FORMATION OF MUSLIM CONFERENCE (1932)

II. FORMATION OF MUSLIM CONFERENCE ( 1 9 3 2 )

The sigh goes up to the sky to fetch benevolence.O Ye clouds, move aside to clear the way to heavens.

(Agha Hasher Kashmiri)

The preceding pages make it abundantly clear that the Muslim

community of Kashmir was groaning under deep-rooted resentment against the

oppressive, dictatorial and communal character of Dogra rule. However, because of

the autocratic nature of the Dogra rule and the poverty of the political consciousness

of the Muslim community of Kashmir together with the absence of any solid support

from any power outside, the Muslims, for a long time, failed to put up an organized

struggle to free themselves from the shackles of the Dogra Raj. True, when the

oppression touched limits, they did show not only passive reaction1 but also

sometimes raised open revolts like the Shawlbaf revolt o f 1865, but these reactions

lacked organized character. It was in the twenties of the present century that the signs

of political consciousness showed visible indications. This was obviously the result

of growing literacy rate among the Muslims of Kashmir particularly the attainment of

higher education by many of them from different Indian Universities which were

simultaneously the power-houses of freedom movement of India. At the same time,

the support of the Muslims of Punjab to Kashmiri Muslims became highly

pronounced with the beginning of the twenties of the present century. The silk

factory revolt of 1924 and the secret submission of a memorandum by some

prominent Muslims of Kashmir to Lord Reading, the Indian Viceroy, (in which they

demanded the redressal of social, economic and political grievances), were the

obvious fall outs of this perceptible consciousness among the educated section of the

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Muslim community. However, instead of perceiving the emergence of growing

resentment among the Muslims, particularly among the educated youth, and

providing a healing touch to them, the Maharaja tightened screws of oppressive and

autocratic rule, when he exiled the memorialists and severely punished silk factory

workers. There was no source of expression2 and even ban was imposed on the entry

of Indian Muslim press in Kashmir3. This suffocating situation moved even some

high officials who were having a humanistic bent of mind. Among them Sir Albion

Banerji, a Bengali Brahman who was a Senior Minister of the Executive Council of

the Maharaja will remain memorable in the histoiy of Kashmir. While not tolerating

the inhuman attitude meted out to Kashmiri Muslims, he resigned and explaining the

reasons of his resignation before pressmen, he exposed the Maharaja’s communal,

oppressive and autocratic rule4. His Statement was published in English press on

15th March, 1929 creating havoc5. This fearless criticism of the Dogra Raj by its own

Senior Minister while shaking the Maharajas autocratic rule also encouraged the

educated Muslim Youth of the Valley to come out for putting up an organized fight

against the policies of the Dogra Raj6. The itch for freedom had become so strong

that the persecuting measures of the rulers' and their policy to launch a

disinformation campaign through their favourities - both Hindus and Muslims - to

vainly prove their rule as the most enlightened one could not succeed in averting it8.

Since the formation of political associations was banned in Kashmir,

the India - returned Muslim educated youth formed what is known as the Reading

Room Party,9 in the garb of which they wanted a platform to bring all the educated

youth together for devising ways and means to fight out the injustice done to the

Muslim community in general and the educated Muslim youth in particular10.

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Reading Room members succeeded in attracting a large number of

educated Muslim youth., consequent upon this a committee was constituted to run the

Reading Room Party on a solid basis. The President and General Secretary of this

committee were M.Rajab and S. M Abdullah respectively. The members of the

Committee included Hakim Ali Peerzada, Ghulam Rasool, Pir Ahmad Shah Fazli,

Hakim Ghulam Murtaza and Mufti Jalal-ud-Din11. In the initial days, the Reading

Room Party focussed its attention to publish the horrifying tale of Kashmiri Muslims1 0through Indian and foreign press .

The Reading Room Party also submitted a memorandum to the

Regency Council headed by Mr. Wakefield13. The Government, took cognizance of

the memorandum and invited the leaders of the Party for discussion14. Though the

Government did nothing substantial to redress the grievances of the educated

Muslims, yet the latter felt encouraged by making their presentation before the

council15. The Government was also impressed by the arguments put forth by the

Reading Room Party members. Wakefield had even expressed it which subsequently

became known to the Muslim leaders16.

The Reading Room Party continued its press campaign against the

policies of the Maharaja with the help of Punjabi Muslim intellectuals and editors17.

