Galwan Says Hi

 Three words bought out the generational pain of belonging to a family of a martyr- of a soldier who laid his life down in the icy heights somewhere on indo Tibet border in 1961 .

I did not know who Richa Chaddha is who dared to mock our army’s commander on his assertion that army is capable of bringing back POJK territories . If today there is Richa , some time back Rahul Gandhi had offered Indian airforce pilots blood money . Some or the other person asks for proof of army valour, some call Army chief a gunda ,some call brave officers names . But now we will not take it laying down. 

POJK is a Dejure part of India ,occupied by Pakistan post UN mandated cease fire ,an extremely strategic territory with parts of our heritage . I have no doubt our army could have taken all back ,had the ceasefire not been implemented . 

This is the story of my Tauji , Yogesh Sharma , who I did not know as I was born years after he laid down his life in the line of duty . My parents were married years after his death .

My Tauji was unmarried ,so no children or widow to carry forward his memories . My dadi seldom spoke about him, my Bua’s seldom discussed him. But his loss was a constant companion in our home ,still is ! 

The China war was imminent and lots of brave young men had joined the army . My family had to leave everything back in Sialkot and had started to rebuild life in Meerut post 1947. My Tauji had joined the army - I do not know which regiment or which unit .

My grandfather was very angry with my Tauji having joined the army as he had expected him to be at home and rebuild lives . My grandmother loved him and asked him to come on leave as my youngest Bua’s marriage had been fixed . 

Tauji came on a short leave, and his father did not speak to him. The younger sister asked him if there would be a war and he became somber . The wedding was around the corner , and he told his sister to choose a gold set for herself . Before my grandmom had fed him fully , a telegram to recall him came .

He promised his sister he would send her the cash for the set and told the family to carry on with the wedding . My Bua recalls that when he was leaving he kept on looking back at the family assembled at the gate ,lovingly , something he never did.

Sure enough, a money order came for jewellery, wedding took place without him. And one sad day a telegram reached home that Yogesh sharma has lost his life …no details ,nothing ! An army person came with a Kalash of his ashes - nothing more .

My grandmother could not believe it -she refused to accept the ashes . She asked that how would she know the ashes were of her son . No bodies were sent home that time ,no details were divulged about how the soldier lost his life - nothing but a Kalash of ashes ! For a long time my grandmother nurtured the hope that my Tauji was lost somewhere on border and would return. That never happened but the sense of loss and the pain was there ,is still there in our family . 

We grew up with this pain, sense of loss and a pride that we belonged to a family who sacrificed a son for the nation. After my grandmother passed away, I found a newspaper cutting of the newspaper reporting his death . And recently after one of my Bua passed away I found one picture of him in her papers .

It is so easy for some unknown person, safe in india, having a career to say ‘ Galwan says Hi’ ,mocking the pain of thousand families ,mocking the deaths of so many young men! My Tauji could have stayed safe, but then someone else would have had to give up his life. Can we ever repay the debt owed to those standing guard at our borders? 

First pic of my Tauji -Yogesh Chandra sharma 

Second -Galwan saying Hi in July 1962 

Kartik Purnima , Kalinga and Bali Yatra

 Kartika Purnima, Kalinga, Monsoons and ancient naval history 

Monsoons are always filled with romance,with tales of warriors returning from far off lands and soulful Kajris
Kalinga ,as students we learnt,is the land where Ashoka renounced violence after a particularly blood filled war 
How does Kartika Poornima and Kalinga tie up with Ancient Naval History of India?? 
Read on 
Ancient Indian Naval History of Eastern coast 

Legends of the 'Stitched Boats and Sadhabas'

Many of us will be surprised to  know that from 6 BCE onwards The Odiya-Bengali seafarers were visting and Settling in Sri Lanka .The Kalinga kingdom was so powerful that the present Bay of Bengal was called Kalinga Sagar. The sea farers of Kalinga were called Sadhabas who were experts in art of boat making called Ambaboita or Boitas. Ancient and medieval travellers observed that the hulls of ships of Indians were stiched together with rope and not nailed. This made the ships more flexible,esp as the ships would use estuaries or protected harbours like Chilka lake .



.Chilka lake was protected from rough seas and was the main Port. Mahanadi,Godavari and Ganga connected the coast with central India  
Ships used the mighty rivers to transport materials to eastern coast from where they went across the oceans to Sri Lanka and from there to Far East as Far as Bali in Indonesia . By second Century BC, the Sadhabas mastered the monsoon winds and ocean currents to reach Indonesia . Chilka lake was an important starting point as it was a safe Harbour . 

