Human beings by their nature are divisive people, they are greedy and if left to them, they would like to blow up the whole world and have all its riches for themselves. Strength of nations is their ability to work together as one. Why India is a success is not because we are able to help each individual in his or her hour of crisis but the belief of people to keep their past behind and move ahead to create a bright and positive future for this great land. The greatness of Sardar Patel is magnified million fold as he was able to tell different Indian ethnic groups that their destiny laid in a common and strong India. He greatness was that he was able to tell people to keep their belief in this gods own country called India. He was able to tell a Dogra that what they historically did to say a Punjabi or what the rajputs did to maratha’s was irrelevant in this new India. The idea of India is to keep people together and not further divide them. Just read some constituent assembly debates on allowing secession and the reasons given against them. Hardly a few would know that the constituent debated on the definition of India and whether to keep India a federation or a commonwealth or a union and finally settled for a Union. One of the most liberal constitutions was framed so that people do not feel the need to secede and find their voices heard with the frame work of the Union of India. The problem is that the system has failed and not the constitution.
The constitution allows a great deal freedom and if any section of the society feels that the executive or even the legislature is not up to the mark, the judiciary can be called upon to act like an alibi. In how many countries and that too developing can an ex P.M be taken to a small district court and made to stand in the convict’s box. The liberalism of this nation even after enduring subjugation in form of a foreign rule for nearly 800 years and even after seeing 30% of your territory taken away by creating an experimental country called Pakistan is something that enhances my respect to our nation’s constitutional forefathers. How many nations which have gone through all that we underwent prepare something as liberal as our constitution? Even issues like declaring this nation a Hindu Rashtra or banning conversions was debated in the constituent assembly and finally decision was taken not to go in that direction. Look at our neighbourhood and one realises what was the calibre our leaders who allowed such a thing. Pakistan – Muslim nation, Nepal – Hindu, China – Communist (Han), Sri Lanka – Sinhala, Burma – Buddhist, Maldives – Muslim, Afghanistan – Muslim and later Bangladesh – Muslim and INDIA - SECULAR. Look today where most of these other nations are; top in the list of failed states and ask a reason why – the answer is not difficult, religion cannot be a basis of nationhood, secularism will be. Mr. Jinnah’s experiment called Pakistan has failed and faster the Paki’s accept that the better it is. Nations like Saudi Arabia or Bahrain or Qatar survive as they hold a tight lid over their people and incentives like free cash doles and loan waivers are granted to keep the population from revolting. Time is a great leveller, it shows your propaganda might be the best (Pakistan’s) but it is the ethos that run a nation. Paki’s might fill venom in their text books against India and call Indian by their casteist names but “SATYAMEV JAYTE” – another great motto by our nation’s founders has come true. The millions of baby snakes made to order for India are now biting their own people in Pakistan. Hate only breeds hate; travel on a Paki passport and you see your condition at the immigration desk of any country. Over the years an Indian passport has earned for itself a great degree of respect and thanks to our software professionals and people like the Tata’s and the Mittal’s and many more like them.
Most of our countries problems are human created and that too mostly by the great politicians. You need not go further than see the state our parliament is in today. 90% of the members do not even come prepared for important discussions on subjects like 123 Nuclear Deal, Defence Budget, etc. The parliament has been reduced to a verbal and sometimes physical duel between members on issues which a national parliament should not even discuss. Our parliament discusses issues like village roads, rural health, poverty alleviation, etc leaving no time for issues concerning our strategic depth, energy security, reform of services like immigration, armed forces, Para military, police, etc. Why should centre even have a ministry like rural health or tribal welfare when the same issues are state subjects? Why should centre even spend money directly on issues like rural roads, health, etc? All these issues should be given to the states to handle and centre should move out of the same ASAP. This was the biggest crime that congress did to this country; it never allowed institutions to be formed autonomously. They subverted the entire democratic process of this country just because Justice Sinha of Allahabad high court declared Indira Gandhi’s election for the Rae Bareilly lok sabha seat null and void. Centre and its institution should now focus themselves on issues like defence, finance and security – energy, internal, etc.
My idea is to make states an equal partner in the development of this nation and not to overlap schemes which only result in increased bureaucracy and lesser delivery on the ground. Some ideas can be like the Airports in metro’s have been privatised, make assets like Non metro airports a JV between centre and state governments and run by professional bodies. All local city and within state trains should be run by a JV company similar to the lines of NJ transit in America and all interstate trains to be run as they are (under Indian Railways). In U.S, such ports and trains are operated by local municipal authorities like Ports Authority of NY and NJ handles most of the airports in the NY/NJ area and also run the NJ transit system. I can also say the in case of currency notes; we can issues them bearing great freedom fighters of each states. I saw a very similar system done by U.K for their regions of Northern Ireland and Scotland. Both regions have something called a Scottish or Northern Irish Pound which is always pegged to the U.K pound. Such measures will not make states secede from India but will allow them room to manoeuvre on issues like finances, social harmony, etc. This will allow a more serious leadership to come up in states as they will have no longer an option to blame centre for all their ills. The centre should act as a friend and a guide to states and not a big daddy as it does today.
To end this essay on India all I can say is that apart from SATYAMEV JAYTE, the very idea of India is derived from 2 mottos; E Pluribus Unum (U.S.A) meaning FROM MANY, ONE and Dieu et mon droit (England) meaning GOD AND MY RIGHT. The American motto is something that we truly are – one in a million and to further enhance our prestige we need to constantly introspect. For surviving and thriving in this modern uni-polar world; my logic would be to have an eagle sharp mind like America and a compassionate soul like Europe.
p.s - Next in the series, I would write this in context of Kashmir
Showing posts with label Indian History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indian History. Show all posts
Friday, 26 September 2008
Wednesday, 17 September 2008
DELHI BOMB BLAST - 13 SEPTEMBER 2008 – COMMENT REPLY
Thanks to my learned friend who has put his comments on my blog about the Delhi Blasts. Let me clarify some things on what I wrote, firstly none of the people whom I criticised is a constitutional authority. P.C Halder and Home Minster form the bureaucracy/executive. Only people in the position like the President of India or the Governor of a State or the Election Commissioner or the Judges of Supreme Courts are constitutional authorities. Even if they were constitutional authorities, why should we not be able to criticise their conduct. Look at what the courts have said about the family of the President, there are cases of first degree murder on the immediate family members of the president and we should allow such people to hide behind the cloak of not criticising any constitutional authority. Look at the cases of the judges of the Ghaziabad courts defrauding the lowest rung employees of their life’s saving (P.F Scam). Our motto should be the one that I have taken from an American Security Organisation - IN GOD WE TRUST, ALL OTHERS WE INTERCEPT. No one is above the law and that too when people’s lives are involved.
Secondly, again I was tagged along with a few million eunuchs who ran away, from where I do not know but if this blog commentator person is referring about the Kashmiri Migrants, well at least I and my community are clearly on one side and not like other Kashmiri’s who are still in the valley and chant Pro India slogans when they come begging for their monthly cash dole and anti India slogans when they reach back in the valley. My close family, friends as also the wider community to which I belong have been working in the government and security forces trying to fight terror not only in the Valley but in other parts of India (and around the world too). Lots of our community boys have laid down their lives fighting terrorist in the valley and more so like I have said before, our community does not need any certificate from anyone for our patriotic feelings; it is the others who need to show where they belong too; India or Jhootistan. Where ever our community has gone it has always raised the bar as far education and other activities is concerned. Look at the valley, even today thousands of kashmiri muslims send their kids outside of the valley so that they get some good education. This was not an inborn phenomenon as the Kashmiri muslims were deprived from good education before the Indian independence. Whatever mass Kashmiri education came in the valley was only after Bakshi’s saw that the biggest reason that the pundits did well for themselves was their strong emphasis on education. Look at the scenario today, the same things the pundits have done to the Jammu region as well. There is a mass education movement on and what is different from the previous times is that the dogra boys and girls are pushing for higher studies and not stopping at graduation. Jammu has witnesses an exceptional boom in their economy after the migration 1989-90 and lots can be attributed to the Pandits. As a community we have always pushing more on education and less on guns. Imagine the situation in valley now and see where Jammu is today, Valleys loss is Jammu’s gain. Pandits are not pickpockets or rapist but educationist and they have shown that in Jammu. I again say look at the valley and look at Jammu.
Thirdly as far as our identity is concerned, well it will be preserved come what may. That is protection that any Indian will get in our country, unfortunately people who have been fed on Jhootistan propaganda know very little of this. I really hope that the government of India freely opens up the muzzafarabad route for both trade and people to people contact so that people on the Valley realise that there the original state subjects of P.O.K have been put in a minority in their own state by the Punjabi’s through the Pakistani army’s ex servicemen rehab scheme. Better still has been done in Northern Areas – Gilgit and Baltistan, where the Shia’s after their rebellion during Zia’s tenure were brutally hacked and driven out of their land. The shia’s have been revolting frequently against this inhuman treatment in more than one way, Zia’s death is also blamed on a Shia airmen who came from the northern areas. In contrast if there is some semblance in P.O.K area (due to its propaganda nature), the northern areas are a black hole. There is no government and the only authority that people know is the Army and the I.S.I. Look in one of my previous blogs and you would see what Baloch’s say about Pakistan and how their leaders are treated by the Pak army and the ISI and we on the other hand pay for the medical treatment of Kashmiri separatist leaders. Helping some in need is the Indian ethos but let it not be known that Kashmiri’s are thankless people. Indian ethos stems from the old proverb that a fruit bearing tree is always bent downwards, so we need to be humble for all the acts that we do but the other side should not see that as our weakness.
Kashmiri people in the valley should see this and realise that what their ancestors did during the 1948 Pakistani - Kabaili raid was because they saw through the designs of Jhootistan. Today 99% of the valley folk would not know that today’s Lal chowk in Srinagar infamous for grenade attacks was actually the place where Pakistani - Kabaili’s who were caught by the JK Militia were publically executed in that square. As I have said before that an entire generation has grown up in the valley without any knowledge of their history and only knowing the Nizam e Mustafa that has been enforced privately since 1989.
p.s – Just got a post asking if I am in the army, Please NO. That was a typo error which I realised after I published it. I am a common Indian citizen who is in a private organisation and that is the reason that I do not write under my name. As for hunting down is concerned, well house to house search is common in all law and order manuals all around the world. In the recent muslim youth riots within Denmark, the police used the same techniques to quell the riots. The 2006 Paris immigrant riots were quelled by the French police only after a house to house raid at the Picasso estate area of Paris. In the 2000 BNP-South Asian riots, the Leeds, Leicester, bradford and other police forces in the U.K used house to house searches and identity parades to fight this menace. What we need to remember that community needs to be involved in such mass exercises and educated on the need for the same.