The communal attitude of the Maharaja against the Muslim community particularly

in its recruitment policy, which was highlighted through the press by the Reading

Room Party, not only made the latter most popular among the people but also

accelerated the pace of consciousness among the Kashmiri Muslims18.

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The leaders of the Party also organized secret public meetings in which

they exhorted the people to cultivate a spirit of sacrifice without which freedom

would be a distant dream. For example, in one of his speeches, Shaikh, in his attempt

to appeal to the emotions, of his audience said:19

I said that the only alternative to get rid of this deplorable situation is that Muslims shall have to remain ready for any kind of sacrifice. As long as the fear of jail torture and persecution will cultivate cowardliness among the people, till then there is no hope for the redressal of the problems of Kashmiri Muslims. I also said that for test I will offer myself in the first instance and God willing, I shall be ready to face any kind of sacrifice.

To the good fortune of the Reading Room Party, many sensational

developments took place one after another helping it to mobilize masses openly for

which it had been waiting anxiously since its inception. These events were: ban on

Eid Khutba in Jammu on 29th April, 1931,20 Tauhin-i-Quran (disrespect of Quran) in

Jammu21 and ban on Friday prayers in a village of Jammu22 by the supporters of

23Dogra rulers . This created strong resentment and the Muslim leaders did not loose

the chance to cash it for mobilizing the people against the Raj24.

While co-operating with the Young Men’s Muslim Association of

Jammu, the Reading Room Party distributed the posters published by the former,

25exhorting the Muslims to take out processions and to observe hartals . This naturally

incurred the wrath of the Government and a worker of the Party Muhammad Ismail

was arrested26. The arrest created a strong reaction among the masses who had

already grown sentimental because of the Jammu incidents. The Muslim leaders came

27out openly and delivered fierce speeches against the Government . When the

Government failed to persuade the leaders, it let loose its reign of persecution. One of

its victims was S.M.Abdullah who was suspended from Government service28. This

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further increased the popularity of the Shaikh and other leaders of the Reading Room

Party among the masses who too got a sense of sacrifice by these incidents29.

The dismissal of Shaikh and the popularity he gained within Kashmir,

emboldened him further to take up the cause of Kashmiri Muslims. He organized

public meetings in different parts of Srinagar city which used to be attended by

thousands of people30. It may not be out of place to mention here that in this

endeavour, S.M.Abdullah received whole-hearted support from Mirwaiz Yousuf

Shah - the Mirwaiz of the time31.

One such big gathering was on 21 June, 1931 which was organized at

Khanqah-i-Maula. “This gathering” in the words of the Shaikh “should be considered

the formal inauguration of the freedom movement of Kashmir”.32 It was at this

historic gathering that a representative body of the Muslims of Kashmir was elected.

It comprised of seven prominent Muslims of Kashmir - Khawaja Sad-ud-Din Shawl,

Mirwaiz Muhammad Yousuf Shah, Mirwaiz Atiq-Ullah Hamadani, Agha Syed

Hassan Shah Jalali, Khawaja Ghulam Ahmad Ashai, S.M.Abdullah and Shahab-

ud-Din33.

At the end of the Khanqah-i-Maula Meeting, an out-sider, Abdul Qadir,

a butler of a European official delivered an emotional speech against the

Government34. He was arrested by the police the next day and ordered to be tried in

Central Jail. On 13th July, 1931, before the trial started, a large crowd gathered

outside the prison walls. When the Session Judge and other officials arrived, the mob

became uncontrollable and some of the Muslims forced their way into the outer

compound of the jail. The District Magistrate who had also come by this time,

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ordered the arrest of some of the ring leaders of the mob. The arrests highly excited

the crowd who demanded the release of their leaders, and when the demand was not

met, the crowd became restive and threw stones. The Magistrate on duty ordered to

open fire which resulted into the cold-blooded massacre of twenty two Muslims and

35 •scores of demonstrators received bullet injuries . This caused great uproar in the

Valley. One of the unfortunate fall-outs of the 13th July public reaction was the

occurrence of communal riots which further widened the gulf between the Hindus

and the Muslims36.

“Historically and politically” to quote P.N.Bazaz, “ 13 July, 1931, was

the most important day in the annals of contemporary Kashmir. From this day the

struggle for independence and freedom in the most modern sense started openly37”.