The tradition of Kartika Purnima and Bali -Yatra 

The ancient Mariners used retreating Monsoons also called NE monsoon winds to sail out on Kartika purnima .They Hugged the east course along Andhra, Tamil nadu, reaching Sri lanka . They would take in fresh water and trade supplies before using ocean currents to cross the Indian Ocean to the Northern Tip of Sumatra( Swarndeep) to Sail down to Bali . They would be reaching Bali by Mid January. After staying there and trading for about 2 months, by Mid March they would start sailing back,in time to catch the early south west monsoon winds in May to reach back home 



Trade linkages gave cultural Linkages too-Bali adopted Hinduism and the way of Indian culture,which survive till today. The people of Indian origin are called Klings. There is a memory of Ramayan and Mahabharat and spread of Hinduism and Buddhism
Today too on Kartik purnima in Odisha the memory of these ancient Mariners is celebrated when women sail paper boats with oil lamps in water bodies . A fair called Bali Yatra is celebrated annualy in Cuttak as a reminder of the far eastern port of Kalinga .
In Indonesia,Traditional masks from Bali resemble those in Andhra and Odisha . The Indonesian Art of shadow puppetry has its equivalent in Odisha and Andhra ,Evolved by ancient Mariners using Sails to enact shadow plays
Paan or Betal leaf came to India from south east Asia ,where it is also used in many religious ceremonies .
Centuries ago , the legend of Saraswati was carried across the seas by our ancestors-today too Bali celebrates a special day to honour Betari Dewi Saraswati, goddess of learning and knowledge. Offerings are given to lontar(palm-leaf manuscripts) and books. No reading and writing is allowed, and students pray to Saraswati to ask for her blessings. 
With this Ode to our Ancestors i rest my pen hoping i have bought to fore some interesting tales of yore, When ever Kartika Purnima comes ,Do remember our enterprising sea faring Ancestors 
Sources-Ocean of Churn by Sanjiv Sanyal ,Odisha tourism site,Baijayant Panda's tweets

Muslim Areas- Narrative Setting for demand for 2 partition

 Muslim Areas and the hidden  Dangerous implications 

The blog was published https://myind.net/Home/viewArticle/muslim-areas-and-the-hidden-dangerous-implications

Gargi rawat Ansari, Sreenivas Jain and many other Liberals were blaming the recent 10 April 2022 Violence and Stone pelting on peaceful happy Ramnavmi processions on Hindus taking out processions in ‘Muslim Areas’ and in front of Mosques. They were Lamenting that DJs were playing ‘Baccha baccha bolega Jai Sri Ram’ in front of Mosques. Muhammed Zubair,a  self styled fact checking Twitter handle put out a short video terming Women,Toddlers and infants dancing to Ram Bhajans as hate spreading and Provocative. The video infact showed ppl dancing in joyful abandon ,while it showed the people standing in the mosque balcony as aggressive and angry. The processions that were pelted with stones had women, children ,toddlers ,infants ,but the victims have been dehumanised to the narrative of ‘they deserved it’!

Why is the narrative of Muslim Areas so Dangerous?

Let us go back to the 14 points of Jinnah ,which were rejected by Nehru as ‘ridiculous’ and became the bedrock on which partition was demanded and Achieved .

The Fourteen Points

1)The form of the future constitution should be federal, with the residuary powers vested in the provinces.

2)All provinces must be given equal Autonomy.

3)All legislatures in the country and other elected bodies shall be constituted on the definite principle of adequate and effective representation of minorities in every province without reducing the majority in any province to a minority or even equality.

4)In the Central Legislature, Muslim representation shall not be less than one-third

5)Representation of communal groups shall continue to be by means of the separate electorate at present it shall be open to any community, at any time, to abandon its separate electorate in favor of joint electorate.

6)Any territorial distribution that might at any time be necessary shall not in any way affect the Muslim majority in Punjab, Bengal and NWFP provinces.

7)Full religious liberty shall be guaranteed to all communities.

8)No bill or resolution shall be passed in any legislature if three-fourths of the members of any community in that body oppose the bill.

9)Sindh should be separated from the Bombay To a province.

10)Reforms should be introduced in the NWFP and Balochistan on the same footings as in the other provinces.

11)Muslims should be given an adequate share in all services, having due regard to the requirement of efficiency.

12)The Constitution should embody adequate safeguards for the protection of Muslim culture, education, language, religion and personal laws, as well as for Muslim charitable institutions.

13)One-third representation shall be given to Muslims in both central and provincial cabinets.

14)No change will be made in the constitution without the consent of the provinces.

