A predictable ...... Page 4 SUNDAY, MARCH 05, 2017 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine Women in Armed ....Page 2 Bloodbath at Mirpur headed by Wazir Wazarat "Agreement with the Pakistan Government. Next day, the of Mirpur decided clan- enemy drove another group of about 2000 persons and destinely to retreat to brought them at a village known as "Thathal". They also Jammu leaving behind the met the same brutal treatment as at "Kas Guma"during hapless civil population of the day. Finally there was a massacre at Alibeg where, the city to face the wrath of about 5,000 captives were huddled up in an old deserted the marauders . In fact, at and unhygienic ruined Gurdwara building. In the begin- that time it was the moral ning about 50 to 100 young men were daily taken on pick duty of the State and choose basis to kill them in the open fields. Besides, Administration to ask the on average basis about 15 to 20 aged captives died every citizens of Mirpur to day due to severe cold weather condition, starvation, ill- vacate the city and march ness and mental shock. towards Jammu under On December 1, a young Muslim Attorney named their protection but con- Mohammad Ibrahim being very soft in tongue and well trary to it, the Wazir known to many Hindu Officers of Mirpur, visited the Wazarat and his Police Alibeg prison and showed his lip sympathy to the intelli- Officers galloped their gentsia who were brought there as captives and also shed horses and left the city in his crocodile tears on their pitiable condition and assured the wee hours on them that he would do his best to talk with the concerned November 25, even leav- authorities of the Government of Pakistan to get them ing behind their own employed in the factories on daily wage basis till they wounded soldiers who were at Alibeg camp as captives. He distributed Muslim were crying in pain of their caps and mufflers to some of them as a token of friend- wounds in the Police Line ship, but those gestures were in fact subtle signals and Hospital. This coward indications to the Pakistani soldiers to kill those persons departure of the State first. The next morning, the enemy soldiers drove a group Administration from of educated people of the prison on the pretext that they C P Gupta ten that Pakistan Government would assign a special sta- Mirpur city, gave a jubilant signal to the enemy. At that would be taken back in the evening with earning after uti- tus to Mirpur in Pakistan Government if the citizens of time, the whole population of the city of Mirpur felt them- lizing their services in the factories during the day. Those What a terrible and heart rending scene Mirpur amicably surrender themselves and allow the selves as hanging breathlessly in between the tight jaws of wearing caps and mufflers proudly occupied the front line it was! which the author witnessed at the Pakistan army to occupy the territory of Mirpur without the enemy which was very eager to swallow the flesh and to get priority in getting job in the factories but they never any hindrance. The literate and the elderly persons of the even the bones of the people of Mirpur who had refused came back as they all were slaughtered on the bank of age of sixteen, when Pakistan with its city met in the evening and decided out rightly to reject out rightly to give shelter to the Pakistani soldiers in the Jhelum canal. fully armed Battalion, like a hungry wolf, the proposal of the Pakistan Government and the refusal city of Mirpur. In the mid January, 1948 a team of ICRC was conveyed through the shower of bullets from each Immediately after the departure of the State (International Committee of Red Cross) arrived there and pounced upon the innocent and unarmed defense picket of the city. This brought a terrible attack on Administration from the city a fully armed Battalion of the took charge of the camp and supplied the needed food population of Mirpur city now in P.O.K. Mirpur from the enemy. Pakistan army assisted by Pathan raiders entered the city and medicines to the captives. On March 18, they man- The small and ill equipped state Police force stationed from all the sides at the stroke of 8.30 A.M. and by creat- aged to get the captives liberated in exchange of the same when out of the total population of at that time at Mirpur was fully assisted by the young civil ing terrible sounds from the war instruments, pushed the number of Muslims who were in India and willing to go to 25,000 souls including men, women and population of the city. At the midnight of November 24, city population into one corner of the city. The terrified Pakistan. The liberated captives, at that time, were not 1947, under a thick cover of artillery shelling and bursting men, women and children in utter chaos and confusion in more than about 1600 as the rest were either killed/died children of tender ages, more than of grenades which are normally used during an openly the midst of heavy firing from all the sides and in choking or kidnapped. The liberated persons were mostly aged 18,000 persons were brutally killed in declared war, the Pakistan army launched a major attack atmosphere due to smoke coming out of the burning hous- and even unable to walk. They reached Amritsar where on the southern side of the city, which was spiritedly es of the city, scattered and marched in caravan in differ- they were given a tearful and touching reception by their three days Carnage on 25, 26th and 27th resisted by the depleting garrison force for six hours. ent directions without knowing where they were going. relatives and the general public. November, 1947. Although the