"I think less about....Page 4 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2019 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine Significance of Daily...Page 3 MIRPUR MAHYHEM

C P Gupta 25th November, every year, sprinkles salt on the ever-bleeding wounds of the living generation of Mirpur as on this very day in the year 1947, more than 18000 unarmed citizens of Mirpur which included men, women and innocent children, were brutally An aerial view of Mirpur City killed unprecedentedly by the Pakistani raiders in their houses to give a clear indication that the citizens of Mirpur were ready serious injured persons. Ultimately, in the depleting evening, the Nature had to fight with the Pakistani raiders. This was followed by a number of air shots to display through the darkness that grave yard was full and no more entry of grave violation of International Human Rights from the pickets of Mirpur city. Having dry reply from our side, the Pakistan any dead body was possible. That brought the temporary stay in the day atroc- Regulations. The only fault of the Mirpuris was that Government made a secret agreement with the Pathan mercenaries to launch ity. a joint attack on Mirpur. This agreement was known as "Zen and Zar Agree- This was not the end of misery of the people of Mirpur. At night of the same they had unitedly decided not to bow before the ment " according to which they mutually agreed that after occupying the city day at about 12 P.M. an ill-fated group of about 2,000 captured persons, was Pakistani raiders and ultimately they fought with of Mirpur forcibly, the cash ,property and land would be the share of Pakistan brought at a place known as"Kas Gumma" a colony of retired Muslim army and the captured women would be taken by the Pathan mercenaries. soldiers. The enemy encircled the captives and asked them to surrender all them to protect the territory of Mirpur their Birth At the mid night of 24th November, 1947 under the thick cover of fully the cash and gold items which they had with them. Thereafter, the male per- Place till they had the last bullet to fight with them. armed artillery, the Pakistani raiders pounced upon the city of Mirpur by sons were asked to remove their clothes and lie down in a row. There was no shelling and bursting of grenades which are normally used during an openly option for them but to follow their instructions blindly. Thereafter they were The trouble started when on 15th August, 1947 got independence declared war .This was a sudden major attack on the southern side of the city tortured and killed brutallyin batches during the night. The women and girls from the undemocratically forced British Rule and the country was divided which was spiritedly resisted by the depleting garrison force. Although the city were taken to unknown places by the Pathans as per the said "Zen and Zar into two Dominions namely India and Pakistan. Mirpur the erstwhile District pickets held tough resistance, the enemy came in wave after wave and after Agreement with the Pakistan Government. Next day, the enemy drove anoth- of and State fell on the border line between the said two six hours of ceaseless fighting the defense line of the city was run over by sev- er group of about 2000 persons and brought them to another village known Dominions. On 27th October, 1947 Maharaja the then Ruler of the en Pathans. Alarmed by the most critical situation, the Flying Death Squads as "Thithal". They also met the same treatment as at' Kas Gumma ' during Jammu and Kashmir State, in accordance with the terms and conditions of of the city youths engaged themselves madly in hand to hand fight with the day-light. Finally there was a massacre at Aibeg where about 4,000 captives the Independence Act acceded to India by virtue of which the State of Jam- infiltrators and killed all the seven Pathans at the cost of many young men of were huddled up in an old deserted and unhygienic ruined Gurdwara build- mu and Kashmir became an integral part of India. This could not be digest- Mirpur Community. Though the people of Mirpur displayed tremendous grit ing . In the beginning, about 50 to 100 young men were daily taken on pick ed by the Pakistan and decided to occupy the territory of District Mirpur by and tenacity but the end seemed gloomy and dreadful because the operation and choose basis to kill them in the open fields. Besides, on average basis about force in illegal manner. Accordingly, as a first step, the Pakistan Government brought the city stock of ammunition to nearly zero level. Further due to anoth- 15 to 20 aged captives died every day due to sever cold weather condition, star- in the first week of November , 1947 somehow managed to send a bag of er irony of fate, the old modeled 'Wireless Set 'installed in Police Camp at Mir- vation, illness and mental shock. Out of the total population of 25,000 of Mir- pamphlets written in Urdu to the people of Mirpur in which it was written pur went technically out of order which led to disruption in the Radio link pur city, luckily or unluckily a group of about 3000 persons which included that Mirpur city was established by two saints namely Mir ( A Muslim Moul- with the State Police Headquarters at Jammu and the Government of India the author also, could find right way and after walking on bare feet for seven vi ) and Puri ( A Hindu Prohit ) which indicated Hindu -Muslim Unity on the (Delhi ). Despite war like situation created by the Pakistan , the then Gov- days and