A part of the 14 points reads like the Constitution of the Islamic republic of Pakistan.

If we analyse the first 2 demands, the Dangerous nature of Rahul Gandhi speech in parliament questioning the unitary  structure of India becomes Apparent . BR Ambedkar ,very wisely, turned India into a union of states ,not a federation ,with centre being the power that held the unitary structure together. 

The demand for separate electorate for muslims, their representation in central government, not tinkering with territories to change Muslim demographics etc are just what ‘Muslim Areas’ represent . The presumption seems that the writ of constitution does not run in areas which are adjoining mosques or have Muslim majority. The areas are ‘No go Areas’ for non Muslims. It also implies that if any religious activity that runs counter to Islam is Carried out,It is but fair to get retribution.

This Narrative is very dangerous to the very unity and social structure of Bharat. In majority of areas, processions and Ram Navmi celebrations went on peacefully, but in certain areas, designated by Left Liberals as ‘Muslim Areas’ , there was stone pelting and violence .

Horrors of partition that Hindus faced were again blamed on Hindus . Reactions to Muslims during wide spread riots was blamed on violence on fleeing Hindus in east and west Pakistan . The same narrative was used to justify invasion of Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistani army and Tribals. The invasion resulted in wide spread murders,rapes and conversions of Hindus and Sikhs in Mirpur ,Muzzafarabad ,Gilgit,Skardu and Kashmir valley. Again this was blamed on Hindus killing Muslims and again the victims were dehumanised.

The Genocide of Kashmiri Hindus was rationalised as an uprising of suppressed Muslims (95% population) against Kashmiri Hindu (5%) because they were cornering all benefits. This was a lie as in post 1947 Jammu Kashmir, state employment was not given to Kashmiri Hindus as a policy of sheikh Abdullah. Hindus were not given admission in Srinagar colleges. The nominations of Hindu candidates of praja parishad were cancelled . The one lone Seat of Habbakadal, won by a Kashmiri Hindu ,was delimited to prevent a recurrence of the same, yet the 1989-1990 Genocide was normalised . Kashmir Valley was a ‘Muslim area’ where the rule was to leave ,convert or Die / Hindu women to be given to Muslims.

Every year, on Ashura, Muharram processions pass peacefully through ‘Hindu Areas’ . It is when they enter ‘Muslim Areas’ that they are Attacked. So who is   ‘Zaleel’ here ? Rana Ayyub termed Hindus dancing in Gay Abandon to Sri Ram Bhajans as Zaleel , as they were in front of a Mosque! 

The Fact that Muslim Area became an instant trend on Twitter is testimony to the fact that Indian citizens will not take attempts to divide India into communal Zones laying down.

This Narrative is very dangerous and needs to be countered .

Roshini Act of Jammu-Kashmir

 Roshini Act - The Dark Act Of Jammu -Kashmir 

(This was published in Hindi in ‘Vishva Samvad Kendra, Annual publication, 2020’)

In year 2001 ,in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, a law called 'Roshini' was brought for the landless people by the Farooq Abdullah government, the name of this act was  Roshini, but the purpose was a dark conspiracy! 

What is this ‘Roshini’ Act? The  official  name is ‘Jammu and Kashmir State Land (Vesting of Ownership to Occupants) Act 2001 – Jammu and Kashmir State Land (Proprietary to Residents) Provisions 2001 –. It is called Roshini because after the implementation of this act, the money earned by it was to be used to illuminate Jammu and Kashmir  by investing the same in the state's electricity generating projects. 

In 2014, an appeal was filed against this law in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court. In 2018, Governor Satya Pal  repealed this law. After the CBI investigation, on 9 October 2020, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, declaring it illegal, repealed the law and canceled the allocations under it. By repeal of the Dark Light Act, Jammu and Kashmir was illuminated with the light of justice.

The Roshini Act, brought under the powers of  Article 370, implemented in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, was  in reality ,a  terrible legal conspiracy. The  political leadership and parties based in the Kashmir Valley bought it with the hidden aim of economic loot of the state’s resources and to change the demography of Jammu region by settling a particular community in Jammu region. 

So what were the social and economic side effects of this dark Roshini act? Let us review the ‘Roshini’ law.

In 2001, the Farooq Abdullah government brought this law, under which there was a provision to  get possession of government Land by Squatters, by paying a fixed price to the state government  and getting the ownership rights of that land.  The stated &Apparent goal of this law was to make landless people land owners, but in truth, the law was but a legal tool to grab  invaluable government land at a throwaway price. Initially ,the law was to be applied retrospectively from 1990. It is important to note that in 1990, lakhs of Kashmiri Hindus had  to leave their land and property and migrate from the valley- in response to their Genocide. Their land was occupied  by the  Muslim residents of the valley.

