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Sheikh AbdullahSher e Kashmir(Lion of Kashmir)Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah made a very important speech in the shrine of Hazratbal on 14th January 1949 . This speech his swan song (as only a few years after making this speech he was deposed and incarcerated for decades) was immortalized in verse by the great Kashmiri poet Mehjoor Kashmiri(1888-1952). Its importance can be gauged from the fact that this is the only speech of Sheikh Abdullah that Mehjoor rendered into verse. Unfortunately as Mehjoors poem is written in the Kashmiri language it has not received the attention it deserves, although apart from its literary merit, this poem is of great importance for anyone who wants to study the situation in Kashmir in its proper perspective. This article discusses the Sheikhs Personality in the light of this speech: In this speech Sheikh Abdullah emerges as a visionary philosopher who is not only far ahead of his time but has the tremendous courage to put his humanistic interpretation of freedom before a people who are more rabidly communally polarized than the Serbs and Croats or Tutsis and Hutus of our age. While his contemporaries considered the freedom struggle in the subcontinent as an Armageddon between the followers of Hinduism and Islam, in which they exhorted the complete subjugation of one group to ensure absolute supremacy of another, Sheikh Abdullah redefines freedom in a manner that appears refreshingly new and revolutionary even today in the twentieth century. Sheikhs concept of freedom Freedom according to Sheikh Abdullah is freedom from exploitation and not the exchange of a foreign despot with a native one '''We are the slaves of the feudal system. We will free ourselves from this bondage, This was our aim and the foundation of our struggle. This is the right path and the essence of our freedom''' It is very important to note that Sheikh is referring to a particular system and not to any particular person, race or group. He does not consider Kashmiris as slaves of Dogras but slaves of the feudal system. Removal of Dogras from power would not make an iota of difference to the slavery of the Kashmiris unless the psychological slavery that goes with the feudal mentality is got rid off. In this view he was so far ahead of his time that even today many people fail to understand the real import of the direction in which Sheikh Abdullah was trying to move his people. Thus it is argued that had Kashmir acceded to Pakistan the Feudal landlords who were Hindus would have run away leaving the land held by them in the hands of the local population , but this is not at all what the Sheikh is aiming at. He wants a change in mentality and not an exchange of despots or land ownership. It is slavery to the feudal mentality that has to be got rid of and not any particular ruler or feudal lord. The Dogras after all were not foreigners but one of the many tribes that inhabited the state of Jammu and Kashmir since ancient times. We are still slaves and if at present we accede to either of the two countries Our slavery will continue for ever (Feudal rulers will remain in place) Till now we were the slaves of one despot Now fortuitously we are in a position to gain freedom We can not now become slaves of another Even if we die we will not commit such a mistake. In Sheikhs view it is not the sovereignty of the ruler but the sovereignty of the mass of the people that is the crux of freedom. With time the fires of civil war will burn out We would then accede to that country That will be the first to rid us of our troubles That would keep our freedom intact That would be willing to consider us a free people In his aim of freeing the people from feudal mentality the Sheikh was eminently successful. Although destiny kept him in power for only four brief years after making the speech before Nehru rescinded on his promise to take the wishes of the people of Kashmir into account and incarcerated Sheikh Abdullah for decades on trumped up charges,yet in those four years he had succeeded in converting Kashmiris from a feudal to a modern forward looking people and this was no mean acheivement. One has only to look at the feudal mentality still existing in places in UP and Bihar in India and to the mediveal Feudalism in Baluchistan , NWFP and Sindh in Pakistan to understand the great acheivement of the Sheikh. Sheiks Philosophy of Democracy Sheikh Abdullah was an advocate of real freedom and not phony freedom and that meant the wishes of the people should be paramount. He put this principle into practice in the very beginning of his speech when he asked the people to decide at the very outset whether they wanted him as their leader It is up to you to decide Whether you trust them or me. As long as you consider me your leader I will keep on sacrificing my life for my people. If you do not have faith in me You are at liberty to choose some other leader. I assure you that whomsoever you choose as your leader I will also become his faithful follower He minced no words in making this point clear to both Indians and Pakistanis "It was during this period that some powerful persons visited me They were the ambassadors of India and Pakistan. I told them both in plain words, 'We desperately want to become free. Both of you should help us to gain freedom, This is what will make us prosperous. Once