Operation Kashmir

It was the month of August in the year 1947 British India had gained Independence and was divided into two dominions-India and Pakistan. British India consisted of 17 provinces and 562 princely states. Bringing them together under one rule was the biggest hurdle before the new leaders of both the nations. Though most of them agreed to join the new Indian Government, four kingdoms were unwilling and wanted to remain independent- Bhopal state, Hyderabad state, Kingdom of Travancore and The Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Out of these four, The Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir was the only state that shared its boundaries with both India and Pakistan. The state had a Muslim majority; however it was ruled by a Hindu Ruler-Maharaja Hari Singh. The Maharaja was in dilemma- whether should he join Pakistan or should he sign The Instrument of Accession in favor of India. His position was unenviable.

Maharaja remained uncertain even after a fortnight of British withdrawal on 15^th August 1947. For the lack of decision from Maharaja’s side, the government of newly formed Pakistan took Kashmir for granted. Their argument was that being a Muslim majority state Pakistan’s claim for Kashmir was legitimate. They started hoisting Pakistan’s flag in the state’s post offices.

This didn’t go down well with the Maharaja. He warned Pakistan not to do anything against the sovereignty of his kingdom.

This stance of Maharaja infuriated Pakistan. Consequently they launched Operation Gulamarg on 3^rd September 1947 to conduct series of raids across the state borders-supposedly a forerunner to their ultimate operation to occupy the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir. 

For this administration in Pakistan took three initiatives-

1.       Economic blockade

2.       Spreading the message of Jihad among Muslim population and officials working in the state

3.       And organising raids into the western districts of the state bordering Pakistan

 

Economic blockade was pretty easy for them. Luckily for Pakistan all the main arteries of trade between Kashmir and the outside world passed into Pakistan. While Jammu, the lower part of the state was linked with Sialkot, Srinagar in the upper regions was linked with Rawalpindi and Abbotabad in Pakistan. The supply for all the necessities of life like salt, sugar, soap, clothes, food-grains, petrol and kerosene oil were made discontinued from Pakistan’s side.

Virulent pro-Islamic propaganda was set on foot in the state. Various college level parties were sent to the villages lying in the interior of the state to spread the message. Muslim officials of the state, the state police and armed forces were completely won over by the fundamentalists. Due to the absence of Muslim railway workers the only rail link which Kashmir had with Jammu, was cut off.  Muslim civilians of the state were incited to pick up guns. Thus arms and ammunitions were smuggled in large quantities from Pakistan into the state. According to some archival documents civilians were trained in the use of fire arms inside various mosques in Jammu, Srinagar and elsewhere.

Side by side preparations were being done for a direct assault at an opportune moment by tribes of Balochistan regions (Afghanistan-Pakistan border). Their idea was to attack during onset of the winters when the main lines of communication between Jammu and Srinagar gets blocked due to heavy snowfall.

PAKISTAN’S AGGRESSION

A large number of soldiers and officers of the Pakistan army (about a thousand) were deputed to organise and assist about five thousand tribal men that had been assembled there in the name of Jihad. These men mostly comprised of Afridis (Pathans), Mahsood (locals of South Waziristan), Wazirs (belonging to Waziristan) and Swatis (from the Swat valley).

 Even the officers who had gone on leave were called back. Major General Akbar Khan of the Pakistan Army was given the orders to lead these men. This Major General was intentionally given an ‘operation name’ of General Tariq after the name of the Arab conqueror of Egypt.

These six thousand men were then divided into 6 lashkars of 1000 raiders each. Each lashkar had a Malik who further had 1 Major, 1 Captain and 10 JCOs under him.

The main objective of the Operation Gulmarg was to capture Kashmir valley and the capital city of Srinagar. Their master plan was to occupy Srinagar and Jammu simultaneously, detain the Maharaja and present the world with fait accompli before any outside help could come.

Marauders were promised booty and beautiful Kashmiri damsels in return.