 By this law the illegal occupier became the legal owner- by paying a small amount to the state government! In 2005, the Mufti government extended this law to be applied till 2004. In 2009, the Ghulam Nabi Azad government extended the deadline to 2007. Thus encroachers sitting on  land till 2007 could become legal owners.

Under this law, people who had occupied government land till 2007, grabbed valuable government land by paying a nominal price. People could get ownership rights by paying only 100 ₹ / kanal of agricultural land.  Roshni Act was misused the Most by the political parties, leaders, state officials and people close to them in the valley. Office of National Conference, some properties of Abdullah family, Finance Minister of PDP government Haseeb Darboo, his brother, Mehboob Baig close to Abdullah family, Congress acquaintance  Mushtaq Ahmed Chaya, office of ‘Khidmat Trust’ run by Congress party-these are some of the examples of  misuse of Roshini Act By the high and mighty of the Valley.

In 2014, Advocate Ankur Sharma filed an appeal in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court against the Roshini Act citing a massive loss of 25,000 crores to the government. Court directed a CBI inquiry. During the investigation, dark layers of the conspiracy of Roshni Act were exposed. By settling a particular community in Jammu region under the Roshini Act, a conspiracy to change the demography of Jammu region was exposed. Under the Roshini Act, 71,000 acres of land was grabbed in Jammu region by a particular community, while in Kashmir Valley, 4174 acres of land was grabbed under the Roshini Act. The question arises that how and for what purpose so much government land was grabbed in Jammu? This could not have been possible without the connivance of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. Through this conspiracy, Rohingya Muslims were resettled in Jammu by misusing the Roshini Act. The question arises that why were the Rohingyas brought from Kolkata, settled in Hindu-dominated Jammu, by the Roshni Act, and not in the Muslim-majority Kashmir Valley? Rohingyas were being settled in the Bhatidi area of Jammu for ten years via the Roshini Act. As of January 2018, according to government statistics, 1548 families have been settled in the Jammu region. According to non-government sources, this number is much higher than the official figures. The question also arises that after traveling thousands of kilometers, how did the Rohingya get down in Jammu and settle there conveniently? Why not in Bengal, Bihar? Why was the Roshini Act deadline extended?

The Jammu and Kashmir High Court also found that the 2007 Roshini Act passed by the Ghulam Nabi Azad government was illegal and unconstitutional. The law came into force without being passed in the assembly. There should also be a review of the fact that without following the constitutional process, why was the time limit for this land grabbing law extended? The review should also be that how such conspiracy laws are made and implemented? It is necessary to understand that this conspiracy was made possible because  of the existence Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.

The role of media should also be thoroughly assessed. When this law was passed, it was praised by a certain type of media. This law was described as a means of delivering social justice to the landless people. No national level media has discussed the fact that in the presence of 35-A, only the PRC people of Jammu and Kashmir could get the ownership of the land. Landless Valmiki, Refugees from West Pakistan, landless displaced of POJK, women of Jammu and Kashmir who married non PRC holders– all of them were deprived of the benefits of Roshini Act. Not only this, the landless laborers who came from Bihar to Kashmir to work in the fields were also outside the purview of this law – but foreign Rohingya infiltrators were taking advantage of this Roshini Act and settling in Jammu! After 2001, the media has never shed any light on its misuse, while issues related to Kashmir have been making international headlines. The Roshni Act was never assessed, the media never told whether any displaced Kashmiri Hindu got its benefit or not. The fact that the abandoned property of displaced Kashmiri Hindus was usurped by this law was never revealed.

In 1950, Sheikh Abdullah had brought a land legislation - the Landlord to Tiller Act - to give land from the landlords to the landless farmer. The zamindars were entitled to keep only 180 kanals, the rest was taken by the state government without giving any  compensation. Till date, this law is considered to be the culmination of social justice, where the land was given to the deprived (Kashmiri Muslim) by taking land from the greedy zamindar (Kashmiri Hindu). But if a deeper analysis is done, it is found that Muslim zamindars had secured their land by dividing their property with the connivance of the administration, but the Hindu zamindar became powerless by this law. In Jammu, this law caused large scale economic devastation - but the misleading review of this law gives it the title of a social reform. Roshini Act was likewise a law whose real purpose was to make a particular demography powerful and to make the other demography powerless.