people are free they would be sovereign To decide with which of the two they should accede. Without doubt whatever the people decide I along with my party men will support that. I will not make any objection or oppose them This I tell you plainly without circumlocution.' It was on this principle that even when attacked by tribal invaders and in dire straits he agreed to accede to India for obtaining military help only after Nehru made a public commitment that this accession was temporary and subject to final ratification by the people Jawahar who feels for our sorrows and is a statesman. Who is the pride of both India and Kashmir He said, This accession is only temporary, It is only an excuse for being able to help you Once war is over and peace is restored The people of Kashmir will be asked to give their considered opinion This accession will become permanent Only when the people will endorse it unanimously. He made this speech on Radio All who heard it applauded it. After a few days he came personally to Kashmir And put forward his proposal in public.''' The plebiscite movement that started after the Sheikh was incarcerated in 1953 was only a natural outcome of the Sheikhs position which was clearly stated in his speech. While stating his position Shiekh Abdullah realistically anticipated the difficulties that had to be surmounted This Jammu and Kashmir is our country. Four million Men and Women inhabit this land. It includes the mountainous regions of Gilgit and Ladakh And also Marwah,Wadwan and Kishtawar. People from these regions have to decide about accession, They will row the boat in their chosen direction. This is a prolonged and drawn out process. It can not be hastened preparations take time. Thousands of Muslim and Hindu families Have become migrants distraught and homeless. We have to bring the migrants back They have to be again rehabilitated Their homes have to be reconstructed, they must be given rations. They have to be provided with wearing apparel. This is no easy matter. Not one but thousands of families have to be rehabilitated. You have yourself seen how in olden days, If the government wanted to hold a minor election, It would take time and preparation. If someone amongst you decides to hold a wedding reception It takes at least six months of careful preparation. In brief I want you to understand Your journey is fraught with danger and your goal distant. It is essential that you should wait and be patient. Maintain calm and remain peaceful. We have to move forward with circumspection Be very careful, show deep insight Acting rashly in this situation Will surely result in doom and destruction. I have told the people beforehand, We ourselves will apply balm to our own wounds. He clearly understood that neither India nor Pakistan were willing to grant real Democracy as the vested interests were strong in both countries but peaceful and dogged perseverance would ultimately help to bring about a progressive change in the mindset of not only Kashmiris but also the people of India and Pakistan.Thus the struggle of the Kashmiris for freedom will catalyse the democratic process in both India and Pakistan Have patience, wait patiently These troubles are temporary they will pass. We should have courage, join hands Leave aside doubts and become like lions. The Nations boat is adrift, We will bring it back to the shore. Solve our problems. We have seen hardship for eighteen years. We will remain steadfast and so achieve success. I doubt not you will do that I say Have patience, face troubles fearlessly If you keep moving forward with patience and courage If you do not accept defeat, get frightened or tired I swear on oath before you Kashmir will be resurrected, our dignity exalted Kashmir will make India immortal And Kashmir will immortalize the name of Pakistan. It is a measure of Shiekh Abdullahs courage that knowing that the dice were loaded against him he did not throw in the towel but faced the situation as it developed with dignity and patience.The post 1949 history of Sheikh Abdullah is the history of a visionary leader who is also a realist and is continuously coming to terms with the demands of a realpoltik that is governed by powerful players beyond his control We have our own problems. Who will listen to us? Maintaining dignity and patience is our only option. Some writers including A G Noorani have criticized the so called rigging of elections in 1951 when Sheikh was in power. They have perhaps not considered that conditions in 1950s when the Election Commission was still in its infancy and holding elections was still a novel exercise for the people of the subcontinent. In India it has taken half a century for the election process to evolve to the level prevailing at present .In 1950 the State had no experience of holding elections in an organized fashion. It would be nearly half a century before Seshan would become Election Commissioner and model code of conduct develop slowly over a protracted period. Sheikh Abdullah was running an administration with higher officials more loyal than the king and the lower workers illiterate and ignorant of the demands of an election process which was an extremely novel process at that time. Massive irregularities in elections were to be the norm for decades in India. The machinery for conducting free and fair elections and the requisite experience of the electorate for