pickets held tough resistance, the enemy They were intercepted by the enemy at various places and In the memory of Mirpur Martyrs of 1947, a Shaheedi came in wave after wave and after six hours of ceaseless like hungry wolves they unleashed terror and brutal sav- Samark has been constructed by the Government of The only fault of the people of Mirpur, was that they fighting, the defense line of the city was run over by seven agery which made the whole area an open grave yard of Jammu and Kashmir at a conspicuous place in front of had unitedly vowed to protect Mirpur their birth land, pathans. Alarmed by the most critical situation, the dead bodies and many uncounted seriously wounded the main entry gate of the Government Medical College at from the Pakistani raiders even at the cost of their own Flying Death Squads of the city engaged themselves uncared persons were battling for life in the whirl pool of Mahespura Chowk Bakshinagar Jammu. The Jammu lives. madly in hand to hand fight with the infiltrators and their own blood. By the time of sunset, the whole area Development Authority dedicated the said Samark to The trouble started when on 26th October, 1947 the killed all the seven pathans at the cost of life of many from Mirpur city to a hill-foot was fully covered with dead Mirpur Community which was unveiled by Miss Sushma Maharaja Hari Singh the then Ruler of Jammu and young men of the Mirpur community. Though the people bodies and critically injured persons. Ultimately, in the Choudhary I.A.S. the then Financial Commissioner on Kashmir State ,signed the Instrument of Accession after of Mirpur displayed tremendous grit and tenacity but the depleting evening, the Nature by force had to display a sig- 25th November, 1998.The said Samark is also the starting which the State of Jammu and Kashmir became an inte- end seemed gloomy and dreadful because that operation nal through the darkness that the grave yard was full and point of "Mirpur Road" which was named so, on the same gral part of India. This could not be digested by the brought the city stock of ammunition to nearly zero level. no more entry of any dead body was possible. That day viz 25th November, 1998 to pay tributes to the mar- Pakistan Government. They planned a nefarious design in Further, due to the irony of fate, the old modeled wireless brought the temporary stay in the day atrocity. tyrs of Mirpur, under the patronage of late S. Harsajan connivance with the Pathans. This led to a secret agree- set installed in the police camp at Mirpur suddenly devel- This was not the end of the misery of the people of Singh who at that time, was the Chairman of the ment between Pakistan Government and Pathan merce- oped some technical defect and went out of order which Mirpur. At night of the same day an ill-fated group of Legislative Council of the Jammu and Kashmir State. naries according to which if Mirpur city was forcibly occu- led to disruption in radio link with the State Police about 2,000 captured persons was brought at a place On 25th November every year, thousands of Mirpuris pied, the captured women would be taken by the Pathans Headquarters at Jammu and Government of India. known as "Kas Guma" a colony of retired Muslim sol- residing in Jammu city and its peripheral colonies, march and the immovable land of Mirpur and movable property Despite war like situation created by Pakistan, the diers. The enemy encircled the captives and asked them in Prabhat Pheries coming from different Sectors of viz gold, cash etc. would be the share of Pakistan Government of India due to political rivalry between the to surrender all the cash and jewellery which they had Jammu city and all assemble at the said MIRPUR SHA- Government. This was named as Zan and Zar Agreement. then Prime Minister of India and the Maharaja of Jammu with them. Thereafter, the male persons were asked to HEEDI SMARAK to pay jointly, the rich tributes to the Before conducting the army attack, the Pakistan and Kashmir State, did not send army though at that time remove their clothes and lie down in a row. They were tor- Martyrs of Mirpur who sacrificed their lives for the sake Government in the first week of November 1947 managed the Indian army was stationed at Jhanghar which was at tured brutally and killed in batches during the whole of their mother land as a result of which the Jammu and in secret manner, to send a bag of Pamphlets written in a distance of only 20 miles from Mirpur. night. The women and girls were taken to unknown Kashmir State remained an integral part of India. Urdu language, in the city of Mirpur , in which it was writ- In that critical situation, the State Administration places by the Pathans as per their "Zen and Zar (The author is retired Deputy Secretary J&K Govt) Footprints of History in Jammu region Prof (Dr) P K Koul Human feet are the symbols of human movement, of life, advancement from the hoary past to the wonderful present, achievements, progress and learning. We try to follow the lifestyle and achievements of those greatmen who had lived ahead of us. We try to copy them and get inspiration from their lifestyle. A sence of respect and admiration is generated in our mind which makes us to bow before them. All greatmen, the world over, have struggled hard, in their life times, to follow the path of progress, goodness and humanity. We follow them on their path and foot prints to acquire similar results that they had achieved. And thus, foot prints, the symbols of one’s journey and progress of a celebrity become the objects of respect and reverence for oth- ers. Lord Rama’s younger brother, Bharat carried Rama’s