Also please do not publish hearsay stories about the truckers and this donation. Please all of it is based on hearsay - Half truths and full lies and lots of rumours. Lots of people have called saying that on the 6th October, Geelani is going to declare Independence after the Id namaz and Pakistan, Bangladesh and some other Muslim nations will recognise it. All this has stemmed from just one statement of Zardari at his swearing in press conference that something is going to be done within a month. Lots of our friends who are honest, secular Kashmiri’s (including Minority shia’s) have called our relatives to enquire if such reports were true. Ha Ha Ha.
Please we cannot be bogged down by half truths and full lies and lots of rumours. Please there is so much to do, there are so many people suffering and if we the lucky few who are blessed with good education and support waste our time on 400 acres of Land then there is nothing sadder to say. The faster that issue is over the better it is, we have family ties with so many kashmiri muslims that it is amazing that we have allowed the situation to reach such a turn. The main culprits are the leaders of the valley and then Jammu. Now if there are any bad feelings talk it across and clear it up. We would meet each other again and then as a saying goes – Hate a person but not so much that next time you meet, you would have to lower your eyes in shame.
My strength and that of this nation comes from our democracy. My personal motto IN GOD WE TRUST, ALL OTHERS WE INTERCEPT gives me the freedom to criticise our own bad politicians, our own gods, our holy books which have some negative references and it is because of this freedom I still say that GOD BLESS INDIA. This great country of 5000 years, of a book of knowledge of Rig Veda and it has managed to retain its roots. It is amazing and nothing else. The more I have read about the ethos that defined this nation even in 1947, the more I respect it. The debates in the constituents assembly before the constitution was passed are iconic and should be read by one and all as to why we call this nation as great and why I will stand by each and every letter of the same.
More later.
Secondly, again I was tagged along with a few million eunuchs who ran away, from where I do not know but if this blog commentator person is referring about the Kashmiri Migrants, well at least I and my community are clearly on one side and not like other Kashmiri’s who are still in the valley and chant Pro India slogans when they come begging for their monthly cash dole and anti India slogans when they reach back in the valley. My close family, friends as also the wider community to which I belong have been working in the government and security forces trying to fight terror not only in the Valley but in other parts of India (and around the world too). Lots of our community boys have laid down their lives fighting terrorist in the valley and more so like I have said before, our community does not need any certificate from anyone for our patriotic feelings; it is the others who need to show where they belong too; India or Jhootistan. Where ever our community has gone it has always raised the bar as far education and other activities is concerned. Look at the valley, even today thousands of kashmiri muslims send their kids outside of the valley so that they get some good education. This was not an inborn phenomenon as the Kashmiri muslims were deprived from good education before the Indian independence. Whatever mass Kashmiri education came in the valley was only after Bakshi’s saw that the biggest reason that the pundits did well for themselves was their strong emphasis on education. Look at the scenario today, the same things the pundits have done to the Jammu region as well. There is a mass education movement on and what is different from the previous times is that the dogra boys and girls are pushing for higher studies and not stopping at graduation. Jammu has witnesses an exceptional boom in their economy after the migration 1989-90 and lots can be attributed to the Pandits. As a community we have always pushing more on education and less on guns. Imagine the situation in valley now and see where Jammu is today, Valleys loss is Jammu’s gain. Pandits are not pickpockets or rapist but educationist and they have shown that in Jammu. I again say look at the valley and look at Jammu.
Thirdly as far as our identity is concerned, well it will be preserved come what may. That is protection that any Indian will get in our country, unfortunately people who have been fed on Jhootistan propaganda know very little of this. I really hope that the government of India freely opens up the muzzafarabad route for both trade and people to people contact so that people on the Valley realise that there the original state subjects of P.O.K have been put in a minority in their own state by the Punjabi’s through the Pakistani army’s ex servicemen rehab scheme. Better still has been done in Northern Areas – Gilgit and Baltistan, where the Shia’s after their rebellion during Zia’s tenure were brutally hacked and driven out of their land. The shia’s have been revolting frequently against this inhuman treatment in more than one way, Zia’s death is also blamed on a Shia airmen who came from the northern areas. In contrast if there is some semblance in P.O.K area (due to its propaganda nature), the northern areas are a black hole. There is no government and the only authority that people know is the Army and the I.S.I. Look in one of my previous blogs and you would see what Baloch’s say about Pakistan and how their leaders are treated by the Pak army and the ISI and we on the other hand pay for the medical treatment of Kashmiri separatist leaders. Helping some in need is the Indian ethos but let it not be known that Kashmiri’s are thankless people. Indian ethos stems from the old proverb that a fruit bearing tree is always bent downwards, so we need to be humble for all the acts that we do but the other side should not see that as our weakness.
Kashmiri people in the valley should see this and realise that what their ancestors did during the 1948 Pakistani - Kabaili raid was because they saw through the designs of Jhootistan. Today 99% of the valley folk would not know that today’s Lal chowk in Srinagar infamous for grenade attacks was actually the place where Pakistani - Kabaili’s who were caught by the JK Militia were publically executed in that square. As I have said before that an entire generation has grown up in the valley without any knowledge of their history and only knowing the Nizam e Mustafa that has been enforced privately since 1989.
p.s – Just got a post asking if I am in the army, Please NO. That was a typo error which I realised after I published it. I am a common Indian citizen who is in a private organisation and that is the reason that I do not write under my name. As for hunting down is concerned, well house to house search is common in all law and order manuals all around the world. In the recent muslim youth riots within Denmark, the police used the same techniques to quell the riots. The 2006 Paris immigrant riots were quelled by the French police only after a house to house raid at the Picasso estate area of Paris. In the 2000 BNP-South Asian riots, the Leeds, Leicester, bradford and other police forces in the U.K used house to house searches and identity parades to fight this menace. What we need to remember that community needs to be involved in such mass exercises and educated on the need for the same.
Also please do not publish hearsay stories about the truckers and this donation. Please all of it is based on hearsay - Half truths and full lies and lots of rumours. Lots of people have called saying that on the 6th October, Geelani is going to declare Independence after the Id namaz and Pakistan, Bangladesh and some other Muslim nations will recognise it. All this has stemmed from just one statement of Zardari at his swearing in press conference that something is going to be done within a month. Lots of our friends who are honest, secular Kashmiri’s (including Minority shia’s) have called our relatives to enquire if such reports were true. Ha Ha Ha.
Please we cannot be bogged down by half truths and full lies and lots of rumours. Please there is so much to do, there are so many people suffering and if we the lucky few who are blessed with good education and support waste our time on 400 acres of Land then there is nothing sadder to say. The faster that issue is over the better it is, we have family ties with so many kashmiri muslims that it is amazing that we have allowed the situation to reach such a turn. The main culprits are the leaders of the valley and then Jammu. Now if there are any bad feelings talk it across and clear it up. We would meet each other again and then as a saying goes – Hate a person but not so much that next time you meet, you would have to lower your eyes in shame.
My strength and that of this nation comes from our democracy. My personal motto IN GOD WE TRUST, ALL OTHERS WE INTERCEPT gives me the freedom to criticise our own bad politicians, our own gods, our holy books which have some negative references and it is because of this freedom I still say that GOD BLESS INDIA. This great country of 5000 years, of a book of knowledge of Rig Veda and it has managed to retain its roots. It is amazing and nothing else. The more I have read about the ethos that defined this nation even in 1947, the more I respect it. The debates in the constituents assembly before the constitution was passed are iconic and should be read by one and all as to why we call this nation as great and why I will stand by each and every letter of the same.
More later.
Monday, 11 August 2008
Truth about Holy Amarnath Cave and the Yatra
Hi Bloggers,
I got these comments from one of the bloggers and my response is given below.
Some points for thought!
1. The shrine was discovered by a Kashmiri Muslim.
Reply: According to legend, when Kashyap Reshi drained the Kashmir valley of water (it was believed to have been a vast lake), the cave and the lingam were discovered by Bregish Reshi who was travelling the Himalayas. When people heard of the lingam, Amarnath for them became Shiva's abode and a centre of pilgrimage.
Then it was rediscovered by a Muslim shepherd named Buta Malik who was given a sack of coal by a sadhu. Upon reaching home he discovered that the sack, in fact, contained gold. Overjoyed and overcome, Buta Malik rushed back to look for the sadhu and thank him, but on the spot of their meeting discovered a cave, and eventually this became a place of pilgrimage for all believers. To date, a percentage of the donations made by pilgrims are given to the descendants of Malik and the remaining to the trust which manages the shrine.
As the history of Kashmir goes back to the days to Sharda Peeth, Kalhan’s Raj Tarangni and the fact that Kashmir was a major centre of learning for the Shivite School of thought, the probability of the cave being discovered earlier also remain. It however should not be an issue to score brownie points but to understand that the history of Kashmir is ancient and way beyond what is being taught to the kids in the valley.
There is ample and conclusive historical evidence, on the other hand, to prove that the holy cave and the ice lingam were known to the people since very ancient times and have been continuously and regularly visited by pilgrims not only from Kashmir but also from different parts of India.
“While the earliest reference to Amarnath can be seen in the Nilamata Purana (v.1324), a 6th century Sanskrit text which depicts the religious and cultural life of early Kashmiris and gives Kashmir’s own creation myth, the pilgrimage to the holy cave has been described with full topographical details in the Bhringish Samhita and the Amarnatha Mahatmya, both ancient texts said to have been composed even earlier.”
References to Amarnath, known have also been made in historical chronicles like the Rajatarangini and its sequels and several Western travellers’ accounts also leaving no doubt about the fact that the holy cave has been known to people for centuries. The original name of the tirtha, as given in the ancient texts, is of course Amareshwara, Amarnath being a name given later to it.
Giving the legend of the Naga Sushruvas, who in his fury burnt to ashes the kingdom of King Nara when he tried to abduct his daughter already married to a Brahmin youth, and after the carnage took his abode in the lake now known as Sheshnag (Kashmiri Sushramnag), Kalahana writes:
“The lake of dazzling whiteness [resembling] a sea of milk (Sheshnag), which he created [for himself as residence] on a far off mountain, is to the present day seen by the people on the pilgrimage to Amareshwara.”(Rajatarangini, Book I v. 267.Translation: M. A. Stein).
This makes it very clear that pilgrims continued to visit the holy Amarnath cave in the 12th century, for Kalhana wrote his chronicle in the years1148-49.
