This Day in 1947 : Barbarian Army descended on Kashmir
“The enemies are only 50 yards from us. We are heavily outnumbered. We are under devastating fire. I shall not withdraw an inch but will to our last man and our round”.
- Major Somnath Sharma
(Param Vir Chakra)
22 October 1947 has marked Indian history with evidence of betrayal and a legacy of valor. On 15th August 1947, India attained Independence after being subjugated to the colonial regime for almost two hundred years. At its birth as a young independent nation in 1947, one of the most protuberant difficulties India was forced to face was the choice given to the erstwhile Maharajas of India to be an independent country, or to be a part of India or to be a part of Pakistan.
To quote Raghvendra Singh, Secretary Ministry of Culture, ‘For Mohammed Ali Jinnah and his newly created Pakistan, it would completely negate his two-nation theory if the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir decided to opt for India.’
On 22 October 1947 Pakistan invaded Kashmir. The invasion, ‘Operation Gulmarg’ was a result of months of planning and involvement of the topmost leaders of Pakistan including Pakistan’s then Prime Minister, Chief Minister of the Northwest Frontier, Members of the Muslim League and Pakistan Army. The Tribal Militia invasion of Kashmir backed by Pakistan army on 22 Oct 1947 unleashed a brutal series of plunder, rape, arson, looting and killing. The invasion marks the beginning of the First Indo-Pak war and sets in motion a chain of events that are still affecting the country. On 26 Oct 1947, the State of Jammu and Kashmir formally acceded to India and on 27 Oct 1947 Indian troops were airlifted to Kashmir.
From 22 Oct 1947 onwards till the intervention of the Indian Defense Forces all days in Kashmir were blackened with the horrifying stories of mass plunder and vandalism where many lives were lost to the insatiable ambition of the invading Tribal Militia. During this need of the hour, many willing individuals rose up to the occasion and faced adversity with commendable will and bravery.
Every year, October 22 is observed as ‘Black Day’ by refugees from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).