Asks youth to be aware and protect themselves from being misled by enemy

Report by:Mir Arif

Srinagar:The General Officer Commanding (GoC) of Army’s 15 Corps Lt Gen D P Pandey Sunday said Kashmir was not an objective for Pakistan but merely a tool to discredit the ‘Idea of India’ from 1947 to 1971.

While talking to reporters on sidelines of a function re-enactment of ‘Battle of Shalateng’ on 75th anniversary, GoC said, “As the time for independence approached, majority of all princely states decided one way or other to be part of India or Pakistan with majority of them preferring the ‘Idea of India’ rather than leaning towards Pakistan”.

He said that he feels that this was a victory jointly achieved by the people of Kashmir and the Indian Army and it is important to retell that story after 75 years from ground zero, where “we stand today.”

Pandey said that Shalteng battle was the first military operation which proved to be a major turning point for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the victory was impossible without the support of Kashmiri people.

“Only three states remained undecided including Jammu & Kashmir. Before independence, Sheikh Abdullah had reached out to Jinnah for an interaction and the same was rebuked by stating, ‘Kashmir is in my pocket’,” he said.

Lt Gen Pandey said despite the “Standstill Agreement” between India and Pakistan signed in September 1947, Pakistan broke the agreement on 22 Oct 47 to cut off grain, salt, sugar, milk and Kerosene oil to Kashmir so as to subdue the population & compel it to join Pakistan.

“On failure of even this subjugation measure, Pakistan Army hatched “Op Gulmarg” plan, wherein a large percentage of Pakistani Army personnel, retired soldiers and Kabailis with promise of loot, plunder & women were launched through multiple routes into State of Jammu & Kashmir. In the face of the organized Pakistan Army, the fledgling State forces of J&K fought honorably to delay the advance as much as possible. The soldiers and officers like Brig Rajinder Singh & Lt Col Narayan Singh & scores of others laid down their lives but could not stop the advance of the enemy to reach Baramulla,” he said.

The GoC said, “After seeing the carnage at hands of Pakistanis, Kashmiris realised the advantages of joining the Union of India & thus came the signing of ‘Instrument of Accession’ to the Union of India on 26 Oct 1947 in Jammu. Thereafter, the process of Induction of Indian Army by air commenced. The rest of the events have already been witnessed by you today”.

He said it is therefore clear that which side the heart and soul of Kashmir lay in 1947 after the ‘Instrument of Accession’ was signed by Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of Princely State of J & K in the presence of Sheikh Abdullah, Sher-e-Kashmir, the most popular public figure of J & K.

The GoC said while the neighbour (Pakistan) has continued to use the same concept & the strategy of employing civilians as a front in 1965 and in 1999 in Kargil when it stated publicly that Mujahideen crossed the LoC but truth was revealed later that it was the Pakistani Army. “It even refused to accept its own dead”.

“Therefore, it is imperative that today’s generation must read the history and understand that Kashmir is not an objective for Pakistan but merely a tool to discredit the ‘Idea of India’ from 1947 to 1971. Thereafter it became an agenda for revenge for its 1971 debacle.

Pakistan continues to leverage through money & incitement of gullible youth for its war through ‘thousand cuts’ in India,” he said and urged the youth to be aware of the designs & protect their future.