Islamization of Jammu and Kashmir

 

Islamization of Jammu and Kashmir

 

Muslim rule in Kashmir  started with Rinchan but actual founder of muslim rule was Shah Mir. From the 14th century, Islam gradually became the dominant religion in Kashmir. Initially, it fused with local practices and emerged into a way of life rather than a strict, monotheistic religion. But towards the end of fourteenth century  Kashmir came under a fanatical ruler called Sultan Sikandar and a reign of islamization terror and brutality against his Hindu subjects begun in Jammu and Kashmir. He tried to destroy the Martand temple but failed. He imposed taxes on Hindus, forbade them from practicing their religion, forced their conversions to Islam, and earned the title But–Shikan for destroying idols and temples. He and his ministers destroyed any Hindu texts they could find. During his reign lakhs of pandit murdered in Kashmir. It was during Sikandar’s reign that the hapless Pandits cried, I am not a Pandit, I am not a Pandit- in order to save their lives. During Sikandar’s rule a large number of Islamic scholars flocked to the Valley, number of  mosques were built and Islam gained its roots in Kashmir. Around the late fifteenth century, J&K came under the power of the Chaks  who were Dards resident of Gilgit Huza area. They belonged to the Shia sect of Islam and were intolerant towards both Pandits and Muslims who belonged to the Sunni sect. Mughals took over the kashmir in 1586 A.D. During Aurangzeb’s rule, which lasted for forty-nine years from 1658 onwards, there were many phases during which Hindus were persecuted and converted to Islam. One of his governor, Iftikhar Khan, who ruled for four years from 1671, was particularly brutal towards the infidels.  In 1753 the state slipped into the terrible misfortune of being ruled by Afghans up to 1819 for about 67 years, for almost seven decades. Ahmad Shah Abdali again invaded India and in the same year his governor Abdullah Khan Issk Aqasi conquered Jammu and Kashmir. During this period J&K governed by 28 afghan governors. The first Afghan governor was Abdullah Khan. He let loose a region of islamic terror in the valley and harassed merchants, Zamindars and peasants. This is the period when mass conversion taken place in J&K. During the Afghan rule Sheikh Abdhulla ancestors converted to islam. In his book “Aatish-e-Chinar”, he has wrote  “During afghan rule, one of my ancestors who were Kashmiri Brahmins converted to islam. During the Afghan rule large number of people migrated from valley to different parts of India to save themselves to become muslims. After the long rule of Islam, once again J&K came under non-muslim rule followed by the Sikh rulers in 1819 A.D and then passed into the hand of Dogra dynasty. Treaty of Amritsar took place between britishers and Maharaja Gulab Singh, who bought J&K from the British colonialists for seventy-five lakh rupees, one horse, twelve goats (6males and 6females) and three cashmere shawls.

            India was partitioned in August 1947 and princely states had their choice to be independent or accede to either India or Pakistan. Maharaja could not decide immediately. But before Maharaja took any decision, tribal invasion supported by islamic state of pakistan took place on 22^nd October 1947. On 26 October 1947, Maharaja acceded to the Indian union after signing the instrument of accession and with this J&k became the state of Indian union. Till the 1965 Chief Minister of J&K was known as ‘Wazir-e-Azam’ (Prime Minister). Justice Mehar Chand Mahajan took over the charge of Prime Minister on 15 October 1947 to 30 October 1947. In 1954 an article 370 added to Indian constitution through the Presidential order, that acknowledges the special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir in terms of autonomy and its ability to formulate laws for the state’s permanent residents. GOI didn’t stop here, it include one more article 35A which was the tool of islamization. How it was the tool of islamization? For this we have to go to its history. Article 35A was a unique provision of the constitution of India. It is a part of the constitution, but does not figure in the bare Act. One could not find Article 35A after Article 35 in the constitution. Article 35 is followed by Article 36. But, 35A could be seen in Appendix I of the constitution. It was devised for the benefit of the State of J&K through a presidential order in 1954. It entitled the J&K state legislature to define the State’s permanent residents and their special rights and privileges. It was specially devised to save the state subject laws that had already been defined under the Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh’s regime and notified in 1927 and 1932. However, this article which came into the existence in 1954 without a place in the bare act of the constitution was unknown to the public. It came into public domain when cases were filed in the supreme court in order to challenge it validity. After the accession of J&K into India, Sheikh Abdullah took over the reins from Hari Singh in 1949 and in 1952 Delhi Agreement negotiated between Abdullah and Nehru, several provisions of the constitution were extended to Jammu and kashmir through the 1954 presidential order. Article 35A was not a part of original constitution devised under the 1952 Delhi agreement. In other words, article 35A is a byproduct of article 370. But the motive to include this article 35A in the constitution was other. Here the thing to be noted that article 35A issued in 1954 through presidential order but it was decided, it would implemented from 1911. This meant that, all emigrants from J&K, including those who migrated to Pakistan, are considered state subjects. Even the descendants of emigrants are considered state subjects for two generations. Due to which the people who migrated to J&K during 1947 and 1971 from west pakistan and stelled down here had no right to cast vote, to get any government service, to own land. On the other hand the Bangladeshi and Rohingya's fetched to J&K and colonized here have enjoying all rights. This is not happened because they persicuted in their home state or country so they came and settled here. It happened with the consent of  J&K government and entered them from the back doors in order to change the demography of Jammu. However, the permanent settlement law was interpreted as discriminatory against the women of Jammu and Kashmir as it disqualified them from the state subject rights, if they married any Indian residents but at the same time this does not applied on pakistani residents. Later in 2001, a Land Jihad law has been passed (currently which is not in existence after Jammu High Court Order)  in the state namely “Jammu and Kashmir State Land (Vesting of Ownership to Occupants) Act, 2001 popularly” known as “Roshni Act” which empowers the people to own the land whether it is Govt. land, forest land, custodian land, JDA land etc. Under cover of this “Roshni Act” hundred's  kanal of land occupied by  Lac’s of Kashmiri muslims and ministers in Jammu city and other areas of Jammu province in order to make the Jammu muslim dominant. In this way the islamization of J&K particularly Jammu province continuing till date. Because Kashmir has been already muslim dominant and under the islamic regime, now the turn of Jammu. 

Written by 

Rocky Khajuria