THE PERPLEXITY OF THE STATE

The people of Mirpur-Poonch area in J & K belong to the Rajput-Jat tribes who traditionally were warriors. People of these regions were originally Hindus who were forcefully converted to Islam during the Mughal period. They had close social, economic and religious ties with the inhabitants of the adjoining districts of Jhelum, Rawalpidi and Hazara in Pakistan. As a result most of them became supporters of Pakistan after its establishment.

 The strength of the state army of J&K was 9 infantry battalions, 2 mountain battalions and cavalry squadron. Out of these 2 mountain battalions were retained by the British Indian government after the end of Second World War because of their superior fighting skills. The remaining infantry battalions were mixed with half Hindus and half Muslims.

Most of these were spread over the 500 mile long Kashmir-Pakistan frontier. Srinagar had only one company of the infantry battalion besides Maharaja’s personal guards.

The state troops were efficient and brave. But they were ill-equipped. Pakistan government had withheld all supplies meant for the state forces. More importantly stoppage of supplies of petrol by Pakistan had created very serious situation in regard to the internal mobility of the limited defense forces which were dispersed all over the state.

Although the Indian Government had agreed to supply them arms and ammunition but it had not been sent till the fateful day of invasion.

To crown it all the loyalty of the Muslim soldiers in the army was doubtful. There was a mutiny in the state army by Muslims of the western Jammu region.  State authorities had received information about the planned desertion and sabotage prepared by Muslim officers of the state army in collaboration with Pakistan authorities. But Narain Singh, a Colonel of the state army expressed his full faith in his Muslim soldiers and officers who he led.

On the momentous night of 22^nd and 23^rd of October, 1947 the Pakistani invaders entered the town of Muzaffrabad in the state without firing a shot!!! The Muslim personnel of the state army joined hands with them. They killed their comrades in their own tents and move forward in the convoy supplied by the Pakistan Government for carrying invaders.

The district officer was taken by surprise in his own house by these men. When he refused to shout ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ he was shot dead in presence of his wife and children. Apart from him Colonel Narain Singh was also shot dead by his own Muslim sentinel in the early hours of 23^rd morning.

THE GALLANT BRIGADIER (AND HIS 300 MEN)

“Without a sign his sword the brave man draws, and asks no omen but his country's cause”   -Smyrns of Chios

Brigadier Rajinder Singh, the Chief of the staff of the state army was called upon by Maharaja Hari Singh. He ordered him to halt the march of the enemy into the capital city. He was asked to collect as many men and officer he can and proceed towards Uri which the enemy was to capture next.

On the command of his king, the Brigadier sprang into action. He could hardly collect 150 men that too they were all equipped with obsolete weapons. They didn’t have vehicles so they used private trucks and buses to reach their destination-Uri. Apart from that the autumn rain and slippery roads slowed their movement.

On reaching Uri Brigadier left one of his platoons there and proceeded to Garhi with rest of the men.

The first exchange of fire between the raiders and the state army took place at Garhi. During the first phase of the war heavy casualties were inflicted on the enemy. It caused a setback in the movement of the raiders. But after a while the raiders struck back again, this time with a different strategy and in a more aggressive manner.

 Since the raiders outnumbered the state troops by more than 10 times Brigadier Rajinder Singh realised that in order to halt invading raiders, it would be better to withdraw back to Uri and hold a defensive position there.

Raiders now having the upper hand began advancing forward. On the way they looted the houses of the locals, raped the woman and set many houses on fire. The small defense force could hardly come for the rescue of the local villagers.

Finding the situation too precarious, Brigadier Rajinder Singh’s men blew up the steep girder bridge over the Uri River on their Brigadier’s order. Many war analysts considers this move as a master stroke by the gallant brigadier as this act led to the yawning gap on the far side of the bridge which helped the state forces to earn some time by halting the enemy (else the enemy would have reached Srinagar before the Indian troops as you will read further).

But the halt was temporary. Enemy launched yet another offensive attack. As a result Brigadier and his men had to fall back to Mahura and then later to Rampur to put up defense.

