“History must be seen and analysed with emphasis on its basics,” states Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, Chairman J&K People’s Freedom League and ex-Convener All Parties Hurriyat Conference AJ&K, on the eve of great upheaval in early 20th century, when the suppressed population of Kashmir began articulating their serious grievances overtly against the authoritarian hereditary monarchy of Hindu Rajas, who had been treating them like sub-humans and sheep and goats for about a century.
He paid rich tributes to the martyrs of July 1931 and said that, the event was a mile stone that changed the outlook of British India about the ruling Hindu dynasty of Kashmir. Muhammad Farooq Rehmani said that the basic causes of the 13 July martyrdom of the Kashmiris in Srinagar were rooted in total deprivation of the rights of the Muslims of J and K, such as economic, social, humanitarian, but the event before the Central Jail Srinagar was ignited and flared by an in camera trial against Abdul Qadeer, desecration of Quran and prohibiting Juma Khutba in Jammu.
He quoted Sir Albion Banerji then foreign and political minister of the State for 2 years, who resigned from his post on these grounds: “J and K is labouring under many disadvantages, with a large Muhammadan population illiterate, labouring under poverty and very low economic conditions of living in the villages and practically governed like dumn-driven cattle…”
In short, the Muslims of the State were looked down upon as criminals and the rulers were their law makers, judges and at the same time law enforcement agencies.
Muhammad Farooq Rehmani regretted that the past Hindu imperialism had been revived by the BJP regime of India, 370 and 35A had been scrapped by one stroke of pen and no political and economic space had been kept open for the Muslim inhabitants of Jammu and Kashmir and thousands of the people and their leaders had been forced to live as 3rd class prisoners in different Indian jails, while the highest judiciary of the country has been turning blind eye to injustices on the people of Kashmir.
He strongly condemned and said that the latest instance was a police crackdown on the members of the civil society and pro-Hurriyat people, who had gathered in a Hotel in connection with a Eid-Milan party, but were rounded up by the regime.
He urged upon the world community to come to the rescue of Kashmiris and make the fascist set- up answerable before it as soon as possible.—NNI