the same has only now developed in India after decades of experience and demanding the same standards from the war ravaged administration of Kashmir in 1950s would be unrealistic. The Sheikh was aware of these problems. I agree we are not totally blameless. We must have surely made mistakes. But why do you not judge justly And make allowance for the difficulties that we are facing An additional problem was the presence of sympathizers of the feudal system and agents of foreign powers who were out to sabotage the system and disillusion the people while pretending to support the revolution eventually paving the way for subsequent arrest and removal from power of Sheikh in 1953. We have bound the landlords and the tyrannous rich. We have ended the tyranny of the feudal lords. These were the persons who with great pomp and show Tyrannized the masses with impunity. We have pared their cruel claws We have broken their tyrannical swords. They have now to accept him as their ruler Whom they scorned as Tom, Dick or Harry This for the tyrants is bitter medicine They are angry with us, have a grudge in their hearts. They have lost wealth, power and land They have become our enemies and critics They have now donned the robe of cunning They sow the seeds of doubt among the people by spreading rumors. All of you see the efforts that we are making We have been facing hardships for eighteen years We have developed the infrastructure needed for democracy Working people now have power and dignity In contrast our critics come forth And sow delusions among the simple folk. Sheikhs International outlook How far ahead of his time Shiekh Abdullah was is best appreciated when we consider that in 1949 he considered the struggle of Kashmiri people not in isolation but as a worldwide struggle of the human race for Democracy and freedom. At the very outset he asks the Kashmiri people to express their solidarity with the people of Indonesia who in their struggle against the Dutch colonial rulers are comrades of the Kashmiris who are also fighting for freedom like them On the sea coast is situated a country It is called Indonesia-listen carefully Its inhabitants are slaves like us. They serve tyrants day and night. And finally while expressing his solidarity with the people of Indonesia he moves on to include all people who are fighting for their liberty and rights The Dargah is a hallowed exalted place God accepts prayers made here for the sake of his holy prophet. We will supplicate at the Dargah and pray O God grant them what they desire. Along with us give them freedom and happiness And likewise we pray for all enslaved people of the world. It is remarkable that in 1949 Sheikh Sahib is talking not only of Kashmiris , or Indonesians or Moslems or Asians but of all enslaved people of the world. In this, he is preaching humanism at its best, humanism that supercedes nationality, race, color or religion and he has the courage to do it before a highly communally polarized audience where his detractors portray him as an infidel and enemy of Islam who literally deserves to be burnt at the stake for failing to side with a Moslem Pakistan against a Godless India. The Sheikh clearly tells the people not to view their struggle for freedom in isolation but understand it in an International perspective. The old order in the world is changing So fast that man is left wondering. Having seen the worlds behavior Having carefully studied the book of its revolutions Think over it and show wisdom And he draws parallels between the situation in Kashmir and Palestine. "Do you not see what is happening in Indonesia? Why do you not take lessons from what is happening in Palestine?" Sheiks Humanism It is as a humanist that the Sheikh stands a head above his contemporaries. Although a devout Moslem who has the utmost veneration for the shrine of Hazratbal and deep belief in God yet in the highest traditions of sufistic Islam he is deeply concerned sabout the welfare of all people who inhabit the state irrespective of their caste ,creed or religon.He considers justice and fair play insuperable from the practice of the Islamic faith. Thus talking of the oppressed people of Indonesia he exhorts Kashmiris to show their solidarity with the Indonesians because it is the duty of Moslems to side with those supporting the cause of freedom The neighboring countries heard of their plight They were filled with sorrow for the Indonesians They condemned the atrocities of the Dutch. It is proper for us Kashmiris also That we should express our solidarity with them. We are Moslems and this is our duty All free people have done the same. And when like a devout Moslem he prays at the shrine of Hazratbal his prayer is for the freedom of all enslaved people irrespective of their Nationality, caste creed or religon. The Dargah is a hallowed exalted place God accepts prayers made here for the sake of his holy prophet. We will supplicate at the Dargah and pray O God grant them what they desire. Along with us give them freedom and happiness And likewise we pray for all enslaved people of the world. He is horrified at the carnage committed by Moslems and Hindus in the name of religion and the loss of tolerance from the subcontinent When the people came to know that they had attained independence They cast off all human values They forgot their human nature and became beasts. Like vicious dogs they started to