At another place in the Rajatarangini (Book II v. 138), Kalhana says that King Samdhimat Aryaraja (34 BCE-17CE) used to spend “the most delightful Kashmir summer” in worshiping a linga formed of snow “in the regions above the forests”. This too appears to be a reference to the ice linga at Amarnath. There is yet another reference to Amareshwara or Amarnath in the Rajatarangini (Book VII v.183). According to Kalhana, Queen Suryamati, the wife of King Ananta (1028-1063), “granted under her husband’s name agraharas at Amareshwara, and arranged for the consecration of trishulas, banalingas and other [sacred emblems]“.
In his Chronicle of Kashmir, a sequel to Kalhana’s Rajatarangini, Jonaraja relates that that Sultan Zainu’l-abidin (1420-1470) paid a visit to the sacred tirtha of Amarnath while constructing a canal on the left bank of the river Lidder (vv.1232-1234). The canal is now known as Shah Kol.
In the Fourth Chronicle named Rajavalipataka, which was begun by Prjayabhatta and completed by Shuka, there is a clear and detailed reference to the pilgrimage to the sacred site (v.841,vv. 847-849). According to it, in a reply to Akbar’s query about Kashmir Yusuf Khan, the Mughal governor of Kashmir at that time, described among other things the Amarnath Yatra in full detail. His description shows that the not only was the pilgrimage in vogue in Akbar’s time - Akbar annexed Kashmir in 1586 - but the phenomenon of waxing and waning of the ice linga was also well known.
Amareshwar (Amarnath) was a famous pilgrimage place in the time of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan also. In his eulogy of Shah Jahan’s father-in-law Asif Khan, titled “Asaf Vilas”, the famous Sanskrit scholar and aesthete Panditraj Jagannath makes clear mention of Amareshwara (Amarnath) while describing the Mughal garden Nishat laid out by Asif Khan. The King of gods Indra himself, he says, comes here to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva”.
As we well know Francois Bernier, a French physician accompanied Emperor Aurangzeb during his visit to Kashmir in 1663. In his book “Travels in Mughal Empire” he writes while giving an account the places he visited in Kashmir that he was “pursuing journey to a grotto full of wonderful congelations, two days journey from Sangsafed” when he “received intelligence that my Nawab felt very impatient and uneasy on account of my long absence”. The “grotto” he refers to is obviously the Amarnath cave as the editor of the second edition of the English translation of the book, Vincient A. Smith makes clear in his introduction. He writes: “The grotto full of wonderful congelations is the Amarnath cave, where blocks of ice, stalagmites formed by dripping water from the roof are worshipped by many Hindus who resort here as images of Shiva…..”
Another traveler, Vigne, in his book “Travels in Kashmir, Ladakh and Iskardu” writes about the pilgrimage to the sacred spot in detail, clearly mentioning that “the ceremony at the cave of Amarnath takes place on the 15th of the Hindoo month of Sawan” and that “not only Hindoos of every rank and caste can be seen collecting together and traveling up the valley of Liddar towards the celebrated cave……” Vigne visited Kashmir after his return from Ladakh in 1840-41 and published his book in 1842. His book makes it very clear that the Amarnath Yatra drew pilgrims from the whole of India in his time and was undertaken with great enthusiasm.
Again, the great Sikh Guru Arjan Dev is said to have granted land in Amritsar for the ceremonial departure of Chari, the holy mace of Lord Shiva which marks the beginning of the Yatra to the Holy Cave. In 1819, the year in which the Afghan rule came to an end in Kashmir, Pandit Hardas Tiku “founded the Chhawni Anmarnath at Ram Bagh in Srinagar where the Sadhus from the plains assembled and where he gave them free rations for the journey, both ways from his own private resources”, as the noted Kashmiri naturalist Pandit Samsar Chand Kaul has pointed out in his booklet titled “The Mysterious cave of Amarnath”.
2. The Yatra has always been conducted by Kashmiri Muslims.
Reply: Yes the yatra has been supported by the Malik family descendents but not conducted by them.
3. No Yatri was ever harmed by a Kashmiri Muslim.
Reply: Yes, numerous. Even this year some were killed at Bus Stand (5), grenade attack at Gulmarg, etc. Here are only some of them from previous years, it is a long list but i have taken only 3 years;
2000: At least 25 persons, including 16 Amarnath pilgrims were killed and 60 others were injured in an attack by militants at Pahalgam base camp.
2001: Twelve persons, including three women pilgrims and two police officials, were killed and 15 injured when a militant hurled two grenades at a camp and later fired indiscriminately near the holy cave.
2002: Two pilgrims were killed and two others injured when militants threw a grenade and later opened fire on a group of devotees in Jammu ahead of their trek to Amarnath cave shrine.
Twenty four persons were injured in a powerful grenade attack by suspected militants at a bus station on the route of the Amarnath pilgrimage.
A devotee and a taxi driver were killed and three injured when suspected militants lobbed a grenade in Anantnag along the pilgrim route.
Eight persons were killed and 27 wounded in an attack by militants on a base camp at Nunwan.
4. This year, we had record number of Yatris (more than 300,000) visiting the holy Shrine.
Reply: Yes, that is good but it has nothing to do with the valley as the arrangements are done by the SASB. Generally Yatra’s world over are matter of faith and people endure great hardship to complete them. Kashmir being part of India, 300,000 or 3 million is no big deal.
5. Each and every Yatri had praises for the locals who fed them in spite of scanty supplies due to the economic blockage of the highway.
Reply: Well, that is what was the great sufi kashmiri culture that Paki’s wanted to destroy. This was the culture of Lal Ded and Rishi peer. This was the culture where hindus celebrated the 3 day Herath festival (shivratri) with the next day as Salam for their Muslim neighbours. This was the valley which not only fed but gave alms to one and all inculuding hindu sadhu’s coming or going to the cave.
6. Entire country including the 300,000 Yatris are fully satisfied with the arrangements.
Reply: Well, the arrangements were done by SASB.
7. A handful of communal elements at Jammu have a problem.
Reply: It is not as our P.M say “an issue of modalities”. It is a decision of how people will be treated. 400,000 pandits were forced out of their land, 361 were killed, their temples destroyed and sahbir shah, sajjad lone, yasin mailk and their likes are saying that Jammu has communal elements. Well it is like Pakistan accusing India of supporting Taliban.
8. The local Jammu Dogra has never in history protested like this.
Reply: Well that is the point, their patience has now broken and the last straw in the camels backs was Omar Abdullah’s speech in the parliament. It is he who shouted “it is OUR LAND and we will die but not give it away”. How dare he, Kashmiri Pandits were the original inhabitants of the land and by saying so he has proved that he no sense or understanding of history. Clarifying that he meant all of J&K, well please do not lie now. If state subject was the issue, how come land was transferred to Railways, Airports Authourity, NHPC, HMT, Centaur, etc.
9. Some of the people who migrated from valley more than decade ago see this as an opportunity to take a revenge to rout out Muslims from Jammu
Reply: Well again you are missing the point. Surely 20 years is a long time to take revenge. It is akin to agreeing that temporary structures 13000 feet at Baltal can be used for changing the demographic’s of the valley.
10. The Jammu Dogras have fallen prey to the game plan.
Reply: same as above. Sadly, you are missing the point.
11. Who is benefiting from the protests?
Reply: Sometimes, protests are done without immediate gains. What will be gained is that the fact that Kashmiri’s have got too much without doing anything. How many pay taxes- state or central, pay for their electricity bills, etc. The formula of aid dispersal for rest of India is 75% loan and 25% grant, whereas Kashmir it is 75% grant and 25% loan (even that is not repaid back).
12. Our soldiers have laid down their lives fighting militants to keep the National Highway open for the past 20 years.
Reply: Yes, that is the point. The Highway is a scared piece if land for all and we cannot allow it to be used to pump in secessionist elements. Just for your information, an R.O.P (road opening party) of the army clearing the highway, starts their day at 4AM in the morning and ends it at 12PM midnight. It is too holy for anyone to understand. Hopefully the people would now realise how much it takes to keep the lifeline open. Troops can always be flown in as they have been for such a long time, it is common people who will suffer if disruptions occur.
13. Whose cause are people at Jammu supporting?
Reply: They are fighting for the cause of India and the right of an Indian over secessionists.
14. Kashmiri Leaders want a unified state including Jammu/Kashmir/POK/Ladakh
Reply: Sorry but that is not a consolation. It is and will remain unified as per the 1947 agreed boundaries. It is the writ of the Parliament that the P.O.K been taken back from Pakistan. Please read the pre 1947 history of J&K and the exploits of Maharaja Gulab Singh and how Indian have a claim over the entire state of J&K.
15. Protestors at Jammu want separate Jammu, Separate Kashmir, Separate KP Land, Separate Ladakh and maybe further slices of the flesh of our motherland.
Reply: Haven’t heard that but there will always be multiple view points and that is the corner stone of democracy. People in valley who have been following nizam e Mustafa cannot and will not understand what a pluralistic society is. After all they forced out 400,000 people out of the valley by the fear of gun to enforce their singular point of view. Imagine an entire generation of people growing up in a place where there are no minorities left. Most of the over 20 year olds in the valley have not even seen what Diwali, Herath, Nevreh or any other minority festival is like and that is the root cause of all these problems.
If this was not the case, tell me one conflict where the state has suffered so much in spite of their claim being backed by history that Pandits were the original inhabitants of the valley. The problem is the fact that people in the valley are not used to the other side reacting back and this is what has really puzzled them. It was always this Paki notion of a superior race being fed into the valley people which has now turned back to haunt them.
For 60 years Paki’s have fed into the people of valley a sense of utopia something which can only be compared to the communist. A false sense of bravado and beliefs. If you take a step back and understand that a nation who is number 6 or 7 in the list of failed states has not right to talk to India about running a nation or handling it’s conflicts. What they did to Lal Masjid, their use of gunships and missles against Tribal people, balti’s and balouch is well known. It is a country that sold its people to America for as less as 1000$$ and sent them to guantanamo bay and other American prisons.
Have a look at these 2 links and you would understand what I am trying to say. Have a look at this gentleman Amanullah Khan part I and II who was once the so called great freedom fighter of Kashmiri’s and what he has been reduced to. He is also talking of utopia but look at the fear in his speech when he says something about the Pakistan Army and ISI. He is senile but looking at his position you feel nothing but sad. This is what happens to someone who is backed by Paki’s.
Have a look at all this and then decide for yourself which way to go!
Sunday, 10 August 2008
Lest we forget - Tales of Kashmiri Pandits forced to flee their homeland of 5000 years
Tales of Kashmiri Pandits forced to flee their homeland of 5000 years
For all my "secular" friends who keep on saying that Mr. Jagmohan was responsible for my community to leave their 5000 year homeland and happily survive in tents in other parts of India.