nights without food and water, reached Jammu in a very miserable basis of which the two communities and Muslims lived in Mirpur city ernment of India due to political rivalry between the then Prime Minister of condition which too is very difficult to be explained in words even now. for centuries like the two sons of the same father and lived peacefully like a India and the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir State, did not send army, In the middle January, 1948, a team of ICRS (International Committee of joint family. They further indicated that the Pakistan Government would give though at that time the Indian Army was stationed at Jhangar which was at a Red Cross) arrived there and took charge of the Alibeg camp and supplied special status to the Hindus of Mirpur if they allow the Pakistan to estab- distance of only a few miles from Mirpur. much needed food and medicines to the captives . On March 18, 1948 they lish their Army pickets in the city of Mirpur amicably .For this, they suggest- In that critical situation, the State Administration headed by Wazir Wazarat managed to get the captives liberated in exchange of the same number of Mus- ed that the citizens of Mirpur as a gesture of goodwill should fly white flags of Mirpur decided clandestinely to retreat to Jammu by riding on their hors- lims who were in India and willing to go to Pakistan. These liberated captives on their houses in the city to indicate that the citizens of Mirpur agree to the es, leaving behind the hapless civil population of the city to face the wrath of were not more than 1600 as the rest were either killed, died or kidnapped. The proposal of Pakistan. the marauders. Immediately after the departure of the State Administration liberated persons were mostly aged and even unable to walk. They reached To think over the said proposal of the Government of Pakistan, the senior from the city, a fully armed Battalion of the Pakistan army assisted by Pathan Amritsar (Punjab) where they were given warm reception by their relatives citizens of Mirpur which included old and elite people of the Mirpur city, held raiders, at the stroke of 8.30 A.M. entered the city from all sides and by cre- and general public. a meeting in which it was out rightly and unanimously decided that what may ating the terrible sounds from the war instruments pushed the city popula- In the memory of Mirpur Martyrs of 1947 a Shaheedi Samark was con- come they would not bow to the Pakistani raiders and they would protect the tion into one corner of the city. The terrified men, women and children in utter structed by the Government in front of the main gate of the Government Med- territory of Mirpur(their birth place ) even at the cost of their lives and would chaos and confusion in the midst of heavy firing from all the sides and in chok- ical College at Maheshpura Chowk Bakshinagar , Jammu. On 25th November fight tooth and nail and they would not surrender themselves to raiders at any ing atmosphere due to smoke coming out of the burning houses of the city every year, thousand of Mirpuris residing in Jammu city and its peripheral cost. The citizens of Mirpur even knew that the fighting ammunition which scattered and marched in different groups in different directions without was available at that time with the police force stationed at Mirpur, by Mahara- knowing where they were going . They were intercepted by the enemy at var- colonies assemble there and pay rich floral tributes to the martyrs of Mirpur ja Hari Singh, was very meager but we were confident that the Government ious places and like hungry wolves they unleashed terror and brutal savagery who sacrificed their lives for their Mother land due to which the State of Jam- of India would come to our rescue and send their army along with fighting which made the whole area an open grave yard of dead bodies and where many mu and Kashmir has remained an integral part of India. Like the last seven- ammunition well in time .Accordingly, it was decided that a befitting reply be uncounted serious wounded and uncared persons were battling for life in the ty one years A Big Ceremonial Salute is due to Martyrs of Mirpur on Monday conveyed to the Pakistani raiders. Thus in the evening of that very day , the whirl pools of their own blood. By the time of Sun- set the whole area from the 25th Novemb er , 2019. citizens of Mirpur instead of white flags showed Red Flags from the top of Mirpur city to the hill-foot was fully covered with dead bodies and critically (The author Dy. Secretary (Rtd.) is the eye witness of the episode) PARIHASPUR - the forgotten capital of Kashmir Vinod Kumar attacked India many times but everytime he himself led his forces from the front. He fought many battles and In the year 2014 city of Kashmir saved India from the invasions of Arabs and Tibetians valley witnessed devastating floods. In many times during his reign. But unfortunately this earlier times too this city was facing frequent great warrior has been ignored by the historians of India. floods resulting in loss of lives and property. Lalitaditiya Muktapida can be called as builder of Then in 8th century AD, Lalitaditiya Muktapida, the Kashmir. Apart from Parihaspur he established many greatest ever Emperor of Kashmir region, decided to cities and towns in Kashmir region. These include shift his capital from Srinagar to a new safer place. He , Sunishchitpura, Darpitpura, Phalapura, founded a new Capital of Kashmir on a plateau