Dear,..........,
Hello. Yesterday in my blog, I mentioned about the Pakistani pirate radio broadcast - "Sadai Kashmir." in Kashmir in August 1965. When India got independence in 1947, there were almost 500 princes in control of various areas in the whole country. Before Englishmen left, they broke the country into two by carving out Pakistan from India. The Princes of these states were given an option to either join India or Pakistan. Remaining independent was not a choice. Where it was a Hindu ruler with predominant Hindu population or Muslim ruler with Muslim population, it was easy to decide to join India or Pakistan respectively. Problem erupted when there was a Hindu ruler over Muslim majority area or a Muslim ruler over a Hindu majority area. Some of these princely states were Hyderabad, Junagadh and Kashmir. Hyderabad and Junagadh were Hindu populated areas ruled by Muslims. These areas were surrounded by states who had already acceded to India. There was hesitation with the Muslim rulers in exercising the option for joining India/Pakistan. (They had expressed the wish to join Pakistan.) It was not a practical idea to have small pockets owing allegiance to Pakistan surrounded by India all around. It was administratively impossible to govern such pockets. India under a strong home minister Sardar Patel, used force to quicken their decision to join India. I will leave it there because otherwise I would be digressing into a different story.
Kashmir was a border state with Muslim Majority population but ruled by a Hindu Maharaja. Here again there was a delay in the process of opting for India / Pakistan. Pakistan feared that the Maharaja would accede to India. So before a formal decision was taken by the Maharaja, Pakistan organised an attack on Kashmir. Pakistan officially said that it was local tribal people of Kashmir (called Kabaali") who were revolting against the Maharaja. But actually it was Kabaali plus pakistani armed force personnel in Kabaali dress who forced the attack on Kashmir. India took the case to United Nations. A ceasefire was announced. About 30% of Kashmir was taken over by the Kabaalis before the ceasefire was announced and agreed upon both by India and Pakistan. This area of Kashmir is called Azaad Kashmir by Pakistan. We in India call it "Pakistan Held Kashmir." (I will have separate blogs on the raid later on.)
When Pakistan was carved out from India, resources were separated too. A greater number of armed forces got affiliated to Pakistan which was proportionately much higher than the population of that country. Thus in Pakistan, the army was the big brother who started controlling and managing the country from day one. They initiated the Kabaali raid. While the case was under consideration of the UNO and the two countries, the Pak army was making schemes upon schemes to annex Kashmir for Pakistan. They were aware that in 1947, the majority of Kabaalis were not disciplined and they had resorted to looting on the way which delayed their entry to the seat of government in Kashmir and take over the Srinagar Airport. So they came up with a scheme wherein the mistakes of 1947 raid would not get repeated. The new scheme was made and named Operation Grand Slam in 1965. Under this scheme they sent Pakistani forces in civilian clothes stealthily to Kashmir since early 1965. They were taught the Kashmiri language. Then these persons were embedded into Kashmiri muslim families all over the valley. But after a month or two, the local hosts got tired of the uninvited guests because these guests started doing objectional activities in their home. They became a financial burden on them.The Pakistan plan was that when Sadai Kashmir broadcasts would start, the Kashmiri population would come out on to the streets. The embedded Pak army personnel would also join them thus taking the government unawares. Simultaneously armed personnel would be ready from pakistani side to cross over. However by some good luck, the local police came to know of the infiltration. The local administration announced rewards to the local population for helping in catching the embedded persons. The locals who were already under strain because of the activities of the embedded persons, indiscreetly informed the authorities and within a couple of days all these persons were arrested. (Some of these embedded persons were reported to the police in exchange of even one hundred rupees) The Pakiani Plan failed. The broadcasts - Sadai Kashmir ended by the end of August. Subsequently India Pakistan fought a war in the month of September 1965. But as far as Kashmir was concerned, the status quo stayed unchanged to a large extent.
I will move on to All India Radio staff description tomorrow. Bye for today.
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