wooden sleepers (Charan Paduka) on his head, placed them on the throne of Ayodhya and ruled in his name for 14 years. Such is the respect for those foot prints in the common man, for the greatness of the great souls. The reasons for this devo- tion of people for footprints is thus simple to understand. The journey of life, like the journey to a station or destination has always Photo Excelsior/Kumar Photo Excelsior/Tikak Raj been covered on foot and therefore, glorified, praised and symbolised with life. There is hardly any life without movement, without journey or foot. All Unknown Footprints at Devika Footprints of Bhim at Gupt Ganga the greatmen have worked for the goodness of humanity, and therefore their life journey symbols, their footprints have also been compared and symbol- The ancient most and historic footprint, of one, literate shephard (Gop seen at the sites of Veni Sangam, Gauri Kund and Sudh Mahadev Shrine. The ised with the goodness, beauty, charm and fragrance that of a flower, espe- Pasha) is found from the ancient cave temple (Buddhist) of Gupt Ganga on footprints from this region need to be properly evaluated. cially of Lotus. In Indian literature and carvings, we find extensive use of this the bank of river Neeru, in Bhadarwah. This carved footprint on the cave roof, Next comes the footprints relics, available from the rich archaeological site along with a carved cistern on the floor, also carries a few letters in Brahmi comparison of feet of greatmen with Lotus flower, as in Padkamal, Charan of Devika stream, bowlis, temple site near Udhampur town itself. Here we script on the roof top, which reads “Gop Pash Dev Dham Yam Ketu’’ indicat- Kamal, Pad Pankaj Padambuj etc mentioned in Puranic literature, devotion- come across a finely carved footprint slab of some important celebrity of his ing thereby the visited place, was a religious place as well as a crematory, al prayers, rock and slab carvings, cave roofings, temple floorings at various times un-identified so far. Devika near Udhampur town is an important site which it is even today after some 1500 years. The Brahmi script of the site is religious or historic places and hermitages. These can be seen throughout of rich antiquity of Jammu of an unspecified period, and has many statues of 4th-5th century A.D, and thus this carved footprint in Jammu region is Indian subcontinent, right from ancient times to the present day and includes perhaps the oldest one found in the region. and icons of traditional and local deities which need technical and specialised foot print traditions of Jains, Buddhists, Shavites, Vaishanavites and Shakti Next mention can be made of the ancient region of Sudhmahadev, from attention and protection. But the negative side of the preservation effort is traditions, as also of smaller local or regional deities. where footprint marks have been reported from some places, Buddi Sudhi etc that some very enthusiatic persons with, political, religious and casteist affil- In Indian tradition, the reverence to and worship of footprints, goes back Sudh Mahadev Shrine in Chenani tehsil is an ancient as Gupt Ganga of iation do a great harm to this great regional heritage by interfering with it, in to much earlier times than Christian era (B.C) We have the carved footprint Bhadarwah, of 4th-5th century A.D, with an eight mettled alloy (Ashat their own ignorant and non technical way, by painting and cementing them marks on slabs and rocks, at various places in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Dhatu) Trishul (Trident), carrying carving in Brahmi letters of 4th, 5th cen- and placing them at the wrong places or in an unscientific way. Karnataka. Lord Buddha’s footprints are worshiped in ceylon monastry, tury AD. The trident is said to have been offered by a king of Padamavati Another carved footprint slab has recently been acquired by State Archives (Perhaps Anuradhapuram), Nagarajun Konda Monastry, and in Bihar and (Gwalior) indicative of the sacredness of the place as Shiva’s abode as early as Department Jammu from somewhere in Pancheri block of Udhampur Distt many other places of Buddhist World. In Indian devotional and Bhakti liter- 4th/5th century AD and the offering was made by a King (Vibhu Nag) from ature, pertaining to Lord Rama and Krishana and also in Kashmiri Shakti close to historic Krimchi temple site, perhaps not evaluted and identified so the Nav Nag dynasty, son of Gampati Nag various foot prints reported from far but in a very good condition. worship (Sharika, Durga, Ragnaya etc) We find extensive foot worship in lit- this ancient sacred Tirtha have not been investigated and evaluated so far. These few but very important foot prints carvings of the region are erature (Sanskrit and Kashmiri) in the words as Padambuj, Pad Kamal, Sudh Mahadev region in ancient times had been considered a sacred Shavite Padpankaj etc etc. pilgrimage and religious site, on account of many religious traditions, associ- indicative of a great living tradition of respect and reverence of the common In Jammu region also we find extensive presence of carved footprints of ated with this place, and its name associated with Shiva legends, and local folk for the enlightened elders, religious and saintly people, and others who gods and godly persons, saint, hermits, historic identities, local deities, god- place names, i.e Rudra Dhar, Shiv Garh, Sudh Mahadev, Gauri Kund Kailash, always, in their own way or capacity tried to help the people in need or in desses, throughout the region. as also a very long tradition of Shaivite peers, jogis whose samadhis can be difficulty of pain.