One day we will go back to our Vitasta and our Khir Bhavani and the land of Sharda Peeth. The land for which hundreds including Sikh Gurus (and their families) gave their life, we will return. It took jews nearly 1000+ years to get their place and we will wait even longer but will go back to our roots.
SURVIVOR’S STORY
Srinagar
For past couple of months the situation had been extremely tense in the valley. Everywhere there was fear and uncertainty. A lot of our relatives and friends had already fled from Kashmir. My mother and I were still resisting because we had nowhere to go, no home outside Kashmir, no source of income outside the valley. My mother had told me on 19th January that no one could make her leave her home. “This is my home and my state, I was born here and I will die here, no body can drive me out of here”, she told me categorically. Little did she know that she would have to change her statement in less than 24 hours. My school had been closed down because of the turmoil and I was restless and fear stricken at home desperately listening to every news bulletin on the radio.
On 20th morning everything looked normal or so it seemed. It was my grandfather’s birthday. Usually this occasion was a big day for our entire clan. All my cousins and aunts and uncles got together in my grandfather’s house and we all spent this day together with traditional gaiety and tons of happiness. But today was different. Everything was gloomy and sad. We lived about 15 mins away from my grandfather’s house but my other aunts lived far away. For the first time in my life we were contemplating whether we should go to our grandfather’s house or not on this day. My mother was crying since morning. She told me she had never felt so helpless all her life. I had known my mother to be a rock who would face every situation with calm and poise. ‘If she was feeling helpless something must be terribly wrong’, I told myself.
Around lunchtime my mother told me to dress up in my warm clothes.’ We are going to nana’s house’ she told me simply. I quickly dressed up and we set out. My mother held my hand and two of us walked down to my nana’s house. January is probably the coldest month in Kashmir. The walk to my grandfather’s house had never seemed so long before. My mother held my hand firmly in her hand and we walked, shivering more with fear than cold. We were met with cold stares from policemen and BSF officials who could be spotted everywhere. It must have been quite a sight for them to see two women walking on the deserted road. My mother told me not to look at anybody and we quietly walked. Little did we know that this would be our last trip to nana’s house. My mother told me that we would wish nana happy birthday and come back before it gets dark. Finally we reached nana’s house. For the first time I found their door locked. I don’t remember them ever locking their front door, but today things were different. We lived in tough times. My mother knocked on the door. My grandmother shouted from inside asking who it was. After confirming that it was my mother and I, she opened the door and let us in. The fear on her face was obvious. She was glad that we could make it. She was almost sure that her two other daughters would not be able to make it because they lived little far away and would not be able to brave the situation. Inside the house my grandfather sat at his usual place with hookah in front of him, but he was not smoking today. He looked worried too. I quickly ran to him and wished him happy birthday and he in return hugged me and told me to sit in the blanket because I was very cold. He told my mother to stay over for the night. ‘Your brother will drop you back tomorrow morning.’ My mother agreed and soon we were chatting away and for some time forgot what was happening outside. That night after dinner we sat around the TV watching some old classic movie. After a while I saw my mother get up and suddenly I heard a loud shriek from her. All of us rushed to the courtyard and heard loud noises coming from loud speakers. At first we were too shocked to understand what was happening. All the noises seemed like battle cries and we all huddled together in fear. We were standing in the courtyard and our faces were white with fear. Slowly everything started making sense. All the militants or so-called Jehadis were declaring Jehad from the loudspeakers placed in the mosques. They were coaxing Muslim men, women and children to come out of their houses and join them in the so-called holy Jehad. All kafirs or Pandits were threatened to join them or face serious consequences. In the fifteen years of my existence I had not known what fear really was and for the first time I asked my mother that why was being Hindu such a big crime. The noises were getting louder and louder and we all had blank expressions on our faces. No one knew what all this meant or why all this was happening to us. Later we got to know that all the Mujahideens or simply militants had crowded in Maisuma Chowk and a battle ensued between security forces and militants. That night the government of India had named Jagmohan as the governor of Kashmir and then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah had resigned in protest. So that night, on 20th of January 1990 there was no government in Kashmir, no one to control the situation and no one to protect us. My grandfather went around his house like a mad man frantically praying to God to protect his family. Tears were trickling down his eyes and he kept repeating ‘ kabali loot gav, kabali loot gav’ [the kabalis have struck again! (ref to kabali invasion that Pakistan had masterminded in 1947)]. My mother looked at me and said ‘ my child we will have to leave Kashmir, for you I will have to go. You are more precious to me than anything else’
Next morning Curfew was clamped in the city. We were at Nana’s place for a week. And then returned to our house. I still remember how sad my house looked that day. As soon as we reached all our immediate neighbors came to meet us and they all were sure that the time to leave their homeland had come. Nobody said anything but they all knew that it was all over. After that we hardly left our homes. We were literally trapped in our own homes. All we could see everywhere were security forces marching up and down. Soon it was almost clear that schools could not run properly in this situation and my mother was concerned about my studies. All our neighbors had fled and we were the only Pandit family in that neighborhood. Militants had also started selective killings of Pandits and one of our close relatives had also become a victim of this manslaughter. By now it had become clear that militants wanted all Pandits to leave Kashmir. The gory tales of their violence spread everywhere like wild fire. My mother was concerned about our safety and well being. With a heavy heart she woke me up one night and said, ‘ I have decided to go to Delhi and get you enrolled in some school there.’ She was heart broken. We had no where to go in Delhi. We had to start life all over again. My mother would have to look for a job there and it would be a very different life from what we were leading at Kashmir. In about two weeks, we packed just the bare essentials and left our home forever.
I still remember the night before we left our homes. My mother cooked our last meal in the house that we still called our own. She had been quiet the whole day and in the evening as she was serving the food she could bear it no longer. She broke down and told me ‘ I came to this house as a young bride. This house has been a witness to all my good times and bad times and even when your father left us forever, this house protected me against all outsiders and evils. Today I am leaving the security of my house and don’t know where I am going. I cannot pack the moments spent in this house. I cannot pack my memories, why am I being forced to leave my homeland, I have not committed any crime, why am I paying the price for the mistakes of others.’ I was too small then to say anything. I just wiped the tears from the face of my mother and two of us quietly ate our last meal in our house and wept till we could weep no more.
The moment we left our house we were branded as ‘MIGRANTS’ by the Government and so called ‘ALREADY SETTLED’ Pandits living outside valley. For the first time I realized how tough it was to survive in this harsh world. We lived in a rented apartment in Faridabad, near Delhi. The house we lived in had no windows and no fans. For first couple of weeks we didn’t even have a refrigerator. We had to battle against a lot of things outside valley, heat of plains being one of them. God somehow gave us, and many families like us, a lot of strength. We survived and took everything as a challenge. My mother found a job for herself. We started gathering the threads of our life with time. But strangely enough, the scars have only become bigger with time. My grandfather literally went insane. He could not bear the fact that he was being forcibly made to leave his house. He could not bear that he had left his palatial bungalow and was living in a rented home in Jammu with absolutely no amenities. He soon stopped recognizing people and stopped eating. We lost him soon and the tragedy was that we could not even mourn for him properly. Many more such tragedies happened. Many people have been languishing ever since in the migrant camps and normal life has never been restored for them.
More than a decade has passed but the wounds are still there. When I see how callously the Kashmir situation is being handled the wounds start bleeding all over again. When I hear of Bamiyan Buddhas being destroyed by Afghan Vandals my wounds become fresh and I am reminded of the vandalism I am a victim of. When I see no one taking up the cause of Kashmiri Pandits because we don’t form the vote bank for any politician my wounds start aching.
Although we are all survivors but something has died in all of us. We are all leading an incomplete life. Our homes have been burnt down, our dreams have been trampled upon, our numbers are decreasing fast, yet we are holding against all odds hoping that one day we will return to our land of ancestors, our home land.
I can only say in the end
‘zuv chum braman ghar ghasha”…..[I am pining to go back to my home]
Sunanda Vashisht (Zadu) - 2004-09-13
That Scary Night....
It was horrible to witness the night, when the roads, lanes were filled with people and crying for the Azadi. We were taken aback and could expect anything possible. Even we could not decide that why people are on the roads, unexpectedly. One of our neighbors came to us and knocked our door, saying, "Do you know what is happening?". We also were as surprised and shocked as they were. We could not respond a little bit, other than saying "What to do next?" They too had no reply, quite obviously. Then we quickly decided to segregate our ladies lot, so that at least they are saved and nothing adverse happens in our presence. This was what we could decide instantaneously/briskly, without a second to wait. Thereafter, my two friends went to the KPs in our belt, which were about 10 to 12 and told them to send the ladies folk to one house which was slightly off in our belt and gave them some money, so that they can save their honor/ lives, if it comes to running away from the place.
Everybody had a little option to decide otherwise and we landed all the ladies/girls in one house, which we thought was safer as compared to other ones. Though this was a only a matter of self-satisfaction, which we could depend during that crisis. We all men folk decided to guard our houses and it was crystal clear that we could prefer to die rather than witnessing our ladies folk to be dishonored in front of our eyes. We called the police station, and they advised us to stay inside rather than giving any hope for a safety. This was the height of desperation, but we had little to do about it. Every second of that night passed on like a hell, not knowing what shall be the next, but fortunately nothing happened as we were expecting. we had a sigh of relief in the morning, thinking that we had got a breathing time to decide what to do. The next move landed us only at Jammu without bag and baggage and reeling under the tremendous agony, desperation and exasperation, thinking what is in our fate. Rest all of us are very well aware and need not to be updated.
Satish Raina - 2004-09-13
Why my 24 years old son was killed? My son Dilip was promised a job by one Habib Rishi of Reshipora Zanipora a local Congress leader. He assured us of all protection being head of a militant outfit in the area. It was 1990. He directed some militants to help us to do our normal business (looking after our orchards and agricultural land). As insurgency escalated, Habib asked for money to be paid to some Govt. authority for issuing appointment order to Dilip. We had no money. "Sell your land which after sometime will be usurped by the militants and you will have neither land nor job" he repeatedly said. Dilip sold a portion of land. Habib borrowed spray machine and other Agro-equipments (costing Rs. 50,000). In all he made Rs. 70,000 from us. But as no orders were received, Dilip asked for return of the money. This annoyed Habib who had obtained money to the tune of Rs 70,000 - including cost of agricultural equipment with the promise of returning the equipment back costing about Rs. 50,000.
Dilip was mercilessly beaten by Unidentified militants and his body badly mutilated thrown on a street. Dilip's Grandmother, Mother (both widows), sister and unemployed younger brother were brought to Jammu with the help of security forces. The Grandmother passed away with a heat stroke. Rest of the destitute family, all females, are in the Muthi camp today.