Whenever the amendment of Article 370 on 5 August 2019 will be examined, then the repeal of Roshini Act on 9 October 2020 will be termed  a big benefit .By repeal of the dark conspiratorial ‘Roshini’ act, the residents of Jammu and Kashmir have finally experienced   the real illumination of justice.

Reclaiming Gilgit Baltistan

 https://www.organiser.org/Encyc/2020/10/13/Gilgit-Baltistan-Let-India-Reclaim-Its-Forgotten-Territory.html

 

Pakistan, Yet again, Has stated that Gilgit Baltistan will be merged into Pakistan as a Fifth province. The  timing of this oft repeated announcement seems to have Chinese considerations ,aimed as a response to India depicting  Gilgit Baltistan as a part of Leh District of Union territory of Ladakh . Unknown to most, Pre 1901, Gilgit Baltistan and Ladakh were one unit called Northern frontiers of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

To understand the present Pakistani position ,the issue of  Gilgit Baltistan has to be understood.

Gilgit Baltistan comprised of Wazarat of Gilgit, Gilgit Agency & Wazarat of Ladakh. Baltistan was a part of Ladakh. Strategically ,the most important area was Gilgit Agency which was leased by the British for 60 years from Maharaja Hari Singh in 1935. Gilgit agency comprised of Gilgit west of Indus River  and the  Vassal states.  Most important in present context of these were Hunza, Nagar and  Punial.  Vassal states were the frontier tribal states which paid tribute to the Maharaja. The importance of these Vassal states arose from their location,Criss crossed by  trade routes to Eurasia, Central Asia  and Afghanistan . The most important State was Hunza as it was from there the British feared Russians could  create a land route  via Gilgit to Arabian Sea. To understand the present context, it is the route of the proposed CPEC and the Existing Karakoram Highway.  The British raised a Millitary unit named Gilgit scouts from the natives of Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar and by Enlistment from Mirpur ,Poonch and Jammu region. The area was remote, mountainous, sparsely populated and was inaccessible once snow fell ,from October to  March . 

The Myth often propagated by Pakistan is that since Gilgit Agency was leased to the British, Maharaja had no authority over it. Another myth  is that the local population wanted to accede to Pakistan . Yet another myth is that the Mirs of Hunza and Nagar acceded to Pakistan hence Accession of Gilgit to Pakistan was legal. 

British had dissolved all existing treaties and leases with Princely states with the end of its Paramountcy . There is extensive material on record in National archives over reverting of Gilgit agency to Maharaja Hari Singh. On 28 July 1947 , The British issued a Gazette Notification stating that Gilgit agency would be reverted back to Maharaja Hari Singh on 1 August 1947. British parliament made it very clear on 25 March 2017 via a resolution  that Gilgit Baltistan  was a part of state of JK when Pakistan was attempting to merge it as a fifth province .

As per Records, as early as May 1947, Gilgit Agency was to be reverted back to Maharaja, the residents were happy with returning to Dogra rule and Gilgit scouts also had Negotiated their terms of employment with Maharaja’s government .The Vassal states of Hunza and Nagar were never accorded status of Independent states in a India Act 1935 and were vassal states of Maharaja. Once Maharaja had acceded to Dominion of India , the Mirs had no right to accede to Pakistan. 

Post reverting of Gilgit Agency to Maharaja Hari Singh , there was delay in setting up administration in Gilgit. The Maharaja was busy in quelling uprisings in poonch and Gilgit was neglected. Brigadier Ghansara Singh took over as Governor of Gilgit and arrived with a treasury for Gilgit. 

The delay in Setting up administration and posting of Rebellious regiment of J& K army from poonch to Bunji set the stage for ‘Gilgit Mutiny’ . The invasions by Pakistani tribals   of Jammu and Kashmir on 22 Oct, started rumours of atrocities against Muslims. The idea of Islamic state gripped the Fancy of tribals of Frontier Area. These tribals were unlettered and followed Sharia. A narrative was created of Hindu ruler  unleashing torture on Muslim subjects. The Muslim officers and other ranks  of Gilgit  scouts were contacted by Muslim officers of Maharaja’s  Army to incite them for a Mutiny. 

Violence against Non Muslims began in Gilgit and the subjects asked protection of Brigadier Ghansara Singh. The Muslim soldiers massacred fellow  Sikhs and Hindus soldiers at Bunji and moved to Gilgit. The scouts were outnumbered and were forced to join the mutiny or be killed. Brigadier Ghansara Singh was imprisoned . The raja of Punial( Sunni Muslim ) ,who supported Dogra kings, came  to protect Brigadier Ghansara Singh . On 4 November , the rebels announced Gilgit was acceding  to Pakistan. Major Brown carried out the ‘accession’, and the Mirs of Hunza and Nagar too ‘acceded’ to Pakistan. 