Maharaja had specifically asked Brigadier to stop the advance of the enemy raiders at Uri itself but his continuous withdrawals were bringing the Pakistani raiders more and more inside the state territory. Till date many strategists think what Brigadier Rajinder Singh did at that time is the most prudent thing to do in such a situation.

Pakistani raiders captured Mahura Power House (which supplied electricity to Srinagar) on the night of 24^th October and put it out of order. They then attacked the state troops from behind.

Brigadier was mortally wounded in the right leg during gunfight. He forcefully ordered his men to put him under a culvert with a revolver and asked them to move on to another defensive position.

Brigadier Rajinder Singh had promised his Maharaja that the enemy would advance only over his dead body. Maharaja Hari Singh had signed the Instrument of Accession only that evening and the Indian troops were being expected anytime. On 27^th October 1947 at 2 AM the brigadier breathed for the last time, only two hours before the first contingent of the Indian troops arrived.

Brigadier and his men fought the enemy to the bitter end. They were cut to pieces in this action. But they fought like gallant Leonides and his 300 men who held the Persian invaders at Thermopylae.

OPERATION KASHMIR

The reports from the front, specially the capture of Mahura Power House-which plunged Srinagar into darkness, sent a wave of anxiety in the people and the government at Srinagar. Maharaja Hari Singh sent an urgent appeal for help to the new Government of India.

Indian Government decided that the formal accession of the state must take place before any help could be sent. Maharaja at once signed the Instrument of Accession and stepped down from the throne forming an interim Government. Sheikh Abdullah (Grand-Father of Omar Abdullah, present Chief Minister of the state) was given the responsibility of the state with Mr. Mihir Chand Mahajan as his prime minister.

The news of signing of Accession spread like a wild fire. The state of J&K was now officially a part of the Republic of India. All ears in the Srinagar city were turned to the radios and all eyes towards the sky to see the arrival of the aid.

28^th morning India launched Operation Kashmir to eliminate Pakistan raiders from ‘their territory’. Initially six Dacotas were available for air lifting the Indian troops to the state. Indian Army soon realised that airlifting must to be completed within 15 days else snow would make the runway at Srinagar airport useless. 50 Dacotas were somehow made available from private airlines for airlifting troops from Delhi to Srinagar.

Lord Mountbatten, who had been Chief of Combined Operations and Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia in Second World War, testified that in all his war experience he had never heard of an air lift of this nature being put into operation in such a short notice. He considered it almost a miracle to do as many as 800 sorties at such a short notice.

On the first day itself around 300 men were airlifted. By 7^th November the number of Indian troops in the state outnumbered the Pakistani raiders.

Mr. Jinnah who had come down to Lahore to proceed to Srinagar was terribly upset when he came to know that Indian government had accepted the accession of the J&K and that Indian troop had landed in Kashmir.

Indian troops had a real tough job to do in the beginning as the enemy raiders had the local Muslim support wherever they reached. But once Baramula was recaptured on 8^th November from raiders the threat of further incursion of Pakistanis into the valley was removed because Baramula commanded the entrance to it. By middle of November, 1947, the valley was cleared of Pakistani raiders.

Though an attempt was made again by the Pakistanis to break into the valley but they were intercepted and pushed back by the Indian troops after bitter fighting.

EPILOGUE: THE TRAGEDY OF JAMMU

As mentioned above the plan of Pakistan was to capture the cities of Srinagar and Jammu simultaneously and present the world with fait accompli in regard to the entire state. Out of the two, Pakistan considered their task of capturing Jammu relatively easier because of its proximity to Pakistan and the complete allegiance of all local Muslims from western part of Jammu like Mirpur and Poonch to Pakistan’s ideology.

But the eastern part was still a difficulty. The districts of Jammu, Riasi, Udhampur and Kathua were a Hindu majority area and were expected to put stiff resistance.

In the year 1946 when Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru was appointed the head of Interim Government, he had tried to come into the state of J&K to reach out to Kashmiri people. J&K was an independent state back then and Maharaja Hari Singh considered this aspiration of Pt. Nehru a threat to the sovereignty of his kingdom. Despite being denied permission, Pt. Nehru illegitimately entered the state.  Maharaja ordered for his arrest.