Mother of one Dilip Kumar, B.A. (aged 24 years) S/o of Late Mohan Lal R/O village Mujamarg, Tehsil Shopiyan, District Pulwama, J&K, India, presently in Muthi Refugee Camp, Jammu, J&K, India.
A Mother - 2004-09-13
What is my greatest problem in the Valley?
"When you kill one person, you go to the prison. When you kill one hundred persons, you are a hero. And when you are responsible for the killings of hundreds of persons you are invited to peace talks."
My father a petty shopkeeper was picked up from our home, within minutes hanged to death in the precincts of our house in presence of my mother, sister and brother with no charge, rhyme or reason. Neighbouring elderly Muslim women came to console us. Some of them said that it was God's will. Not an insect can be killed unless Allah wills. There were tears in the eyes of a few girls, my class mates, but when one of them told me to forget the dark past and rejoice in the new faith I was greatly hurt. She told me this while the dead body was still hanging from our walnut tree in front of our house. I was shown a Muslim neighbour elder to me 10 or 15 years to be my husband.
BSF by chance suspected something wrong as they saw hundreds of men, women and children running to our house. BSF helped us to move to Jammu. In Jammu I pin-pointed names of all those who mercilessly eliminated my dearest father but all in vain. Kashmir is 100% Islamised now. If I return to my home in the valley someday, how shall I feel when I face the same people who proved so cruel and barbaric and easily escaped any punishment even the formality of being questioned.
(Name withheld), Resident of District Badgam, J&K, India.
Name withheld - 2004-09-13
Where is secularism in Kashmir?
I belong to downtown Srinagar. During 1987-88 I spent Rs. 80,000 of my life savings to renovate my house. The lure of property kept me in my home till August,1990 while my Hindu neighbours fled from Jan, 1990. But I had to pay Rs. 300 per month from March to July 1990 for being allowed to stay back in my house towards donation to the so-called freedom movement (Aazadi).
In mid August, 1990 militants from some far of place in Srinagar came with arms. They packed up all our valuables, beat us mercilessly and asked us to flee. No neighbour even whispered in our favour, not even those who recovered the monthly Jaziya from us.
Now six long years have elapsed. Our house in Srinagar has become residence of a militant family. Here in Jammu I pay Rs. 1200 monthly as rent without getting even a penny from the one who occupied my house. I am not an exception. Same is true with many many families in exile. For the Central Govt., things have improved. There is a change in Muslim hearts. For me it is a blatant lie and bluff of the nincompoop rulers ignorant of ground realities.
Mohan Rani (Surname withheld upon request)
Camp Muthi-Jammu, J&K, India.
Mohan Rani - 2004-09-13
Kashmiri Hindu - the acid test for secularism in India
You can retain the land called Kashmir but can you give a place of honour and dignity to the exiled Kashmiri Hindu when he returns back to his 10,000 year old homeland ? The future of Kashmiri Hindu is the acid test for secularism in India.
How was it that every Muslim contributed to the hounding out of Kashmiri Hindu from the valley from 1947-90. Now when the dream of gifting away the land to Pakistan became impossible they purchase immovable property of Hindus on throw away prices. Day in and day out you see Kashmiri Muslims in refugee camps in Jammu, Delhi and elsewhere. They are erstwhile neighbours urging ailing patients, starving inhabitants, parents with grown up girls with no means for their weddings to sell their property in Kashmir. They did so in 1992-93 in a different way. Then terrorists openly threatened them that their houses would be set ablaze if not sold. In many cases Insurance Companies refused to entertain the insurance proposals of the exiled Hindus.
Only one option was left to the Secularist pro-Indian Hindu that was to sell his house under duress. Will anybody believe that a house built at the cost of 15 lakhs in 1983 fetched Rs. 2 lakhs to a family when one of their members became victim of kidney failure ?
Roshan Lal in exile in Mishriwalla Refugee Camp, Jammu, J&K, India.
Roshan Lal - 2004-09-13
I want to share the experience we had in our colony on the day when all Muslims came out on the road and started crying for Azadi. It was sudden outburst of something underlying since a longtime, but we were certainly unfortunate not to have taken any cognizance of it before hand, otherwise, we would have not been taken aback. The horrible experience on that night still passes shudders in my body. We were certainly out of wits to decide what to do and what no to do on witnessing a mammoth crowd out on the roads. One of our neighbors came to us with his wits off to have a interaction what is happening and what could we do. We had a few young boys in our colony and we immediately decided to collect the ladies/girls of our colony at one place and gave them some money so that if something untoward happens at least they would be equipped to tackle the problem of running away in what ever transport available. All the gents gathered to see what they had to face next, but it was pre-decided that we would not see our mothers/sisters/wives being dishonored with our eyes. We had very little to save ourselves, except to alter our lives for our the sake of our families. The conditions seemed to be like a person where he finds himself deserted amid a huge populace, but we had hardly anything to do about it. we were left with no alternative, but to reconcile with the situations presented to us.
With the blessing of that Almighty, nothing happened to us except for a huge amount of tension which we reeled for that full night. We had a sigh of relief on finding ourselves with our families again. The amount of exhilaration can not be described in words, this one can only feel and I do not find any words to explain the moments which rejoined us with our families. There and then everybody of us felt that we are unsafe here, hence the resultant was an exodus from our birth place. I am forced to put on record that when we left our houses, we all had a last glance of it and thereafter till date , things are amply clear to everyone of us.
We still long to go back, but how and when is a question which haunts all of us.
Satish Raina - 2004-09-13
My family suffered not only once....
We used to stay at a small village about 15kms from Anantnag.
I still remember Shivratri(a major festival of Kashmiris) of the year 1986.My maternal grandfather was in the last stages of his cancer so all my masis(aunts)and mausas(uncles)were there at his place trying their best to serve him during his last days of life.During this period,riots had started in the southern part of the valley and some miscreants in Kashmir had started looting the Hindu families.One morning we got the news that my Aunt's place had been looted.It was like a nightmare, on one side my grandfather was very sick and on the other side we had no knowledge of the whereabouts of my cousins and their paternal grandmother who were there at that time.
Then my Masi(Aunt) borrowed a burkha(veil)from a neighbour to conceal her identity as a hindu woman and walked for hours to reach her village just to find her wrecked house and shocked children and mother-in-law.
After a few days my grandfather passed away and slowly we had to return to our normal lives trying to forget the painful past.
Then came a time (ending 1989 onwards)when everybody had to decide whether to leave the valley or not.My parents had to stay there for a little longer than everybody else did due our personal problems.I was sent to Jammu,since my school had been shut down, to take admission in another school there.
One night,when my perents,grandmother and great grandmother were getting ready for the dinner, they heard a knock at the door.My mother went to open the door and the first thing to enter was a barrel of a gun followed by two masked terrorists.She almost lost consciousness. They took my father in a separate room and started questioning him about him having a wireless telephone and being involved with the Indian Army calling him mukhbir(informer).Truth being, my father had nothing to do with a wireless telephone.He is a man of principle and has always believed in a live and let live policy. They showed him a letter stamped by some area commander saying that if they found him guilty he would be given the appropriate punishment according to the rules.
In the other room my mother and grandmother tried to escape through the window to get some help when they realised that our house had been surrounded from all sides by the terrorists.
My great grandmother who was a courageous and selfless woman, forcefully entered the room where they were questioning my father and she started screaming at the top her voice, condemning them of killing innocent people without any reason. With her entrance in the room, my father gathered courage and started yelling at them telling them to do whatever they had to do in front of the whole village. He told them that they were cowards and challenged them to prove his guilt and then punish him in front of everyone in the village.
The terrorists were really shocked as my father pushed them aside and dragged one of the two terrorists outside in the courtyard and told him repeatedly to call the villagers. They got confused and fled without harming anyone from my family.
Later when my father reported the incident to the so-called elders of the village(who tried to assure him that nothing like this would happen in future and he doesn't have to fear any more),they did an investigation and we came know that an ex-tiller of ours had hired these terrorists so that he could own our land that was just next to his.
My family had to leave the place soon after this incident since my family no longer felt secure there.
I am thankful to God for blessing us with my father's precious life.
It is really shameful that we have lost so many precious and innocents lives and the culprits are still at large.
Namrata Kaul - 2004-09-13
My Dad had a good business in the heart of city which was first targetted by the radicals so we have to sit idle for the next four months and one day we had to leave our home in the dead of night leaving our belongings. Then we came to Faridabad were we do not have anything to do, for the next 6months. Then my sister found a job as a teacher in Faridabad to sustain us. Now our precious 15years have passed and we are not able to go to our birth place freely. Some people are going there just as tourists. No Govt. Central or State is doing anything for us as we are not a vote bank for them , but we have a glorious past of 5000 years and one day we will see the light of the tunnel. As we are not a vote bank no one is interested in us , it is our fault we should elect our leader who can raise our voice and who can be heard, I would prefer Shri Jag Mohan as every K.P. know what he is for us. When 2500 sikhs died in 1984 riots, now politicians are creating hue and cry and they bow they heads in shame, Sikhs are coming on streets. When about 600-800 Muslims died in Gujrat Riots politicians are saying that it is black blot in ones party face (BJP). When around 1lacs K.P. were forced to leave their homes and apprx. 1500 were mercillesly killed by radicals ,where were these politicians then, when one is focibly taken out of their homes and given the name of migrants in their own country. DO NOT THEY FEEL ASHAMED they should also bow their heads for this community. If our politicians do not stop appeasing these radicals, one day OUR HINDUSTAN will become ISLAMISTAN. Hope some good sense will prevail to our politicians and will work earnestly to solve the Kashmir problem and pave for our return to our maez kashir.