Once the Pakistani Army and Government took over , they Kidnapped the employees of J&K government and forced them to work under Pakistan. The women were converted and forcibly married off to Pakistani army officers. There was complete blackout of information from this area. The first news of Killing and conversion of non Muslims in Gilgit Came via Hindu traders of Kashgar.

In February 1948 , the Pakistani army invaded Baltistan. The non Muslim population took refuge in Skardu Fort  under Major Sher Jung Thapa. For 6 months ,Skardu withstood siege by Pakistan army, Surrendering on 14 August 1948.

Post UN mandated ceasefire, the Present Area of Gilgit Baltistan came under Pakistani occupation. In contravention of UN resolutions, It divided the occupied area into ‘Azad Kashmir’(Mirpur Muzzafarabad area of J&K) and ‘Northern Areas’ ( present day Gilgit Baltistan).

A top secret report of 1951 ,mentions that the Population of Gilgit Baltistan had become disillusioned by Pakistani occupation within a few months. The sharia compliant population saw their dream of an Islamic nation shattered as Pakistani army and government officials did not practise Islamic way of life. The wide spread corruption and imposition of Pathan administrators saw people yearning for Dogra rule. Food items become very costly with employment being denied to original inhabitants. It is very tragic that the discontent was not seized upon at that time and Gilgit Baltistan liberated .

In 1963, 5160 sq km area of Shaksgam adjoining Xinxiang and Siachen was ceded to China. 

In 1974, Pakistan removed the state subject rule of Maharaja Hari Singh and allowed Sunnis to migrate and settle in the Shia majority Region. The Migration was enabled by building of Karakoram Highway that connected Gilgit to Kashgar.Sectarian violence was unleashed on a wide scale and 1988 saw intense Sunni-Shia Riots.

India, unfortunately ,did not intervene, always citing UN resolutions and Talks as a way. Thus, the ethnic Gilgit Baltistan citizens  tried to either get independence and create a state of Balwaristan, reunite with a India or seek to be merged with Pakistan to get rights and say in Pakistan . 

Interestingly , the Pakistani constitution does not recognise Gilgit Baltistan as a Province. Judgements of SC in Pakistan have underlined the non constitutional status of Gilgit Baltistan.

Post CPEC, China has become a party to the issue and would like to see Gilgit Baltistan become a part of Pakistan. Amending the constitution to include Gilgit Baltistan is not a big effort for Pakistan as the constitution has been rewritten many times since creation of Pakistan.

The dilemma Pakistan faces is that in case it merges Gilgit Baltistan ,it has to officially disown UN resolutions.  The ‘plebiscite’ narrative and the Idea of Annexing  Kashmir have to be abandoned. That is the reason Pakistan announces annexation but does not Follow through. 

India has all the facts to prove the illegality of Pakistani occupation of Gilgit Baltistan . The Ethnic inhabitants of Gilgit Baltistan are very restless, as they see CPEC  exploiting their resources without  benefits for them. 

The ancient Cultural links of Gilgit Baltistan with India  are etched in stone, in form of More than 2000 rock carvings and petroglyphs scattered around the trade routes . The living proofs are in the Sanskrit origin of Shina , spoken by Gilgit Inhabitants.Yungdrung, A swastika, is venerated by the Muslims of Baltistan as their pre Islamic heritage.  The script Balti is Tibetan and finds an echo with Ladakhi language and script.

	Ancient Cultural links bind Gilgit Baltistan to India and not to Pakistan or China . The links needs to be publicised and our cultural heritage , under threat of being submerged in CPEC projects need to be protected.

The 1994 Parliamentary Resolution needs to be revived in letter and spirit. Territories are not lost by Occupation but when they are Forgotten . Let India reclaim its forgotten territory of Gilgit Baltistan. 

 

 

 

Yogi’s UP

 I was born and bought up in Meerut ,a town of U.P. Childhood is precious to all, but UP under congress and then under SP,BSP deteriorated in front of my eyes. We had all given up on Meerut, asking our family there to shift out. Then Modi happened and then Yogi..and now we all are seeing a new UP emerge.

As a girl, I do not remember ever going out without an escort. We had trustworthy rickshaw wallas who would drop us to school. Evening meant being escorted by a male,and after sunset, no one went out.

