Staff Reporter
Islamabad
Azad Jammu and Kashmir President, Sardar Masood Khan, describing November 6, 1947 as the blackest day in the history of Kashmir, said 73 years ago on this day tens of thousands of men, women and even children were callously butchered for demanding freedom and liberty.
“We mark November 6, 1947, as the darkest day in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. On that day and in the months of October and November 1947, the Dogra Army, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Indian National Army massacred 237,000 Muslims,” he said in a message on the eve of Jammu Martyrs Day being observed on Friday by Kashmiris living on both sides of LoC, Pakistan and all over the world.
Referring to frightening killings carried out by extremist Hindus and RSS goons, aided and abetted by the forces of Maharaja Hari Singh and Indian National Army, the president said it was the first genocide after the Second World War on such a massive scale. “From November 4 to 6, Muslim population of Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur and Reasi were viscously targeted. Tens of thousands of people were duped into believing that they were being transported to Pakistan but near Sanba, at the Jammu Sialkot Road, they were all butchered,” Khan said.
He said that Muslims in Jammu were first disarmed, and then killed by marauding hordes in their homes, in the streets and on the roads. Their houses were burnt and businesses destroyed as a result of which 61 per cent Muslim population in Jammu was reduced to 33 per cent. He said that The Times of London, at that time, verified that 237,000 Muslims were exterminated in Jammu. The editor of the Statesmen, Ian Stephen, in his book Horned Moon, confirmed the murder of more than 200,000 Muslims in Jammu and historian Horace Alexander confirmed consent of the State authorities for these operations.
The AJK President further said that Ved Bhasin, a journalist who witnessed the massacre confirmed these mass killings and the absorption of the genocidaires in the occupied State’s Cabinet and State apparatus. “Crimes against humanity were committed and wiped off as if nothing had happened. No Nuremberg Tribunals were set up for punishing the criminals or their patrons. This day remains a blot on humanity,” the president said.
He said the villainous operation was orchestrated and supervised by then Indian Home Minister Sardar Patel, Defence Minister Baldev Singh, Maharaja of Patiala and the Maharani of Kashmir,” Masood added. “The murderous campaign started against Muslims by Hindu extremists continues till this day. In the past 73 years 500,000 people have lost lives to Indian tyranny and terrorism. We demand justice. We will not rest on our oars until we win freedom for Kashmiris and the mission of Jammu martyrs is accomplished,” Khan pledged.