 Post Independence Pt. Nehru was deeply interested in securing Kashmir because of his emotional attachment with it as his ancestral homeland. Apart from that he wanted to humiliate Maharaja Hari Singh for whom he had only hatred in his heart and mind.

Hence for the tasks of securing Kashmir and humiliating the Maharaja, he pinned his hopes on Sheikh Abdullah. Sheikh jumped at this big-ticket opportunity to rule Kashmir valley and throw out Maharaja’s rule-something he had attempted many times before but never succeeded.

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On the eve of the attack the Dogras of Jammu region came to know about Pakistan’s plan. They heard the news of raids in border villages. As a result they prepared themselves for Pakistanis in advance. The raiders were taken back by the preparedness of the Dogras. Sensing defeat they made a hurried retreat to Pakistan.

The failure of Pakistan in regard to Jammu region contributed a good deal towards the defence of Kashmir as the Dogra part of Jammu forms the only direct link between India on one side and Kashmir valley on the other side.

But the western districts of the region including Poonch and Mirpur, which was a Muslim majority region weren’t spared. The districts of Rajauri, Bhimber, Kotli, Poonch and Mirpur fell to the enemy one by one. Their history is one of tragic destruction at the hands of the barbarous enemy.  Here they are in the chronological order how they fell

1)      Bhimber: Just two miles within the state border, it was the first district to be shelled by the enemy. The Hindus of this town who had assembled in the courtyard of a fort-like tehsil building, found all their roads of escape blocked. Finding that no hope was left, hundreds of Hindu ladies took poison. The male population was put to sword.

2)      Rajauri: This town was considered comparatively safe as it lies in the interior of Jammu province - being out of direct reach of Pakistani raiders. But the Muslims, aided by the deserters from state troops did not wait for the raiders.

3)      Kotli: A small troop of J & K state troops had concentrated themselves in this town but they had run out of ammunitions very early in the war. It could have had the same fate as of Bhimber and Kotli but for the heroism of local young men.

 An Indian Army plane dropped about 20 chests of ammunitions in the town but unfortunately it fell on a deep slope outside the town within the reach of enemy fire from adjoining hill. To bring the chests into town was a problem. It looked like sure death. It was then that 20 young men volunteered themselves and succeeded in getting 17 of the 20 chests.

4)      MIrpur: This strategic town had a battalion of state troops but they had little ammunition left with them. They had also lost touch with Jammu because their wireless sets had developed a technical snag. After the fall of Bhimber and Rajauri the fall of Mirpur was inevitable. But Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru and Sheikh Abdullah who considered themselves as the most intelligent people in the matters of Kashmir, considered securing Kashmir (and winning hearts of Kashmiri Muslims) more important than the lives of people in these areas.

As expected the enemy arrived and the state troops retreated even before the civilians could be evacuated. According to one of the authors of a book on Mirpur “more that 23 thousand people were ruthlessly butchered. Thousands of women were abducted, paraded and then sold in the bazaars of Rawalpindi and Peshawars. The barbarities of Pakistan troops and civilians on these hapless woman put to shame the worst orgies of rape and violence associated with hordes of Chengiz Khan and Nadir Shah.”

The loot obtained from Mirpur ran into Crores. The floor of every house in Mirpur was dug in search of treasures and then the house was set on fire.

5)      Deva Vatala: Next to fall in line was this cluster of Hindu villages inhabited by Chib Rajputs. This clan of warriors kept Pakistan at bay for two months with their crude weapons. They lost when the Pakistanis started attacking them with modern firearms.

6)      Poonch: This was the only town in the western part of Jammu which did not succumb to enemy pressure. The small battalion of state troops along with Indian troops who managed to reach there, kept enemy at bay for 1 long year. But this would not have been possible for the daring landings of Dakotas of Air Force on the improvised air strip in the town which lay within the firing range of enemy.