jatinder - 2005-08-21
16 years back “Wake up Shreyas, wake up. We have to leave, wake up”, said my mother shaking my hand briskly. On opening my eyes, I saw my father unfastening the chain of his bag and inserting his clothes and other personal things in it. Shree was standing in corner of room gazing mother continuously. I went up to her and asked, “What is happening didi, where is papa going”. She murmured, “We all are going”, as if she was talking to herself. I turned to mother and asked, “Where are we going ma”. “GOD knows where are we going, what all I know is that we are leaving KASHMIR, and don’t ask anything just wear your clothes,” she said, “Shree will help you. Go now”. “Should I pack up my passbook, cheque book, job related credentials and other documents?” asked ma to papa. I saw tears swelling and rolling down her eyes. Papa replied in negation and said, “better keep them in locker or handover them to pitaji”. I kept on asking the same questions repeatedly to Shree while she was buttoning my shirt but was not reciprocated with answers. She was looking eccentric to me, as I had never ever seen her so blank and numb. As it was a usual December night with sub zero temperature I was left covered with woolen from top to bottom. While papa, ma and didi continued what they were doing, I rushed to my grandparents' room. Dadi was sitting on her couch with her legs folded and her wrinkled yet glowing face resting on her knees, which was vacant and reddened eye. Dada on seeing me came forward, kissed me on my forehead, and said, “Let them go now, we need not to be anxious about anything and if you wish so, we will join them afterwards. Let them go and do not increase their troubles. Come, come and help them”. Dada raised me into his arms and walked into our bedroom with dadi following him. “Don’t you worry about us. We will stay here. They will not harm us. We are old and of no value for them. After all this is our motherland, we have been living here for centuries. We share common blood and a mere difference of faith will not make them so brittle. If GOD will be kind upon us then we won’t be required to leave our home and you too will return”. Tears rolled down on cheeks of dadi nevertheless she quickly wiped them off. “Onkar beta take all necessary things and your personal belongings with you so that you don’t have to look up at others for aid and support’’ said dadi and while she articulated these words I clearly saw her hands quacking. Dadi headed toward ma, brought ma close to her and murmured something into her ears. What she said , I will never ever be able to know but after completing her words she bursted into tears. As if tears are contagious, they instantaneously infected ma and Shree and swelled up in their eyes. Dada walked out of the room. When packing was done papa ringed up Hariom Uncle and asked his whereabouts. Leaving valley was a group resolution and pundits fled away in large chunks, some in their own vehicles and some in private vehicles. The centuries old tradition of KASHMIRIYAT was being torned by PUPPETS of ALLAH. This mass exodus of pundits was not very first incidence of its kind in the history of Kashmir. This time we were driven out of our homes, of our motherland, of our culture for the fifth time. This time it was for the AZADI of Kashmir from the illicit occupation of INDIA. Pundits, the centuries old inhabitants of KASHMIR were tagged as INDIAN agents and KASHMIR was being unfurnished by MUJAHIDIENS from this unwanted debris. Names of pundits were being pasted on walls of civic buildings and on local mosques. Letters bearing threats and warning notes were left on doorsteps by anonymous. Such edicts were also published in local Urdu newspapers. It all started something around November 1989 when I was just seven years old and shree was something around 12 years. Our four-storied dwelling was located in GANPATYAR locality of SRINAGAR district. My grandfather Sh. Brij Nath Koul was ex-chairman of history Department in Kashmir University. He was a man of values. Everyone in our locality knew him well. He was a divine lover of Kashmir and was a devout SHIVAIT. My father Sh. Onkar Nath Koul was Jr. Engineer in state Electricity board. He was the only son of my dadaji. My mother Smt. Kalpana Koul, carried on the profession of dadaji and was reader of zoology in Kashmir university. Hariom uncle, my ma’s brother was a resident of Jawaher Nager and ran a store in Residency Road area. We were living a reasonably happy life before it all started. My parents all the time thought that happen what may we will not be harmed by anyone for we were not drawn in anything happening at that time in valley. Our firm consideration was further strengthened by words of uncle Junaid Ahmed Bhatt and Aashiq Rasool Wani, both of them being my father’s friends. Uncle JUNAID was also our neighbor. His son waseem and I were of same age and therefore were best of friends, that time. However, destiny played a harsh game with us. One fine evening Junaid uncle informed papa that his name was pasted on wall of a nearby mosque with names of many other pundits counting Hariom mamaji as well, asking all of them to abscond Kashmir or to get ready to see their fate. A small group of pundits assembled and it was decided that we will leave Kashmir for the interim as a safety measure only and will come back to our dwellings as soon as the blizzard vanishes. The governor of the state, then, is also blamed for our exodus from our houses. As dada’s name was not on the list, he decided to stay back. Our turn arrived a bit late; a number of Pundits had already fled away to JAMMU. It was our turn now. After discussing, the situation with Hariom uncle on phone papa asked all of us to walk down to garage and get seated in our car. Hariom uncle was coming to our house with whole of his kin and some other pundits. Ma jam-packed five large bags, all of them full of our household things and other necessary items. All that time dadi kept on howling and cursing the terrorists. Ma tried to console nevertheless she was weeping herself. Papa, dada and didi were all vacant and pale with no emotions on their faces except that of fright. Thirteen other cars and mini buses arrived near our house and Hariom uncle jumped out of one of them speedily. He wished my grandparents, kissed me on my forehead, and said, “Onkar bhaisaab the valley is burning and situations are worse for Hindus to continue here. Do not wait even for a second; just run for your lives”. Hearing his words dadi started crying as if she was mourning for someone who is dead now. Junaid uncle might have heard our conversation by then so he opened his door and walked out of his house. He took papa’s hand and said with a heavy throat, “what a day has arrived. My friend is being forced to leave his home and I am not in a position to do anything. Oh Allah, what should I do. How can I see you fleeing away like this?” “Don’t you worry Junaid everything will end up correctly and we will be back before long” said papa “and pitaji and ma are staying here so please look after my old parents. If conditions will become fatal then I will take them away with me but until then they and my house are your responsibility. Please take care of them”. “Oh don’t worry at all they are my own parents, mouj is mirror image of my mother for me. Now you all should leave. Go,” said he “Allah hafiz Onkar bhai”. He handed over his kangri to ma and kissed didi’s forehead. While all this was happening Zarina aunty, wife of Junaid uncle and Waseem were peeping out at us through window in their house. Our car became an entity of long caravan of vehicles taking pundits away to safer places. I turned and gazed at my grand parents standing with Junaid uncle at our gate. Dadi was continuously crying and dada was trying to console her. That time I didn’t thought that I was seeing my grandparents for the last time. I kept on looking them continuously until they were in my range of vision. Along with Hariom uncle, we were five souls in that fastening car and all were as silent and immovable as dead. Snow was heavily pouring down and the chill was shivering our bones and jaws. As we moved on and came near GOW KADAL (a bridge in Srinagar city), I don’t know what happened to ma that she started beating her forehead with her palms and started crying. Those outbursts of emotions bring a shivering in my spine even today whenever I think of it. Our cars kept on moving until a mad crowd of our Kashmiri counterpart stopped them. It was a mob of over hundred Kashmiri men, all of them dressed in pheren and carrying kangris in their hands. They all were shouting “Allah o akbar, Allah o akbar. Kashmir mian rehna hoga, Allah o akbar kehna hoga. (Saying Allah o akbar is the only condition to live in Kashmir). Asi gachi Pakistan bata rosta batanev san (We will go to Pakistan and will take hindu women folk with us)”. That throng emerged out from nowhere like a flash mob, enmeshed us, chanted out these slogans, grimed at us and suddenly disappeared in dark. Some of them turned back and forced out all pundit men out of their cars at their gunpoint. This increased the trauma of my mother manifold. She soaked Shree didi and me into her shawl. A shrouded face came to us, knocked at glass of window, and pointed out his armament on father. Ma started pleading him of our lives. I remember those eyes behind that mask. They were full of fury and revenge. The image of those eyes is intact in my memories. Even today, I can identify them. He stared at all of us for a while and pulled out papa from the driver’s seat. Papa was pulled as if he was not a human being but a sack of flesh and bones. Ma at once jumped out of car, took hold of his arm and begged “As per instructions we are leaving Kashmir then why are you holding us here like this”. The man opened his mouth for the first time “We are letting you go out of valley, is that not enough for you. What are you people taking with you in these bags? Your lives are the only thing, which you will be allowed to take from Kashmir. Rest all belongs to poor and oppressed muslims of our Kashmir whom you pundits have never considered as human as yourself. You handful pundits have always been overweighed. For centuries, you cowards have dominated in every run of life. It’s our turn now. Leave Kashmir, India awaits you and Kashmir awaits NIZAM -E- MUSTAFA”. His question was immediately answered by ma and she pulled out all five bags out of car and handed over to him. By then he let papa free from his grip. “I said punditani take your lives with you, rest all is ours,” he shouted “don’t you listen”. “We have given you all our belongings, nothing is left to us. What the hell do you want now, for GOD’S sake let us go now at least” said Hariom uncle. The man replied at once in an angry tone “look at your lady. She is wearing dejharoos, handover them to me immediately otherwise bullets of my gun are ready to penetrate your body”. Ma handed over her dejharoos to him at once and he gave a silent permission to all of us to proceed. Ma collected a bit of courage within her and asked that man to give our bag of clothes back to us. I think this irritated him a lot, he turned back to her and snatched the kangri which uncle Junaid had given her and crushed that kangri under his boots. He looked at us and asked us to leave immediately. Our fellow pundits were also bereaved. Life cheats, sometimes atleast. The same scenes were repeated in other parts of valley too. Pundits were appalled in every corner of valley. In our way, we saw thousands of eyes staring at us, ‘the busted pundits’ from their windows. The streets were all deserted as it was nighttime and curfew was imposed in all parts of the valley. The last thing, which I remember of that night, is JAWAHER TUNNEL. This tunnel is gateway to Kashmir. After passing safely out of valley well and safe, my parents and all of us felt relieved and in warm lap of my mother I felt asleep soon. TODAY That night changed the course of my life, not only mine but of over four hundred thousand Kashmiri Hindus who are popularly known as pundits for their knowledge, intelligence and standard of education. I am Shreyas Koul and I am 24 years old now. I am living in a tent made up of plastic sheet with my parents in outskirts of Jammu district on Jammu-Udhampur road. Ours is a complete village comprising of about 800 tents and a population of over 7600. I have graduated in commerce from Government Degree College three years back and I am still looking out for a job. In meantime I had learned repairing and maintenance of mobile phones at a near by electronic shop and presently I am earning about Rs. 1700 from it. My elder sister Shree(now 28) is married to Vijay Zaroo and Mrs. Shree Koul Zaroo is now a mother of three tiny tots who were born in the same tent in which they are living presently. One of her boy child is suffering from hysteria. My brother-in-law, Vijay assists a pharmacist at his drug shop. Hariom uncle left our tent village six years back when he got a job in a private textile mill in SURAT. They are now living an enjoyable lower middle class life, over there. As my parents left their papers back home, the government found itself hapless in providing them their salaries and any other job. On inquiry papa found that, his service book was missing from