The incident of 13 th July shook the whole State including the administration. It

unnerved the Maharaja38. The arrest of the Muslim representatives soon after the jail

incident added fuel to the fire; wild excitement held the people in its grip. 13 July,

1931, saw the beginning of the gigantic force of mass movement39.

The publication of the 13 July news in the Lahore Muslim press sent a

wave of indignation all over Muslim India resulting in protest meetings and

processions in almost every city, town and important village, expressing sympathy

and solidarity with the Muslims of Kashmir and calling upon the British Government

to dispose off Hari Singh and take the State under its direct administration. Press

Statements were issued by all prominent Muslim leaders condemning the outrage and

40assuring Kashmiri Muslims of their full support .

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In order to coordinate these activities in various parts of India, M irz:

Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad, Amir of the Jamat-i-Ahmadiya taking initiative

convened a meeting of some leading Muslims at Simla on 25th July, 1931 to consider

the situation41. It was in this historic meeting that the foundation of All India Kashmir

Committee was laid which later on played a dynamic role in Kashmir politics42.

In response to the call given by the Kashmir Committee Kashmir Day

was celebrated both within and outside the Valley on August 14, 1931. On this day,

complete hartal was observed in the Valley and a procession was held at Martyrs,

Graveyard in Srinagar which was attended by thousands of men, women and

children43. S.M.Abdullah in his address paid tributes to the martyrs of 13th July and

directed the masses to follow their path with patience and courage. He started his

lecture with the following verses:44

O ye heavens, thy commotion had only,

Deprived the dead nation o f its body and soul,

O ye ancient heavens, those whom we fed with our heart, blood,

Have only been dissolved into a river o f blood,

The multi-coloured flowers o f this beautiful garden o f Kashmir,

Have been buried unnoticed and ruthlessly,

The wives o f paragon Muslims hcn>e been molested,

The enemies o f Islam have set in motion a storm.

When the Government, failed to check the growing wave of resentment,

it sought the support of Punjabi Muslims for the restoration of peace in the Valley. It

was at the request of Kashmir Darbar that Syed Mehar Shah, a prominent Punjabi

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Muslim came to Kashmir and it was due to his efforts that an accord was signed

between the Government and Muslim representatives45. The accord and the

consequent truce was used by the Muslim leaders to strengthen the roots of the

movement among the masses as they under-took extensive tours of the Valley during

this period46.

Soon after signing the accord, pro-Dogra elements launched a

disinformation movement against the Muslim representatives that they had been

purchased by the Government. The propaganda definitely bore fruit as it created

tremendous resentment among the people47, which, besides other things, speaks, in

unmistakable terms of the consciousness that had developed at the gross-root level, so

much so, that the Muslim leaders became obliged to convene a public meeting at

Jamai Masjid on 29th August, 1931, to convince the people about their pro-people

unshakable stand48. After a few days S.M.Abdullah alongwith Khawaja Sad-ud-Din

Shawl and Khawaja Ghulam Ahamad Ashai visited Baramullah, Sopore and

Islamabad. During these tours, peace committees were framed which later on helped

in launching an organized struggle49.

It was during this period that the preparations for the annual session of

Anjuman-i-Nusrat-ul-Islam were being made and S.M.Abdullah took upon himself

the task of collecting funds from the people for this purpose50. In the garb of raising

funds the Shaikh organised public meetings in which he criticized the policies of the

State to sustain the political consciousness of the Kashmiri Muslims. In reaction to

this S.M.Abdullah was again arrested on 21 December, 193151. The arrest of the

Shaikh (who had by now become a popular leader of the Muslim masses) evoked

widespread resentment among the people of the Valley. Processions were taken out

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and hartals observed in every nook and comer of Kashmir . In order to maintain the

spirit of the movement, a war council was formed under the Dictatorship of Mufti

* 53 • •Jalal-ud-Din . However, no sooner did the public gathering which elected the war

council came out of Khanqah Maula, than Mufti Jalal-ud-Din was arrested and the

public was fired upon, which resulted in four deaths of innocent Muslims. In reaction

to this, people took to the streets at Gaw Kadal and Basant Bagh. They too were fired

upon by the Dogra army causing eight causalties. The reactions to the atrocities

committed by the Dogra army were felt far and wide in the Valley. Public

demonstrations were held at different places and sadly enough the mob was charged

with fire at Islamabad and Shopian54.

