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A sad epoch in human history

A sad epoch in human history

Having planned Operation Gulmarg, Pakistan unleashed its tribal militia on Jammu and Kashmir on October 22, 1947

Today is a black day in history and India is observing it as such, to protest against Pakistan’s role in instigating violence and terror in the Valley. Having planned Operation Gulmarg, Pakistan unleashed its tribal militia on Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on October 22, 1947. Overruning Muzzafarabad, Domel and Uri, the tribal lashkars, led by Pakistan Army personnel, reached Baramulla on October 26 and wreaked havoc. A November 10 despatch by Robert Trumbull of The New York Times relates vividly the death and destruction that was unleashed upon the town by the marauders. It had been stripped of its wealth and dignity before the tribesmen fled in the face of advancing Indian troops, who had rushed to the rescue of the hapless residents. Survivors of those events estimated that 3,000 of their fellow townsmen, including four Europeans and a retired British Army officer, Colonel Dykes, and his pregnant wife, were slain. When the raiders rushed into town on October 26, one party of Mahsud tribesmen scaled the walls of the Saint Joseph’s Franciscan Convent compound and stormed the convent hospital and the church. Twenty-four hours later, when the Indian Army entered Baramulla, only 1,000 were left of the population of about 14,000.

Max Despott, an Associated Press photographer, described on November 2 that he saw more than 20 villages in flames while flying over a section of Kashmir Valley, extending within 20 miles of Srinagar. The villages had been set on fire by the invaders, who were scouring the Valley and moving in the direction of Srinagar.

Sydney Smith of Daily Express of London was in the Baramulla Hospital during those ten days and filed a first hand report of the  attack on the convent. “The tribal lashkars had come shooting their way down from the hills on both sides of the town. They climbed over the hospital walls from all sides. The first group burst into a ward firing at the patients. A 20-year-old Indian nurse, Philomena, tried to protect a Muslim patient whose baby had just been born. She was shot dead first and the new mother was next. Mother Superior Aldetrude rushed into the ward, and as she knelt over Philomena, she was attacked and robbed. When the Assistant Mother, Teresalina, saw a tribesman point a rifle at Mother Aldetrude, she jumped in front of her and a bullet went through Teresalina’s heart. At that moment, Colonel Dykes raced from his room to get the Mother Superior out of danger, shouting at the tribesman as he ran. But the Mother Superior was shot and Colonel Dykes collapsed beside her, with a bullet in his stomach. His wife ran from her husband’s room to help the Colonel, but she too, was shot. While this went on, Gee Boretto, an Anglo-Indian, was killed in the garden in front of nine nuns. Then the nuns themselves were lined up before a firing squad. We did not find Mrs Dykes until the following day. She had been thrown down a well. Reports had come that the chief of another Evangelical Mission, Major Ronald Davis, a Welshman, and one of his two English women assistants, had been shot dead. The other assistant was said to have been taken to the hills,” says Smith in his report.

Abdul Rahman of Baramulla, too, recorded his observations and said that the raiders looted the Hindus to begin with, burnt the houses of the Sikhs and killed them. “As a result of this arson and loot, the Sikhs and the Hindus fled Baramulla, leaving their houses burning, and most of their women were raped and kidnapped. The raiders did not touch the Muslims to begin with — perhaps they wanted to win their sympathy. After a few days when they found that they were about to be forced out of the Valley, they turned on everybody. They started wholesale loot, arson and rape. They killed whoever came in their way. The raiders also took all the valuable ornaments of silver and gold, shawls and so on when they left,” he recalled.

According to the Wazir-i-Wazarat of Baramulla, Chaudury Faizullah, the tribal lashkars entered in groups of 30-40 men. Over 5,000 of them were concentrated in Baramulla at one time. They were mostly tribesmen with a few Punjabi Muslims, all well-armed and led by Pirs, Pakistan Army and Frontier Constabulary officers. The local Muslim Conference men joined the raiders and acted as guides. From the day the raiders entered the town, they started killing non-Muslims and looting and burning houses, irrespective of religion and raping  women. They broke into houses in groups of 10-12, robbed them and carried away valuables, clothes and food. About 280 lorries were used to ferry this loot. The Pakistani raiders left on the night of November 7 when the Indian Army re-captured it. The Times of London reported on November 11 that residents seemed delighted to welcome the Indian troops. The Press despatch also bore testimony to the fact that the convent and hospital were not destroyed by the Indian aerial attacks as alleged by Pakistan wireless statements.