office records. Ma was not differently treated. God knows who had eaten up the service books. Ma is something around 52 but she looks like 102. Reader of zoology in Kashmir University now gives home tuition for 300 bucks. Papa works with PANUN KASHMIR and thinks that one day they will succeed in carving a separate homeland for pundits within the valley. He is 125 years old now, I suppose. My grandparents thought they were of no value for those freedom seekers but they were so wrong. They made a huge contribution in freedom struggle and cleaning of Kashmir. As per what we were told by those who fled late, some freedom seekers rushed into our house two nights after we left valley. They pumped thirteen bullets into my dada’s body, three of them in head, two in heart, and three in his legs and rest in his groin region. Before this, his head was beaten with hammer and skin was pealed off on which he used to apply a TIKA very proudly. There was no scar on my dadi’s body. They say she just died of shock. Death of my grandparents paved a way for easy and automatic cleansing of Kashmir from unwanted debris. Junaid uncle who kept every word of what he had promised to papa did the cremation rites of my grandparents. He was rewarded for this deed by freedom seekers. He was beaten mercilessly for showing sympathy to pundits. We still have some contact with each other by exchange of letters. His son Waseem, whom I had not seen since we left Kashmir, is now pursuing his degree in medicine from AMU Aligarh. Destiny has been kind upon him. Agony hurts. He is rising and I am in a pitfall. The exile of Shree RAM was of fourteen years but we are out of our homes for over sixteen years and RAVAN has not been identified yet. In these past sixteen years life had taught me a number of lessons. Life has made me tolerant. Today I know a lot about life but the biggest agony of my life will be that I don’t know myself. I am a rootless sapling, planted on a barren land. I do not know what does being a Kashmiri Hindu means. I don’t remember anything about Kashmir. I had never been there since we came here. That night is very much there in front of my eyes as it was a night that deserted my life but besides that, I don’t have anything in my mind. I barely remember our house, except for our bedroom. Neither I remember much of it nor will I ever be able to see it again because it was burnt down to ashes as an act of revenge after demolition of BABRI MASJID. Along with our house, the tiny temple of our locality was rocked down to a heap of bricks and mud. My ma often talks about SHANKARACHARYA TEMPLE and KHEER BHAVANI TEMPLE both of which are in Kashmir. She describes how fondly she used to take me there; but here too I am blank. I will never know how SHIVRATRI and NAVRATRA were celebrated over there in Kashmir. MAA SHARDA is already behind iron bars in AZAD JAMMU and KASHMIR. Although I am a Kashmiri pundit yet I found it difficult to talk in KOSHUR; HINDI and DOGRI are much easy, at least for me. I think the game is about to get over in near future. Soon the culturally and otherwise distinct community of Kashmiri pundits will be extinct. Today I am just a Hindu, nothing more than that. Let them be proud about their Kashmir ‘the paradise on earth’. The heaven has lost its charm in my eyes when they ‘hell-bent for AZADI’ ruined my life and made it a living hell. Today my tent is heaven for me and for next few centuries, it will remain so. I wonder how people live in cages of concrete and bricks. We don’t think about future anymore. We left everything in valley which we owned; by everything I mean our culture, traditions, kashmiriyat and our future too. We have stopped dreaming. Making the ends meet is in itself quite troublesome. My biggest desire presently is to owe a TV set and to have electricity connection in our tent. Silly thought; I know it is. A tent does not deserve to have an electricity connection but an ailing old Jr engineer in state electricity board needs and deserves a bit of comfort, atleast at dusk of his life. I don’t know when did all this started. Neither have I had any clue of it nor am I interested in that rubbish thought. Some say the root cause is marked differences in both the faiths. Some others are of firm belief that it is result of incomplete partition of the sub continent. A few also believe that misgovernance of the state governments of nineteen eighties’ is the mother of this freedom struggle. However, for me it all started when my mother waked me up one night saying “wake up Shreyas, wake up. We have to leave”. its a piece of fiction which i had written taking tha name of shreyas. i am aniruddh singh, 21 years old and presently living in aligarh with my parents. i feel as if i a also a kashmiri. i want to do something for kashmir. if you find me worth entertaining then please do reply me at aniruddh_singh85@yahoo.co.in
aniruddh singh - 2006-11-10
My story is nothing different from the thousands of KP's who fled from the valley of their dreams (Kashmir) for their life in around Jan/Feb 1990. I lived alongwith my family of four in a small house in Nai Sadak, Near Badiyar Bala in Srinagar. I'm witness to the numerous brutalities that the KP's had to face and the final blow of 19/20 Jan '90 (Night)when the loudspeakers from the Mosques blazed venom and we finally decided to leave. The morning was a scene when the road leading Lalchowk was filled with KP ladies,men and children running with loads of their belongings on their backs and heads and the Muslims on the roadside and windows of their houses laughing away the plight of the hapless Pandits running for their life to get a lift for Jammu outside the bounds of the fanatic Muslim population. The scene is engraved in my memory and can never be viped away. Our journey Jammu also commenced the same morning and what were the odds that we had to face there is a real story to tell but --------------
JL Bhat - 2006-12-22
My story is nothing different from the thousands of KP's who fled from the valley of their dreams (Kashmir) for their life in around Jan/Feb 1990. I lived alongwith my family of four in a small house in Nai Sadak, Near Badiyar Bala in Srinagar. I'm witness to the numerous brutalities that the KP's had to face and the final blow of 19/20 Jan '90 (Night)when the loudspeakers from the Mosques blazed venom and we finally decided to leave. The morning was a scene when the road leading Lalchowk was filled with KP ladies,men and children running with loads of their belongings on their backs and heads and the Muslims on the roadside and windows of their houses laughing away the plight of the hapless Pandits running for their life to get a lift for Jammu outside the bounds of the fanatic Muslim population. The scene is engraved in my memory and can never be viped away. Our journey Jammu also commenced the same morning and what were the odds that we had to face there is a real story to tell but --------------
JL Bhat - 2006-12-22
Dear Sir, I wish to make an appeal thru this portal. Wanted to put an appeal up for one Ms. Kusum Handoo who is alone staying with her parents and her son is batelling lukemia,and to save the precious life docs have recommended bone marrow transplant. The kid is presently hospitalised at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and needs to undergo the transplant at either Vellore Hoppital-Tamil Nadu or TATA at Bombay. If possible can u post this message on ur portal to help kusum handoo save here kid. She at the moment is batteling it out alone. Should voluntary donors come forward we may b able to save a precious life Kusum Can be reached at her mobile # +919871893360
Rajiv Munshi - 2007-01-05
Dear Sir, I wish to make an appeal thru this portal. Wanted to put an appeal up for one Ms. Kusum Handoo who is alone staying with her parents and her son is batelling lukemia,and to save the precious life docs have recommended bone marrow transplant. The kid is presently hospitalised at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and needs to undergo the transplant at either Vellore Hoppital-Tamil Nadu or TATA at Bombay. If possible can u post this message on ur portal to help kusum handoo save here kid. She at the moment is batteling it out alone. Should voluntary donors come forward we may b able to save a precious life Kusum Can be reached at her mobile # +919871893360
Rajiv Munshi - 2007-01-05
Though being called a survivor will not be fair to people who actually fought for their existence. I was only 7 year old at the time we left kashmir therefore was unaware of the turbulances my elders faced thus i would call my father and other elders in our community the survivors. I still get shivers when i remember a day when 4 terrorists came to a mosque just behind our house at rainawari(Naidywar).It was the first time in my life i saw a terrorist with a gun hidden under his pheran.He was a bearded man . He shouted anti india anti pandit slogans. It was kind of a festival for local kashmiri muslims. I remember people shouting and pelting stones at our house during the time these terrorist kept speaking. These were same muslims who used to play on our fields. The other incident i remember is of Burning of DAV SCHOOL which was visible from the Kaani(Balcony) of our house. It was during a cold winter night we heard screams of people that DAV SChool is burning. We all went to our balcony and saw the burning DAV. I remember my father had tears in his eyes as it his Alma Mater. I started crying with fear and asked my father to leave for Jammu. The last incident that will be in my memory till i Die is when we left for Jammu. It was early in the morning we left towards the Bus Station.Though i dont remember its location but i remember Shankracharya could be seen from there.My Grandma,My aunty,DAD, Uncle and cousin sister and 3 months old brother all boarded the bus to jammu. I remember the last words uttered by my grandmother"HEY MAEJ KASHIR AES DRAYE" meaning MOTHER KASHMIR WE ARE LEAVING.I would like to mention here that when we reached Jammu it was raining heavly may be raingods also cried . WE LEFT KASHMIR.....
Vithal Motilal Chowdhary - 2007-10-06
Saturday, 17 May 2008
The myth of history
An article carried by the "Dawn" of Karachi on March 27, 2005
The myth of history
By Prof Shahida Kazi
History is a discipline that has never been taken seriously by anyone in Pakistan. As a result, the subject has been distorted in such a way that many a fabricated tale has become part of our collective consciousness
Does mythology have anything to do with history? Is mythology synonymous with history? Or is history mythology?
Admittedly, the line between the two is a very fine one. From time immemorial, man has always been in search of his roots. He has also been trying to find a real and tangible basis for the legends of ancient days? legends that have become a part of our collective consciousness. As a result, we witness the quest for proving the existence of King Arthur, the search for whereabouts of the city of Troy, and many expeditions organized to locate the exact site of the landing of Noah’s Ark.
During the 60s and the 70s, there was a worldwide movement to prove that the gods of ancient mythologies did actually exist; they came from distant galaxies; and that mankind owed all its progress to such alien superheroes. Several books were written on the subject.
We, in Pakistan, are a breed apart. Lacking a proper mythology like most other races, we have created our own, populated by a whole pantheon of superheroes that have a wide range of heroic exploits to their credit.
But the difference is that these superheroes, instead of being a part of a remote and prehistoric period, belong very much to our own times. A seemingly veritable mythology has been created around these heroes, their persona and their achievements, which is drummed into the heads of our children from the time they start going to school. So deep is this indoctrination that any attempt to uncover the facts or reveal the truth is considered nothing less than blasphemous.
Here are some of the most common myths:
Myth 1
Our history begins from 712AD, when Mohammad bin Qasim arrived in the subcontinent and conquered the port of Debal.
Take any social studies or Pakistan studies book, it starts with Mohammad bin Qasim. What was there before his arrival? Yes, cruel and despotic Hindu kings like Raja Dahir and the oppressed and uncivilized populace anxiously waiting for a "liberator" to free them from the clutches of such cruel kings. And when the liberator came, he was welcomed with open arms and the grateful people converted to Islam en mass.
Did it really happen? This version of our history conveniently forgets that the area where our country is situated has had a long and glorious history of 6,000 years. Forget Mohenjodaro. We do not know enough about it. But recorded history tells us that before Mohammad Bin Qasim, this area, roughly encompassing Sindh, Punjab and some parts of the NWFP, was ruled by no less than 12 different dynasties from different parts of the world, including the Persians (during the Achamaenian period), the Greeks comprising the Bactrians, Scthians and Parthians, the Kushanas from China, and the Huns (of Attila fame) who also came from China, besides a number of Hindu dynasties including great rulers like Chandragupta Maurya and Asoka.