The open revolt of the people continued unabated though no stone was

left unturned by the Government to suppress it. Maulvi Yousuf Shah, the Mirwaiz of

Kashmir, gave a call for Jehad which evoked a tremendous response. The people

came out with axes, swords, daggers, and as a matter of fact with whatever tools

that were available to them in their respective homes. The ‘armed’ demonstrators

assembled at Khanyar55. The mood of the people unnerved the Government. Good

sense prevailed upon the Government when it restrained its forces from taking any

action against the demonstrators which would have otherwise resulted in mass

massacre56.

Viewing the mass support which the Kashmiri Muslim leadership

enjoyed beyond their expectations, it was considered timely to launch the movement

in a systematic way by establishing a political organization for the purpose. The

57Kashmiri Muslim leaders consulted the Jammu leaders as well as the leaders of the

Kashmir Committee who assured their full cooperation in this regard58. Immediately

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a sub-committee of Muslim leaders was constituted to frame the draft of the

constitution of the proposed organization59. For its ratification, a convention of

Muslim leaders was convened at Pather Masjid, Srinagar from 14 to 16 October,

1932. The convention, while ratifying the draft constitution, also suggested and

approved the name of All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference for the new

organization60. Thus in the words of Waliullah Zain-ul-Abidin:61

The Kashmiris who were considered a dead nation for three centuries have risen again and are today a living nation. During the last year, they have offered great sacrifices in their struggle for people’s demands. The whole world is amazed to see that a nation which had fallen in the cave of slumber for centuries and the nation which was considered uncivilized has again obtained its place in the community of nations. Today, the hoisting of the green flag with crescent opens a new chapter in the history of Kashmir. As such, it is the duty of the Kashmiris to see that it remains hoisted always. This flag of the conference is the harbinger of love, peace and brotherhood among all the communities living in the State and it is the guarantor of peace, progress and happiness for all subjects of the Maharaja.

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R E F E R E N C E S

I. For instance, the peasantry refused to pay the heavy tax and to cultivate theland. For further details, see Lawrence, Valley o f Kashmir, pp. 404- 420.

1 JKA, File No. 68/ 102-C of 192.

?. Ghulam Hassan Khan, Freedom Movement in Kashmir (1931-1940), p. 159.

4. See Chapter - 1, sub heading Nature o f the State.

5. S.M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, p. 45.

6. Ibid. p. 46.

For persecuting measures see S.M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, p. 97.

S. In this context, the rejoinder published on behalf of Agha Sayed Hussain,General Sumander Khan, Col. Ghulam Ali Shah and Mirza Ghulam Mustafa to disapprove of the realities about Kashmir Government, expressed by Sir Albion Banerji before the press conference at Lahore on 15th March, 1929 is worth mentioning; see Atash-i-Chinar, pp. 45-46.

9. Bazaz, The History o f Struggle for Freedom in Kashmir, p. 148; Dastawaizat,p. 10; Atash-i-Chinar, p. 48.

10. “In fact, the establishment of the Reading Room Parly' was an excuse. The basic purpose was that under its garb we could get together and an opportunity of discussing different matters would emerge. This did happen and we held discussions on the problems of government services and the conditions prevailing in the country. We would burst into tears while thinking over the conditions prevailing in Kashmir”, see S.M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, p. 48.

II. Ibid. p. 48.

12. Ibid. p. 57.

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13. Ibid. p. 51.

14. Ibid. p. 52.

15. Ibid. p. 45-46.

16. Ibid. p. 54.

17. Ibid. pp. 57-58

18. Ibid. pp. 58-59.

19. Ibid. pp. 62.

20. On April 29, 1931, when the Muslims were busy in a prayer meeting on the Eid-Day, a sub-inspector of police Babu Khem Chand, tried to stop the Imam from reading out the Khutba. The sub-inspector warned the Imam that he should stop delivering a political speech. The Sub-Inspector’s behaviour was taken as an affront by the Muslims and a hue and cry was raised throughout the State against the incident. The Kashmiri Musalman, Lahore, weekly, May10, 1931; P.N.Bazaz, The Histoiy o f Struggle For Freedom in Kashmir, p. 152; S.M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, p. 67.

