja used to Issue sanads, but post 1935 the British had issued Sanads, so these minor issues were worked out. Regarding the power to accede, only the Maharaja had the authority. There are volumes of material in national archives on Hunza and Nagar, and post 1935 India act, the British categorically concluded that Hunza, Nagar and the other states were under the Maharaja and not Independent. The Mir of Hunza was not trusted by the British as he was Hobnobbing with Chinese and Russians. So to paint the Mir as someone who was great is not supported by documents on record. He was not trusted by Pakistan either post accession.

There was no involvement of local people during mutiny. The JK army unit posted at Bunji had Muslim officers already subverted by Jinnah. The Gilgit scouts was a lightly armed militia unit. British officers from Gilgit agency had opted for Pakistan via Options which were offered by British to all their officers and men pan India, British officers of the army too had the option to join either Pakistan or India. So to impute that Dogra rule was so hated that many British officers joined Pakistan does not explain why Major Brown and Gilgit scouts negotiated their employment with Maharaja.

The Muslim officers of JK Army massacred the Sikhs and Hindu officers and JCOs at Bunji. They moved to Gilgit and the non Muslim population of Gilgit took refuge in the Gilgit fort. The Muslim officers and major Brown of Gilgit scouts were imprisoned but later agreed to support the Mutiny. Brigadier Ghansara Singh was imprisoned but protected by Raja of Punial, who was a Muslim and who came with a small force to protect Brigadier Ghansara Singh.

SS Kulkarni glosses over the massacre of non Muslims of Gilgit. The employees of JK government were kidnapped by Pakistani army and Pakistani Government officials who took over Gilgit. Daughters of these officials were converted and married off to Pakistani army officers. These facts are unpalatable thus have to be ignored?

A secret report of 1951 from high commission of an India in Pakistan states that residents of Gilgit were happy at reversion of Gilgit to Dogra rule. But then they were brainwashed by the idea of an Islamic nation. The residents were unlettered and sharia compliant . The report states that within a few months of Pakistan occupation the residents of Gilgit Baltistan were disillusioned. The Pakistani officials were not Islamic, they consumed alcohol and their women folk did not observe purdah. Administration was mainly Pathans who were corrupt and inefficient. Food prices has risen up and the residents were not given any employment. A plan was proposed then in India to project Dogra rule as evil and present Indian rule under Sheikh Abdullah as benign to bring back Gilgit to India. Though Gilgit was never reattached, but the project to vilify Dogra kings seems to be alive.

Gilgit Baltistan are irrefutable Legal, cultural and Historic part of India. Those supporting Pakistani claims on the region should be treated as Secessionists.

Article Source: Republished with permission from Author http://vinirish.blogspot.com/2020/09/counter-to-sudheendra-kulkarni-article.html

Feature Pic Credit: Screenshot from “The Wire” article and Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Author: Nidhi Bahuguna can be reached on Twitter

Twitter:  @vinirish

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