(The writer is Secretary, Ministry of Culture)

A sad epoch in human history

A sad epoch in human history

Having planned Operation Gulmarg, Pakistan unleashed its tribal militia on Jammu and Kashmir on October 22, 1947

Today is a black day in history and India is observing it as such, to protest against Pakistan’s role in instigating violence and terror in the Valley. Having planned Operation Gulmarg, Pakistan unleashed its tribal militia on Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on October 22, 1947. Overruning Muzzafarabad, Domel and Uri, the tribal lashkars, led by Pakistan Army personnel, reached Baramulla on October 26 and wreaked havoc. A November 10 despatch by Robert Trumbull of The New York Times relates vividly the death and destruction that was unleashed upon the town by the marauders. It had been stripped of its wealth and dignity before the tribesmen fled in the face of advancing Indian troops, who had rushed to the rescue of the hapless residents. Survivors of those events estimated that 3,000 of their fellow townsmen, including four Europeans and a retired British Army officer, Colonel Dykes, and his pregnant wife, were slain. When the raiders rushed into town on October 26, one party of Mahsud tribesmen scaled the walls of the Saint Joseph’s Franciscan Convent compound and stormed the convent hospital and the church. Twenty-four hours later, when the Indian Army entered Baramulla, only 1,000 were left of the population of about 14,000.

Max Despott, an Associated Press photographer, described on November 2 that he saw more than 20 villages in flames while flying over a section of Kashmir Valley, extending within 20 miles of Srinagar. The villages had been set on fire by the invaders, who were scouring the Valley and moving in the direction of Srinagar.

Sydney Smith of Daily Express of London was in the Baramulla Hospital during those ten days and filed a first hand report of the  attack on the convent. “The tribal lashkars had come shooting their way down from the hills on both sides of the town. They climbed over the hospital walls from all sides. The first group burst into a ward firing at the patients. A 20-year-old Indian nurse, Philomena, tried to protect a Muslim patient whose baby had just been born. She was shot dead first and the new mother was next. Mother Superior Aldetrude rushed into the ward, and as she knelt over Philomena, she was attacked and robbed. When the Assistant Mother, Teresalina, saw a tribesman point a rifle at Mother Aldetrude, she jumped in front of her and a bullet went through Teresalina’s heart. At that moment, Colonel Dykes raced from his room to get the Mother Superior out of danger, shouting at the tribesman as he ran. But the Mother Superior was shot and Colonel Dykes collapsed beside her, with a bullet in his stomach. His wife ran from her husband’s room to help the Colonel, but she too, was shot. While this went on, Gee Boretto, an Anglo-Indian, was killed in the garden in front of nine nuns. Then the nuns themselves were lined up before a firing squad. We did not find Mrs Dykes until the following day. She had been thrown down a well. Reports had come that the chief of another Evangelical Mission, Major Ronald Davis, a Welshman, and one of his two English women assistants, had been shot dead. The other assistant was said to have been taken to the hills,” says Smith in his report.

Abdul Rahman of Baramulla, too, recorded his observations and said that the raiders looted the Hindus to begin with, burnt the houses of the Sikhs and killed them. “As a result of this arson and loot, the Sikhs and the Hindus fled Baramulla, leaving their houses burning, and most of their women were raped and kidnapped. The raiders did not touch the Muslims to begin with — perhaps they wanted to win their sympathy. After a few days when they found that they were about to be forced out of the Valley, they turned on everybody. They started wholesale loot, arson and rape. They killed whoever came in their way. The raiders also took all the valuable ornaments of silver and gold, shawls and so on when they left,” he recalled.

According to the Wazir-i-Wazarat of Baramulla, Chaudury Faizullah, the tribal lashkars entered in groups of 30-40 men. Over 5,000 of them were concentrated in Baramulla at one time. They were mostly tribesmen with a few Punjabi Muslims, all well-armed and led by Pirs, Pakistan Army and Frontier Constabulary officers. The local Muslim Conference men joined the raiders and acted as guides. From the day the raiders entered the town, they started killing non-Muslims and looting and burning houses, irrespective of religion and raping  women. They broke into houses in groups of 10-12, robbed them and carried away valuables, clothes and food. About 280 lorries were used to ferry this loot. The Pakistani raiders left on the night of November 7 when the Indian Army re-captured it. The Times of London reported on November 11 that residents seemed delighted to welcome the Indian troops. The Press despatch also bore testimony to the fact that the convent and hospital were not destroyed by the Indian aerial attacks as alleged by Pakistan wireless statements.

(The writer is Secretary, Ministry of Culture)

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