21. It so happened that on the morning of July 4, 1934 at an hour when accordingto the standing orders all bedding should have been rolled up and put away bythe constables of the jail guards at the Central Jail, Jammu, a Muslim constable. Fazeldin was found sitting on his bedding, reading the holy Quran. The Head constable, Lakha Ram, remonstrated with him about rolling up his bedding. When he threw the bedding on his box, the Punjsura fell upon the ground. The Indian Nation, Patna, July, 4,1931; S. M. Abdullah, Atash-i- Chinar, pp. 67-68.

22. Another incident occurred at Dogre in Sambha Tehsil about 15 miles from Jammu. A water tank there, was jointly used by Hindu Brahmins and the Muslim weavers. In order to offer their Eid-prayrs, the Muslims began to draw water from the tank, as had been their practice earlier for performing the ablutions. When the Hindus saw the Muslims using the water, they came out

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of their houses with sticks in their hands to prevent the Muslims from doingso. The police on duty intervened, and made enquiries into “the previouspractice, finding that all Muslims used to perform their ablutions at the tank”. G. R. Raghavan. The Warning in Kashmir, Op. Cit; p. 72.

23. S.M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, p. 68.

24. P.N.Bazaz, The History o f Struggle fo r Freedom in Kashmir, P. 152; S. M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, pp. 68-72.

25. S.M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, p 68.

26. Ibid.

27. Ibid. pp. 69-72.

28. Ibid. pp. 77.

29. It was during these days that the daily Inqilab published from Lahore attached the name of Sher-i-Kashmir with S. M. Abdullah, Ibid. pp. 77-78.

30. S.M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, p. 77.

31. S.M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, p.71.

32. Ibid. p 82

33. P.N.Bazaz, The History o f Struggle fo r Freedom in Kashmir, p. 152; Taseer, Vol. I p. 95; S. M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, p.84.

34. P.N.Bazaz, The History o f Struggle fo r Freedom in Kashmir, pp. 152-153; S.M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, pp. 84-85.

35. P.N.Bazaz, The History o f Struggle fo r Freedom in Kashmir, p. 153; S. M. Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, p. 89.

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36. S.M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, p. 9292; P.N.Bazaz, The History o f Struggle fo r Freedom in Kashmir, p. 154.

37. P.N.Bazaz, The History o f Struggle fo r Freedom in Kashmir, p. 154.

38. Ibid. p. 155.

39. Ibid.

40. See Chapter - I, sub-heading External Support.

41. P.N.Bazaz, The History o f Struggle fo r Freedom in Kashmir, p. 156; S.M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, p. 102; Taseer, Tahrik-i-Hurriyat-i-Kashmir, Vol. I, pp. 141-42.

About seven thousand to eight thousand protest telegrams were sent to the Maharaja by Muslim individuals and organizations from all over India. Thousands of telegrams were also addressed to the Viceroy urging him for immediate intervention, Inqilab, Lahore, 23 August, 1931.

42. See Chapter - 1, sub-heading External Support.

43. Ibid.

44. Taseer, Tahrik-i-Hurriyat-i-Kashmir, Vol. I, p. 142.

45. S.M.Abdullah, Atash-i-Chinar, pp. 104-05; P.N.Bazaz, The History o fStruggle fo r Freedom in Kashmir, p. 156.

46. S.M.Abdullah, Op. Cit; pp. 105-107

47. S.M.Abdullah, Op. Cit; p 108.

48. Ibid. p. 110.

To undo the propaganda launched by the pro-Dogra elements for eroding the image of the leaders who signed the accord, Shaikh Abdullah said in the

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meeting, “was it not a victory for them (Muslim representatives) that an autocratic government came down to sign an accord with the Muslim representatives”.

49. Ibid. p. 110.

50. Ibid. p. 111.

51. Ibid. p. 112.

52. Ibid.

53. Ibid.

54. Ibid. pp. 113-114.

55. Ibid. pp. 115-116.

56. Ibid. p. 116.

57. Ibid. p. 156.

58. Taseer, Op. Cit; Vol. I, pp. 245-246.

59. S.M.Abdullah, Op. Cit; p. 156; Taseer, Op. Cit; Vol. I, pp. 245-246.

60. S.M.Abdullah, Op. Cit; p. 157, Saraf, Op. Cit; p. 482; Bazaz, Inside Kashmir, p. 183.

61. Speech of Wali Ullah Zain-ul-Abidin, a Punjabi Muslim leader, on the flaghoisting ceremony of Muslim Conference, at Srinagar, dated October 15,1932.

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