During the Gandhara period, this region had the distinction of being home to one of the biggest and most important universities of the world at our very own Taxila. We used to be highly civilized, well-educated, prosperous, creative and economically productive people and many countries benefited a lot from us, intellectually as well as economically. This is something we better not forget. But do we tell this to our children? No. And so the myth continues from generation to generation.
Myth 2
Mohammad Bin Qasim came to India to help oppressed widows and orphan girls.
Because of our blissful ignorance of history, we don't know, or don't bother to know, that this period was the age of expansion of the Islamic empire. The Arabs had conquered a large portion of the world, comprising the entire Middle East, Persia, North Africa and Spain. Therefore, it defies logic that they would not seek to conquer India, the land of legendary treasures.
In fact, the Arabs had sent their first expedition to India during Hazrat Umar Farooq's tenure. A subsequent expedition had come to Makran during Hazrat Usman's rule. But they had been unsuccessful in making any in-roads into the region. Later on, following the refusal of the king to give compensation for the ships captured by pirates (which incidentally included eight ships full of treasures from Sri Lanka, and not just women and girls), two expeditions had already been sent to India, but they proved unsuccessful. It was the third expedition brought by Mohammad Bin Qasim which succeeded in capturing Sindh, from Mansura to Multan. However, because of the Arabs' internal dissension and political infighting, Sindh remained a neglected outpost of the Arab empire, and soon reverted to local kings.
Myth 3
The myth of the idol-breaker.
Mahmud, who came from neighbouring Ghazni, Central Asia, invaded India no less than 17 times. But except Punjab, he made no attempt to conquer any other part of the country or to try and consolidate his rule over the rest of India. In fact, the only thing that attracted him was the treasures of India, gold and precious stones, of which he took care and carried back home a considerable amount every time he raided the country. Temples in India were a repository of large amounts of treasure at the time, as were the churches in Europe, hence his special interest in temples and idols.
Contrary to popular belief, it was not the kings, the Central Asian sultans who ruled for over 300 years and the Mughals who ruled for another 300 years, who brought Islam to the subcontinent. That work was accomplished by the Sufi Sheikhs who came to India mainly to escape persecution from the fundamentalists back home, and who, through their high-mindedness, love for humanity, compassion, tolerance and simple living won the hearts of the people of all religions.
Myth 4
The myth of the cap-stitcher.
Of all the kings who have ruled the subcontinent, the one singled out for greatest praise in our text books is Aurangzeb, the last of the great Mughals. Baber built the empire; Humayun lost it and got it back; Akbar expanded and consolidated it; Jahangir was known for his sense of justice; Shahjehan for his magnificent buildings. But it is Aurangzeb, known as a pious man, who grabs the most attention. The prevalent myth is that he did not spend money from the treasury for his personal needs, but fulfilled them by stitching caps and copying out the Holy Quran. Is there any real need for discussing this assertion? Anyone who's least bit familiar with the Mughal lifestyle would know how expensive it was to maintain their dozens of palaces. The Mughals used to have many wives, children, courtiers, concubines and slaves who would be present in each palace, whose needs had to be met. Could such expenses be met by stitching caps? And even if the king was stitching caps, would people buy them and use them as ordinary caps? Would they not pay exorbitant prices for them and keep them as heirlooms? Would a king, whose focus had to be on military threats surrounding him from all sides and on the need to save and consolidate a huge empire, have the time and leisure to sit and stitch caps? Let's not forget that the person we are referring to as a pious Muslim was the same who became king after he imprisoned his own father in a cell in his palace and killed all his brothers to prevent them from taking over the throne.
Myth 5
It was the Muslims who were responsible for the war of 1857; and it was the Muslims who bore the brunt of persecution in the aftermath of the war, while the Hindus were natural collaborators of the British.
It is true that more Muslim regiments than Hindu rose up against the British in 1857. But the Hindus also played a major role in the battle (the courageous Rani of Jhansi is a prime example); and if Muslim soldiers were inflamed by the rumour that the cartridges were laced with pig fat, in the case of Hindus, the rumour was that it was cow fat. And a large number of Muslims remained loyal to the British to the very end. (The most illustrious of them being Sir Syed Ahmed Khan.)
Furthermore, the Muslims did not lose their empire after 1857. The British had already become masters of most of India before that time, having grasped vast territories from both Hindu and Muslim rulers through guile and subterfuge.
The Mughal emperor at the time was a ruler in name only; his jurisdiction did not extend beyond Delhi. After 1857, the Hindus prospered, because they were clever enough to acquire modern education, learn the English language, and take to trade and commerce. The Muslims were only land owners, wedded to the dreams of the past pomp and glory, and when their lands were taken away, they were left with nothing; their madressah education and proficiency in Persian proved to be of no help. As a matter of fact, it was a hindrance in such changing times.
Myth 6
The Muslims were in the forefront of the struggle against the British and were singled out for unfair treatment by the latter.
Not at all. In fact, the first gift given to the Muslims by the British was in 1905 in the form of partition of Bengal (later revoked in 1911). The Shimla delegation of 1906 has rightly been called a command performance; the Muslims were assured by the viceroy of separate electorates and weightage as soon as their leaders asked for them. After that, the Muslim League came into being, established by pro-British stalwarts like the Aga Khan, Justice Amir Ali, some other nawabs and feudal lords. And the first objective of the Muslim League manifesto read: "To promote feelings of loyalty to the British government."
The Muslim League never carried out any agitation against the British. The only time the Muslims agitated was during the Khilafat Movement in the early 20s, led by the Ali brothers and other radical leaders. Not a single Muslim League leader, including the Quaid-i-Azam, ever went to jail. It was the Congress which continued the anti-British non-violent and non-cooperation movement in the 30s and 40s, including the famous "Quit India" movement, while Muslim League leaders continued to denounce such movements and exhorted their followers not to take part in them.
Myth 7
The Muslim League was the only representative body of the Muslims.
It is an incontrovertible fact that it was only after 1940 that the Muslim League established itself as a popular party among the Muslims. Prior to that, as evident in the 1937 elections, the Muslim League did not succeed in forming the government in any of the Muslim majority provinces. In those elections, out of the total of 482 Muslim seats, the Muslim League won only 103 (less than one-fourth of the total). Other seats went either to Congress Muslims or to nationalist parties such as the Punjab Unionist Party, the Sind Unionist Party and the Krishak Proja Party of Bengal.
Myth 8
Allama Iqbal was the first person to come up with the idea of a separate Muslim state.
This is one of the most deeply embedded myths in our country and the one which has been propagated by all governments. In fact, the idea that Muslim majority provinces of the north-west formed a natural group and should be considered a single bloc had been mooted by the British as far back as 1858 and freely discussed in various newspaper articles and on political platforms. Several variations of the idea had come from important public personalities, including British, Muslims and some Hindus. By the time Allama Iqbal gave his famous speech in 1930, the idea had been put forward at least 64 times. So, Iqbal voiced something which was already there, and was not an original dream. After his speech at Allahbad was reported, Allama Iqbal published a retraction in a British newspaper that he had not been talking of a separate Muslim sate, but only of a Muslim bloc within the Indian federation.
Myth 9
The Pakistan Resolution envisaged a single Muslim state.
The fact is that none of the proposals regarding the Muslim bloc mooted by different individuals or parties had included East Bengal in it. The emphasis had always been on north-western provinces, which shared common frontiers, while other Muslim majority states, such as Bengal and Hyderabad, were envisaged as separate blocs. So, it was in the Pakistan Resolution. The resolution reads: The areas in which the Muslims are numerically in a majority as in the north-western and eastern zones of India should be grouped to constitute independent states, in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign.
Leaving aside the poor and ambiguous drafting of the entire resolution, the part about states (in plural) is very clear. It was only in 1946, at a convention of the Muslim League legislators in Delhi that the original resolution was amended, which was adopted at a general Muslim League session and the objective became a single state.
Myth 10
March 23, 1940 is celebrated because the Pakistan Resolution was adopted on that day. The fact of the matter is that the Pakistan Resolution was only introduced on March 23 and was finally adopted on March 24 (the second and final day of the session).
As to why we celebrate March 23 is another story altogether. The day was never celebrated before 1956. It was first celebrated that year as the Republic Day to mark the passage of the first constitution and Pakistan’s emergence as a truly independent republic. It had the same importance for us as January 26 for India. But when Gen Ayub abrogated the constitution and established martial law in 1958, he was faced with a dilemma. He could not let the country celebrate a day commemorating the constitution that he had himself torn apart, nor could he cancel the celebration altogether. A way-out was found by keeping the celebration, but giving it another name: the Pakistan Resolution Day.
Myth 11
It was Ghulam Muhammad who created imbalance of power between the prime minister and head of state, and it was he who sought to establish the supremacy of the governor-general over the prime minister and parliament.
When Pakistan came into being, the British government’s India Act of 1935 was adopted as the working constitution. And it was the Quaid-i-Azam himself who introduced certain amendments to the act to make the governor-general the supreme authority. It was under these powers that the Quaid-i-Azam dismissed the government of Dr Khan Sahib in the NWFP in August 1947 and that of Mr Ayub Khuhro in Sindh in 1948.
Besides being governor-general, the Quaid-i-Azam also continued as president of the Muslim League and president of the Constituent Assembly.
It was these same powers under which Mr Daultana's government was dismissed in Punjab in 1949 by Khawaja Nazimuddin, who himself was dismissed as prime minister in 1953 by Ghulam Mohammad.
However, in 1954, a move was started by members of the then Constituent Assembly to table an amendment to the act, taking away excessive powers of the governor-general. It was this move which provoked the governor-general, Ghulam Mohammad, to dismiss the Constituent Assembly in 1954, and thereby change the course of Pakistan’s history.
These are some of the myths that have been drummed into our heads from childhood and have become part of our consciousness. There are scores more, pervading our everyday life. And there are many unanswered questions such as:
* What is Pakistan's ideology and when was the term first coined? (It was never heard of before 1907)
* Why was Gandhi murdered? (He was supposedly guarding Pakistan's interest.)
* What is the truth about the so-called traitors, Shaikh Mujeeb, Wali Khan, and G.M. Syed?
* What caused the break-away of East Pakistan?
* Why was Bhutto put to death?
* Are all our politicians corrupt and self-serving?
* Why does our history repeat itself after every 10 years?
The answers to all these questions require a thorough study of history, not mythology. But history unfortunately is a discipline that has never been taken seriously by anyone in our country. It's time things changed.
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