above Parnotsa (present day Poonchh), Lokapunya (present river Vitasta about 22kms away from Srinagar. He day Lokbhavan), Lethpora, Chakrapur, etc. He built named this city as Parihaspur (a word meaning many & shrines. These include Parihaspur the City of Laughs or Smiling City). Temples, Sharda Peeth (now in P.O.K.), Martand Sun The Karewas of Parihaspur are situated near the , Kootihar Temples, Wangath Temples, Ushkur, road. They were chosen by King Lalitaditya Lokbhawan, Buniyar Temples, etc. Kalhana states that for the erection of a new capital city. Given a sufficient Lalitaditya constructed a shrine in every town, village, supply of drinking water, the high and dry Plateaus of river, sea and island. His wives, ministers and atten- Parihasapur have every advantage over the low, swampy dants dedicated hundreds of images in these temples. In Srinagar as a building site. these shrines the idols of deities were made of gold and Lalitaditya is believed to be a descendant of the mythi- silver. He also channelized water of Vitasta to many vil- cal Naga King of Kashmir named as Karkotaka. lages through waterwheels. He constructed many roads, Lalitaditiya ruled Kashmir from 724 to 760 A.D. He was bridges, water wells, water storage tanks, irrigation the most powerful ruler of Kashmir region in the Indian canals and flood channels, etc. subcontinent. He built his residence and four temples at The Jhelum River is to the northeast of Parihaspur Parihaspur. In one temple of Muktakeshva 84,000 tolas as it meets the Sindh Nallah at Shadipur Sangam. In the of gold were used to make the idol of Lord . In past this confluence of the rivers occurred closer to another temple the same quantity of silver was used to Parihaspur. The change in the course of the river is not make the idol of Parihaskesana. The main temple was natural but was engineered by famous Engineer Soya much larger than the Martand . He also made Pandit during Raja Avantiverman's time (855-883 AD). a statue of Lord Buddha in copper that was high upto the With the river access gone, the city of Parihaspur suf- sky. It was visible even from Srinagar city. It is claimed by fered greatly. Parihaspur lost its status as a capital after the historians that there was a relic of Lord in the Lalitaditya's death. His son Kuvalayapida moved the blow to the temples came when Sultan Sikandar M.A.Stein approached the British Govt. at that time for temple of the Lord at Parihaspur Complex. Perhaps the royal residence to his dynasty's traditional capital at (Sikander-i-Butshikan) destroyed them completely in help. He was able to convince the Dogra king to stop arrangement to construct both Hindu and Budhist tem- Srinagar. The real destruction occurred when the fourteenth century. further desecration of the historic temple ruins. ples was intentional, to avoid possible friction between Avantiverman's son Shankarverman moved his capital Parihaspur is now in ruins with huge piles of stones. By visiting Parihaspur one can imagine the might of the two powerful religious faiths at that time. to the new city of Shankarpur (). According to That is why it is now called as ' Kanishehar ' (the city of Lalitaditiya Muktapida, the greatest ever ruler of Lalitaditiya was such a powerful ruler of Kashmir Kalhan Pandit, the legendary historian of Kashmir, stones). From the size of foundations, plinths, pedestals Kashmir region. But unfortunately he remained an region that he extended his territory upto Karnataka by Shankarverman cannibalized all the good material from and stones one can imagine how huge the structures unsung hero in our textbooks of history. He fought defeating the Central Indian King Yeshoverman. He is these temples and palaces. He shifted the stones of would have been in 8th century A.D. Some of the finest many battles and saved India from foreign invasions also called as Alexander of India. His conquered many Parihaspur in boats to build his city of Shankarpur examples of the carved figures of seated and standing many times during his reign. But unfortunately this new territories during his reign. He kingdom touched (Pattan). Parihaspur however survived the pillage atlantes have been taken to SPS Museum Srinagar. great warrior has been ignored by the historians of the banks of river Kauvery in South India and had con- because during the war between King Harsha and M.A.Stein first visited the place in 1892. According to India. Parihaspur is now the forgotten capital of trol upto Bengal. Ladakh and part of Tibet were under Uccala (1089-1101 AD), Uccala took refuge in him the village Gurdan near Parihaspur comes from Kashmir. It is painful to see that this great place has been his control. His empire included major parts of India Parihaspur. King Harsha believing that Uccala was in Govardhana. Govardhanadhara is one of the names of ignored by the historians of India. There is immediate (such as Punjab, Haryana, UP, etc.) as well as some one of the buildings, he set the place on fire. The fire God Vishnu. It is also said that during Dogra rule, need to protect and revive this heritage site of tremen- parts of present day Afghanistan and Central Asia. broke and melted down the statues of Parihaspur. That Maharaja of Kashmir was building the Jhelum Cart dous religious and historical importance. is why the stones look as burnt stones today. The final During the period of Lalitaditiya, Arabs and Tibetians road by using the Parihaspur ruins as road material. (The author is an engineer)