This is in response to an article from ‘Thimpu Spring  to Pakistani Summer’ by Udhay Shanker (Greater Kashmir May 19, 2010). The columnist has also spoken that J&K  alone can offer road map to Delhi, Islamabad.
It  is really the greatest tragedy that we as a people of Jammu and Kashmir have been disintegrated into pieces and we have lost our identity due to this tragedy not only for the last 63 years after partition of India but actually for more than last four hundred years of our slavery and subjugation. History repeats itself and will  give her own decision. The present day Kashmir crisis is the creation of the division of India of 1947  which gave  birth to this vexed problem which has remained unresolved for the last  63  years not only giving us perpetual  pain and suffering but also has embittered the  relations of two countries of India and Pakistan rather two brothers Hindus  of India  and Muslims of Pakistan who divided their house of their own in which we have never been a party in any case.
 The struggle for Jammu and Kashmir State between the two had actually been started from the day they decided to divide the subcontinent into two independent countries of India and Pakistan. The Congress leadership of India wanted  that in near future after independence, Jammu and Kashmir State  must become a part of Indian Dominion for it being a bastion  of true secularism and Muslim League leadership wanted the State of Jammu and Kashmir must form a part of Pakistan to be born in near  future on August 14,1947 because it being a Muslim in majority State with more than 78 percent Muslim population according to the census of 1941. 
Both leaderships started their efforts to  woe Meharaja to their side and started their negotiation and arranged meetings with his Prime Minister, R.C.Kak in Delhi.
Though creation of Pakistan did take place on 14th August,. 1947 and independence of India was declared on 15th August 1947 but  Radcliff’s Award of Partition plan was declared on 18th August 1947 on the advice of Lord Mountbatten the Viceroy of India which had equally been agreed by the both political parties Congress and Muslim League with a promise and assurance that they will abide by the final decision  given by the Radcliffe Award. 
While dividing the province of Punjab on communal  basis  which was under British rule directly West Punjab went to Pakistan and East Punjab to India. It's one of the districts the district Gurdaspur which was a Muslim majority district as a whole comprising four tehsils was also divided. Its three tehsils went to West Punjab  in Pakistan and one of it  the Tehsil Pathankot went to East Punjab in India leaving an access to the State of Jammu and Kashmir to meet its States border with East Punjab in India which made Jammu and Kashmir State to stand at the crossroad in the subcontinent between India and Pakistan. Maharaja became highly ambitious and dreamt to remain independent having friendly and good neighbourly relations with both countries of India and Pakistan. Actually he did not want  to accede to either of the two independent countries of India and Pakistan. Hence he offered the standstill agreement to both dominions which government of Pakistan agreed and accepted and signed on 12th October, 1947 while as Government of India declined to sign it with an argument that Meharaja had no authority to offer and sign it on behalf his people as majority of his subjects had risen in revolt in May-June 1946 against his autocratic rule challenging his authority and his ruler-ship. They were fighting for their own political, economical, social and educational rights from 1931 which already stood to have been jeopardized and denied to them for more than last four hundred years of their slavery and  subjugation. The majority of the people belonging to two great popular political parties in the State, the J&K National Conference lead by late Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah and the J&K Muslim Conference lead by late Choudri Ghulam Abass Khan had to undergo a great incarceration and hundreds of thousands of people were put behind the bars including that of their leaders. This struggle for seeking the political rights for the people was going on within the precincts  of Jammu and Kashmir State alone. This was the time and occasion when Congress and Muslim League decided to divide the subcontinent of India in two independent countries of India and Pakistan on the basis of religion and all prominent political leaders of the State including hundreds of thousands of people of the State were yet in jails when partition of  India was  effected in mid August 1947. So we have never been party to partition of India in any case or in any manner.
As a matter of principle, how can we be reconciled or accept now  the partition and division of our State of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan who want to divide it between them  by exploiting us  in  one way or the other as our State  presently stands divided into  two as a result of  the  crises which took place in October 1947 in the event of tribal invasion of 1947 which meant to overthrow Maharaja from the seat  of power and dethrone him from his ruler-ship in order to annex Jammu and Kashmir State with Pakistan  by force. 
Under those compelling circumstances Maharaja had no alternative but to look towards  Delhi for military aid to help his forces which already had been run down and tribals had reached near Srinagar  the summer capital of the State. Maharaja requested government of India for the help. He was asked before any military aid is made  available to him he must fulfill the formality or the act of accession to India which he readily agreed and fulfilled the formality and then  the military aid was provided to him on 27th October, 1947. While accepting his accession to India he was assured by Accepting Authority the Governor General of India Lord Mountbatten on behalf of the Government of India, ‘that as soon as the law and order have been restored and the soil is cleared of the invader, the question of State’s accession should  be settled by reference to the people’.
In the mean time when the fighting was going on between Indian Army and tribals abetted by Pakistan’s non regulars. Pakistan sent her regular forces in the State in May 1948 to fight against Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir. Now actual fight was going on between the two very much on the soil of Jammu and Kashmir State  with a view  and intention who will occupy it to make it a part of their country. The struggle which they had started  theoretically before the actual partition of India on 15th August 1947 whom it may belong to, now they were fighting militarily and practically in Jammu and Kashmir State against each other for the occupation of the land which does not even belong to us but belongs to Almighty God who is Great and Supreme. We simply strand  as its guardians nothing more and nothing less.
 However on Ist April, 1948 India referred this dispute to UNO against Pakistan’s illegal incursion in the State where Pakistan attended as a party and long  and  hot discussions started in the Security Council. Ultimately  Security Counsel suggested  Plebiscite  in 1948-49 to be held  in the State with certain reservations to decide the dispute between the two countries of India and Pakistan to whom it may belong to. Neither Pakistan vacated the land nor any amicable resolution of problem was arrived at by them, simply going on for three wars during this period of 62 years. Only  by the intervention of UNO their first war was  stopped on Ist January, 1949 drawing the ceasefire line between them on the soil of Jammu and Kashmir State where two armies stand face to face  today even after 63 years of  duration. Any way, presently two third of it is on this side under the administrative control of India and one third of it has gone to the administrative control of Pakistan after Ist January, 1949 as it existed as a united one on 15th August 1947 during the ruler-ship of Maharaja though comprising of our administrative divisions of Jammu, Kashmir, Ladakh and Gilgit Baltistan. 
We want to see it united again so that it may serve as a bridge between the two estranged brothers  of India and Pakistan who have become distant neighbours and inveterate enemies because of our motherland, Jammu and Kashmir State which merely is its official name, and which has become an apple of discard between them.
We just want to see them as friends. Once and always. Let mainstream and separatist leaders join hands to make this region a better place to live in.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 28 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 28 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 29 May 2010 00:00:00 IST