Things worsened under SP rule. On certain festivals, peacefuls would Zip through Hindu areas on their mobikes ,fearlessly Eve teasing ,because the police had instructions not to book them. After Yogi came ,mobike police squads began patrolling areas . Now my nieces and her friends are able to be in market after dark,wearing jeans and dresses, which we never did . Only time we wore dresses was in school fetes or visiting Delhi. I remember police outside our girls’ school on Saturdays as girls would face Eve teasing on wearing sports tee shirt and skirt. Law and order had deteriorated so much that dress for senior girls changed to salwar kameez. 

Under yogi, we have pink booths. The house help in my maternal home bought her 13 year old daughter to work. She was being stalked by a 30 year old peaceful who wanted to marry her. His mother was actively supporting the son and trying to lure the girl. I took the girl and the mother to the Thana nearby. As soon as I entered, a woman constable approached me,took me to the pink booth in the Thana. A woman inspector helped us to write the complaint ,explained the pitfalls of the situation and legal implications. By evening the man had been arrested and his mother too counselled. This is Yogi government. Previously, the girl would have been lured, trafficked and her  mother would have been helpless.

As a kid I remember no flush toilets, and ‘bhangis’ who would clean up our laterines. A flush toilet with tiles was a luxury. I still owe a debt to our ‘Bhangis’. Now their third generation is driving e rickshaws or are employed by nagar Nigam. Now toilets are accessible to the poorest . And fancy tiles and bathroom fittings are no longer a luxury. 

I remember power cuts for hours in UP. The torture of returning home in summers after school to no electricity was Hell. We would draw out water from the handpump for bathing and wet our sheets before laying down. I remember some black and white pics of Indira Gandhi with Priyanka - both looked cool and crisp in cottons while we were wilted . That envy still stalks me when I see Priyanka . On a school trip where we visited Rastrapati Bhavan and Indira Gandhi , the cool manicured lawns and cool environs made our dusty, sweaty life in meerut all the more unbearable.

In 90’s generators and inverters became accessible. We installed motors in our homes for water as government supply was erratic . Septic tanks were the norm except in aawas vikaas colonies. The power supply was so poor that inverter batteries would not get charged . I stopped visiting in summers because my kids were small and heat unbearable. I stopped visiting in peak winters as there was no warm water . My mother bought gas fired geysers. Buying LPG in black was the norm. 

Now inverters lie unused because there is ample power supply. There is Government water supply . Drainage has replaced septic tanks. Now I visit my maternal home in all Seasons. Piped gas supply has made gas shortages a bad memory.

Recently my aunt returned from USA because now life is comfortable in her birth place. Her house help got Covid in the third wave. I rang up the helpline and was amazed at the response. My aunt got private RTPCR tests done at home, 4 members of househelp were positive. Government people visited ,gave kits and kept tabs for 7 days. I was so proud of my Uttar Pradesh ….world class medical response.

State elections are approaching. Time for us to decide whom to vote for. The SP, Congress and BSP destroyed the state, killed its education system by allowing state supported cheating. Employment was for the ruling party supporters. Law and order had deteriorated so much that cases were not filed on supporting communities . There was migration of Hindus from localities like Khandak, L2 colony of Shastri Nagar , state bank colony on Hapur road etc. Business of sports goods and scissors was dying because the owners were Hindus, while workers were from a peaceful community,who began blackmailing owners. With no succour in sight many Business folded up.

Uttar Pradesh is reviving. I write this as I have witnessed both the phases . Up to the voters to decide what they want…The 40 minutes drive on a safe ,smooth road at any time or a pot holed ,4 hour drive to Delhi from Meerut - with late night drive being out of question.

I heartily pray Yogi returns ! So that I may also come more often to my Birthplace -with pride and a feeling of Security. 

Violence that marred 2 October for Uttarakhand – Mulayam’s Khadi Kurta is Blood Stained

2 October is celebrated world over as a celebration of Non Violence. Along with Birthday of Sri Lal Bahadur Shastri it is the Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, who showed to the world the power of non violence . Every year , this day, Non violence is celebrated and leaders vow to abide by the spirit of non violence .

Often these words and celebrations are just symbolic lip service to Gandhi and his belief in Non violence. Wearing a dhoti, khadi kurta and vowing by Lohia, Samajwad, Gandhi , Mulayam singh Yadav Government unleashed an orgy of state sponsored violence on a non violent protest by simple people of Uttarakhand ,demanding statehood . It is very important that on a day india celebrates  Non violence, it is pertinent  to underscore how fragile this spirit is in practise.

What happened on 2 October 1994? 

 

Protestors following Gandhinian  principal of satyagrah and peaceful protests were going to Delhi to protest peacefully and put up their demand for a separate state of Uttarakhand to the Government in  Delhi and put their grievances across on a national stage. 