bite each other The Hindus murdered all the Muslims in their locality The Muslims likewise slaughtered the Hindus. Countless Hindus and Muslims were killed, Lakhs of dead bodies were piled up in heaps. Lakhs of men women and little children, Were killed, like mosquitoes swatted. What more can I tell, India was destroyed, India which was once likened to Eden (for its tolerance) He compares the internecine fighting between Moslems and Hindus of the subcontinent to a fight between two vicious cats At present people of India and Pakistan are engaged in mayhem and murder They have forgotten the lessons of love and tolerance. They have become senseless, demented That is why a brother is killing his brother. Let us wait till their fever abates and their madness is cured After shedding blood, as happens with cats who have fought for a long time He praises the Moslems and Hindus of Kashmir for their loving tolerant nature and wants the question of accession to be decided not by a majority vote with the Moslems over ruling the Hindus but by a consensus that satisfies the people of both the communities. Muslims and Hindus of this State have a loving nature They treat each other with love and affection. The civil war was raging in India and Punjab News of this war filled the Kashmiris with sorrow. Every morn brought doleful news Of a brother tearing asunder his brothers breast If at that time I would have said, Come, Tell me with whom shall we accede? The Muslims would never say India For they would be afraid of getting killed. Similarly the Hindus would be horrified If even the name of Pakistan was mentioned With such a war raging and under such conditions It would be most improper to debate accession. Hence it is necessary that we should wait With time the fires of civil war will burn out We would then accede to that country Which will be the first to rid us of our troubles Which would keep our freedom intact Which would be willing to consider us a free people. He requests his opponents to not allow their mutual differences to stand in the way of their goal of uplifting Kashmir I ask these friends Let them think These mutual differences, Will they persist forever or will they be resolved? Surely our life is ephemeral It is unwise to think of it as eternal However our country will remain for aeons Our children will continue to inhabit this land. So we should not take a step without thinking We have to think of our future. How we can convert Our beautiful Kashmir into a splendid flower garden That our children may live free and sovereign We should try to make conditions suitable for that. These friends have tested my nature for long I never harbor a grudge against anyone in my heart.''' Sheikh scourage Kashmiris refer to Sheikh Abdullah as The Lion of Kashmir and not without reason . It is easy to be an arm chair philosopher and theorize in the security of ones home but to stand before a crowd of hundreds of thousand of people rabidly polarized on religious lines and tell them to practice a rational rather than a communal approach needs extraordinary courage. At a time when Moslems not believing in the two nation theory were considered guilty of apostasy and a Moslem who disputed accession to Pakistan a heretic fit to burnt at the stake the Shiekh stood before a crowd of hundreds of thousands of Moslems in the holiest shrine of Hazratbal and without mincing words clearly stated With time the fires of civil war will burn out We would then accede to that country Which will be the first to rid us of our troubles Which would keep our freedom intact Which would be willing to consider us a free people. In Sheikhs time when Kashmiris were considered a weak and pusillanimous race, when the term Kashmiri soldier was considered an oxymoron, thousands of Pathans from Hazara and Murree known for their ferocious, cruel and warlike nature invaded Kashmir. The Sheikh with his characteristic courage did not flinch but exhorted the people to stand up and face the invaders bravely with the slogan ''' Hamla Awar Kabhardar Hum Larne Ko Hain Tayyar'''(O invader beware, we are prepared to fight) And the people responded en masse to the Sheikhs call . Inspired by the Sheikhs leadership and courage a young Kashmiri boy Sherwani without caring for his life went to the Pathans and offered to show them a short cut to the Srinagar airport and then misled them delaying them sufficiently to allow Indian troops to land and secure the airport, a maneuver which ultimately led to the defeat of the Pathans. The Pathans were furious when they came to know that they had been tricked by Sherwani and as a punishment tortured Sherwani to death pumping more than fourteen bullets into the young boys body. The great Kashmiri poet Mehjoor was so moved by Sherwanis sacrifice that he wrote a poem Sherwanis Dream in whose last stanza Sherwani tells the Kashmiris that: As long as you obey the bidding of the Lion of Kashmir Neither the Waziris will have the strength to kill you nor the Hazaris will be able to defeat you References 1.Ahad O Payman e Hazratbal by Mehjoor Kashmiri in Kulyat e Mehjoor page415 M.Y.Teng Ed Published by J & K Academy of Arts Culture and Languages Srinagar 1983 2.English translation of Mehjoors poem Ahad O Payman e Hazratbal By Syed Taffazull Hussain (In Press) Preprint may be requested by email to taffazull@yahoo.com
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