IN the history of Kashmir, 27 October is observed as the Black Day. On this day in 1947, India invaded Jammu and Kashmir in complete disregard to the partition plan and Indian Independence Act. Since the people of Jammu and Kashmir had already decided to become part of Pakistan, they rose against Maharaja Hari Singh and the Indian Army. Indeed, Maharaja’s rule over the state had already lapsed on 15 August 1947. Soon after the invasion India tried to justify its illegitimate occupation of the state through the controversial Instrument of Accession. Later on, India took the Kashmir case to the UN on 01 January 1948, where it was decided through UN resolutions that the future of the state will be decided through plebiscite under UN supervision. After initial acceptance of UN resolutions, India started delaying the implementation of the resolutions and later refused to conduct the plebiscite.
In the mid-1950s, India started calling Jammu and Kashmir as its integral part and after Simla Agreement-1972, India declared it as the bilateral issue between Pakistan and India. In 1990, India made use of force to crush the popular movement of Kashmiri’s right of self-determination. This massive use of Indian force (now 900,000) is continuously deployed in IIOJK and undertaking brutalities in IIOJK ever since 1990 with impunity. In August 2019, India illegally and unilaterally annexed IIOJK with the Indian Union. Since then people of IIOJK are in a state of siege, subjugation and strict monitoring of Indian security forces. Article 370 of Indian Constitution, which India abrogated on 05 August 2019, was drafted in part XXI of the Indian Constitution clearly says that linkage between India and IIOJK is temporary, transitional and expressly provisional. Rather resolving the Kashmir dispute as per UN resolutions, India abrogated Article 370, thus committing another violation of UN resolutions, its own Constitution and Constitution of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
In order to know the reality of India’s claim on Kashmir, there is a need to understand the historical context of Indian partition and subsequent events. On 03 June 1947, the British Indian Government announced partition of the subcontinent into two Dominions; ‘India and Pakistan’. The British Parliament formally passed the “Indian Independence Act on 17 July 1947, according to which, the partition was to be implemented from 15 August 1947. Partition of India was implemented as per Article 1 of the Independence Act. As per Article 7 of this Act, it was clearly stated that, from 15 August 1947, “the suzerainty of His Majesty over the Indian states lapsed and with it lapsed all treaties and agreements enforce at the date of the passing of this Act between His Majesty and the rulers of Indian states”.
As per Indian Independence Act, all agreements of the British Government with states or their rulers also lapsed on 15th of August 1947. Since the state of Jammu and Kashmir was a Princely State with a special autonomous status, therefore it can be very conveniently said that on 15th day of August 1947, the Maharaja Sir Hari Singh was not the legal ruler of the state of Jammu and Kashmir as all his treaties with British India lapsed on that day. Once he was not a legal ruler of the state, he had no right to sign the Instrument of Accession (if at all he signed that) with the new Indian dominion. The Indian claim that, its forces landed at Srinagar Airport on 27 October 1947, only after signatures on Instrument of Accession by Maharaja and the Indian government, is also unsubstantiated.
The Indian Government, however, conditioned the military assistance with the state’s accession to India, which Maharaja Hari Singh never asked for. Two well-known British historians: Alastair Lamb and Victoria Schofield have contested the signing of any Instrument of Accession by Maharaja Hari Singh with India, at least before 27 October 1947. Nevertheless, even if there was an Instrument of Accession between Maharaja Hari Singh and Indian government, it provides a number of safeguards to the state’s sovereignty, e. g. the instrument says after the restoration of law and order in the State of Jammu and Kashmir and the expulsion of the raiders its future will be decided in accordance with the wishes of the people of the State.”
In summary, Indian occupation of IIOJK on October 27, 1947 was illegal and in violation of Partition Plan, UN Charter and rules for Princely States. Similarly, annexation of IIOJK on 05 August 2019 is illegal and against the UNSC resolutions (91 and 122). Indeed, India re-invaded and reoccupied IIOJK on 05 August 2019. The most significant part of this entire episode is that Kashmiris of IIOJK have neither accepted Indian rule nor its constitutional provisions over their state. Despite remaining under siege after August 5, 2019 and despite fraudulent IIOJK Assembly Election 2024, the people of IIOJK are not ready to accept Indian rule and its illegal annexation of the state as union territories. Kashmiris throughout the world observe 27 October as Black Day.
Upon completion of seventy-seven years of Indian occupation of IIOJK, the people of the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir once again demand UNO and international community to give them their right of self-determination as promised in UNCIP resolutions. On its part the Government of Pakistan must reach over to UN and other international forums emphasizing them five aspects of Kashmir dispute; a) stoppage of human rights violation in IIOJK, b) stoppage of demographic changes being made in IIOJK, c) demilitarization of IIOJK, d) restoration of pre August 5, 2019 status of IIOJK and e) giving Kashmiris their right of self-determination through a free and fair plebiscite as per UN resolutions.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
