Time to bust Pakistan’s disinformation campaigns on J&K accession day

Jammu and Kashmir is commemorating its 76th Accession Day on 26 October 2023. This day holds great significance as it marks the moment when the people of this former princely state firmly chose their destiny by merging with the Union of India. Despite being an integral part of India’s celebrated democratic journey, J&K has faced significant challenges due to persistent external interference of Pakistan that has aimed to disrupt its internal fabric. In the run-up to Accession Day, Pakistan and its state-sponsored actors are once again engaging in their annual ritual of undermining the political choices made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan’s attempts are focused on amplifying a fake narrative that questions the democratic progress of this region. This orchestrated effort by the Pakistani Army-backed Internet militias, though unrelenting, is actually turning into a self-defeating exercise. The Pakistan-sponsored campaigns exposed its dubious role in 1947 followed by desperate attempts in the last seven and a half decades to destabilise Jammu and Kashmir. It has become Pakistan’s annual tradition to peddle its fabricated rhetoric about Jammu and Kashmir’s legitimate accession to India especially on the digital landscape. These fake narratives cannot withstand even a basic fact check. It is time that this disinformation campaign is called out and the facts around the events of 1947, which define and drive the region’s relation with India, be reiterated. As the Britishers ended their colonialism of the Indian subcontinent in 1947, it left behind two dominions: its natural successor, state of India, and newly created Pakistan, as envisaged under the Indian Independence Act of 1947. Given that there existed 565 Princely States at the time of Independence, they were given a choice to accede to either of these dominion states. While most princely states made their decisions promptly, Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir faced a unique challenge. His state, contiguous to both India and Pakistan, had a predominantly Muslim population (nearly 80 per cent) along with a significant Hindu and Sikh populations. For two months, from August to October 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh maintained a somewhat ambivalent and neutral stance as both India and Pakistan lobbied for the state’s accession. Ahead of the British exit, on 12 August 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh, through his Prime Minister Major Janak Singh, offered Standstill Agreements to both India and Pakistan. These agreements aimed to maintain the existing political status of princely states while granting them additional time to decide on their accession. Pakistan’s rulers accepted the agreement telegraphically two days later, on 14 August 1947, the same day it officially came into existence, thereby committing to maintaining the status quo until Maharaja Hari Singh made a decision regarding Jammu and Kashmir. What is paramount here is that the Dominion of India did not sign a Standstill agreement with the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. Moreover, the Pakistani rulers demonstrated a limited vision by its attempts to pressurise Maharaja Hari Singh to have J&K accede to their newly created religion-based entity. It was this impatience that led Pakistan to send Pashtun tribal lashkars, under its Operation Gulmarg overseen by Colonel Akbar Khan, into Kashmir on 22 October 22, 1947, thereby initiating a period of unimaginable horrors for the inhabitants of the region. The Pakistani Army incited and organised Pashtun tribals for its unofficial invasion on the pretext of jihad in what they were made to believe was to liberate Muslims of J&K by propagating a fabricated narrative of Muslim prosecution by Maharaja’s ‘infidel’ forces. In stark contrast to their very falsified claim of saving Kashmiri Muslims, these raiders unleashed unspeakable atrocities, including looting and sexual violence, along their march towards Srinagar, the capital of the princely State. It was this barbarism and violence perpetrated by the Pakistan sponsored tribal militias and military that compelled Maharaja Hari Singh to make “an urgent appeal” of military assistance from the Indian government on October 24, 1947. Given the political uncertainty and the broader implications of sending military aid in the absence of a formal agreement, which could have construed as India’s military intervention in a neutral territory, the ruler of J&K signed the Instrument of Accession on 26 October 1947, thereby cementing the state’s fate with the Union of India. What is significant is that the Maharaja’s actions received substantial support from the largest political party of the state, Jammu and Kashmir National Conference led by Sheikh Abdullah, who fervently endorsed the accession. In wake of this agreement, New Delhi swiftly dispatched military aid on 27 October 1947, airlifting multiple army columns under the command of Lt. Col. Dewan Ranjit Rai, who pushed the raiders beyond Uri town in Baramulla district. As evident from this historical account, it was the flawed vision of Pakistan’s founding leadership and their impatience that ultimately sealed the future of Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India. However, Pakistan state, which has since been under effective military control, has relentlessly continued its intervention and destabilisation tactics in J&K through its infiltration of proxy armed insurgents, that has left thousands of Kashmiris dead. Therefore, as Jammu and Kashmir celebrates its Accession Day on 26 October, one should not lose sight of historical realities. Pakistan has been the perpetrator of violence against Kashmiris. The residents of Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir are victims of exploitation and a new kind of colonialism by the Pakistan military. Pakistan’s obsession with Jammu and Kashmir has become its undoing. It is high time that Pakistan focuses on addressing its own socio-political and economic crisis, which has brought it to the cusp of a monumental financial, social and political collapse. That is the least Pakistan can do for Kashmiris whose names have been used by its military and state-sponsored actors to raise huge funds that were used for their personal gains. The writer is an author and columnist and has written several books. He tweets @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.