news details |
|
|
| Autocratic Hari Singh was more democratic than today's rulers' | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Aug 5: Unlike the present day democratically elected rulers, Maharaja Hari Singh was open and transparent. During his regime no enforced disappearance has been reported; nobody was eliminated in a fake encounter. And last but not the least, it took the `autocratic' Maharaja less than two months to allow Ahrar team to visit Kashmir to probe July 13 massacre. The democratic rulers, on the other hand took twenty years to allow Amnesty International to visit Kashmir. The state government also took two decades to constitute a commission of enquiry. And, when it has finally been constituted it has limited mandate. It has to probe recent civilian killings only.
The July 13, 1931 incident evoked massive response across the sub-continent. Muslims held demonstrations at Amritsar, Lahore, Lucknow, Delhi and at other major cities. The Majlis-e-Ahrar was considered a fundamentalist group even in Kashmir. Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah did not like them and in his statement issued from jail flayed their involvement in Kashmir affairs.
On August 18, the Majlis-e-Ahrar passed a resolution seeking enforcement of rights of Kashmiris irrespective of their religion. It was also decided that Ahrars would help Kashmiris through peaceful means. A few days later a massive rally was held at Delhi Gate, Lahore. Dr Sir Muhammad Iqbal presided and urged the Majlis to violate the ban on entry into Kashmir. The Prime Minister of Jammu Kashmir had banned entry of outsiders into Kashmir. In his order he said: "Since Maharaja has ordered an enquiry into the incident, therefore, no outsider must come to Kashmir."
On August 31 the Majlis announced that a fact finding team headed by Moulana Mazhar Ali Azhar would visit Kashmir on September 2. This statement created a stir in Kashmir. The Prime Minister sent a telegram to Moulana Azhar requesting him to meet his governor for Jammu at Sialkote. Moulana agreed and a meeting was held at Deputy-Commissioner's residence. The fact finding team was allowed to visit Kashmir on the following conditions-
1, No demonstration shall be held in Kashmir
2, Fact finding team will act objectively
3, The team shall be state guests
The local leaders ridiculed the Ahrar team for accepting government hospitality. The mission failed. But, can anybody deny credit to Maharaja for allowing a `fundamentalist group' to probe an incident in his territory?
The democratically elected governments at New Delhi and Srinagar ignored as many as 20,000 appeals from different groups seeking a probe by Amnesty International in Jammu Kashmir. The much awaited visit commenced from May 17. The team was allowed after two decades. The government has been selective in ordering probes. Zahid Farooq's killing was probed but Wamiq's killing was ignored. The government is reluctant to probe disappearances but the recent civilian killings, which are only the tip of the iceberg, shall now be probed. The government constituted an enquiry of commission recently but limited its mandate to probing recent civilian killings.
Hari Singh, therefore, has the distinction of being more democratic and transparent than the rulers who do democracy a favour every five or six years by taking people to polling booths through coaxing and cajoling. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