The peaceful Unarmed protestors were passing through  Rampur Tiraha,Narsain, in Muzaffarnagar, when they were brutally attacked by UP police . The police was armed, the protestors were not. The protestors were shot at. Women protestors were raped . Official death figures were 15 , but unofficial news reports put the number at above 100. Dead bodies were thrown in canals ,buried in fields as per news reports of that time. Dead bodies kept on resurfacing downstream for few days following the incident . 

Protestors who survived by running into fields recount rapes of women and police pursuing fleeing protestors . The plan seemed to be to leave no survivors to recount the brutal crackdown. 

The local media reported the carnage initially, but at national level, the gory details were suppressed. Mulayam singh was  Hailed as a strong administrator who cracked down on Karsevaks 

In Ayodhya in February 1992 and now was cracking down on people who wanted to break UP.

The events were not benefitting anyone politically ,thus the martyrs never got their due. Rampur Tiraha, Narsain, now lies on National Highway, where numerous Dhabas cover the plaque put up. 

Residents of Uttarakhand, esp the present Generation, by and large have forgotten this Gory incident .

However, the idea of Uttarakhand gained strength post this carnage. The people of Uttarakhand knew they had no value as a part of Uttar Pradesh. The movement refused to die down. Sometimes, people become stronger after their Death. This is what the carnage of 2 Oct 1994 did .

To add insult to injury , cases were lodged against the Agitators . 

 (Photo credit Bhaskar Joshi @BHASKAR2024  twitter handle )

A brief review of the Uttarakhand statehood agitation and history  of successful peaceful protests

 

People of Uttarakhand were always strong but simple honest people. The women were very hard working , Strong and Devout . Males often migrated for work, and joined the defence forces. 

Traditionally Garhwal was a prosperous state, not rich but prosperous. The villagers grew enough food in six months not only for themselves to last through snow clad winters , but for residents of Tibet for the whole year. They tended and nurtured forests, and used to trade in trading centres of Tibet, bartering barley and grains for Salt and  wool . 

With the advent of British and division of Garhwal into British Kumaon , Garhwal and princely state of Tehri Garwal, forest policies of British began causing hardships and bought in very tough times. 1927 forest policy adopted by the British and leasing out of forests by Tehri raja caused impoverishment .

There was a tax to be levied in case a villager kept more than ten head of sheep and one cow/ Buffalo.

The people of Garhwal always protested peacefully . In this case too, the people of Rawain announced a Dhandak ( a traditional non violent protest ) against the Maharaja of Tehri, who was revered as a Bolanda Badrinath ( speaking Badrinath) . On 30 May, 1930 at Tilari, the forces of Maharaja under the prime minister ,who was not educated in this traditional right of Uttarakhand residents,  shot and killed protestors . The Maharaja was abroad at that time. However he rushed back and apologised and took back this policy. So the people of Uttarakhand were traditionally brave people who protested peacefully at usurpation of their rights.

Sri Suman Dev, the great Gandhinian Freedom fighter was Martyred while on a satyagrah in jail . His dead body was thrown in the river and the family came to know about it later. The state rose up in peaceful protests, the memory of a dead Dev Suman kept the fires of independence burning , inspiring further leaders like Sunderlal Bahuguna.

Post 1962 war, liquor vends were opened by contractors from UP who were given contracts for building roads on Borders. That time, women of Uttarakhand picketed shops peacefully and resulted in getting liquor shops prohibited in the border districts . This was the traditional strength of Uttarakhand women. 

Post 1971, the decade long Chipko movement started by local Uttarakhand villagers against the exploitation of their forests by UP government . Led by Gandhinian Sunderlal Bahuguna , and supported by and large by women , the peaceful protest where women would stick to trees , resulted in a Indira Gandhi nudging the Uttar Pradesh Government to bring in a forest law that banned Felling of green trees above 1000 meters. Scores of other states followed suit.

The Chipko movement led to peaceful protests against limestone quarrying .

The people of a Uttarakhand realised that their natural resources were being exploited by Uttar Pradesh and they were getting no development in return. The demand of statehood took root. The heavy handed treatment meted out to peaceful protests added steely resolve . 

The strong, honest peaceful people of Uttarakhand never went on a revenge rampage . However ,they succeeded in getting their own state. 

2 October 1994 should never be forgotten. It was a day , when wearing a Khadi kurta and paying lip service to non violence ,  Mulayam Singh Yadav let loose an orgy on violence on peaceful ,unarmed protestors .