The Praja Parishad ‘s agitation had turned into a people’s movement. It was very visible what people of the state aspired for. Yet, Shaikh Abdullah and the National Conference were obstinate to acknowledge it and take feasible steps to solve it. Instead, they adopted   violent and vicious ways. The soldiers of Kashmiri Militia, would brutally whack and smack the Satyagrahis to cease the agitation. They would also immediately impose amercement and seize and confiscate the property!!!

The Shaikh Abdullah Government extended undue power to their officers, equivalent to that of the Magistrate. The Eight Satyagrahis imprisoned in the Jammu Central Jail were enforced with Six months of rigorous imprisonment along with 100/- of financial fine. After a while, two more Satyagrahis were added and they were charged with 500/- of fine along with One year of arduous jail.

Pandit Premnath Dogra was charged with Eight months rigorous imprisonment in Jammu Central Jail. Two days prior to Lohri, on the 11th January 1953, the deputy prime minister Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad had visited Hiranagar, in Kathua district of Jammu. Around five thousand Satyagrahis came to exhibit their demand and present the memorandum for infinite annexation of Jammu-Kashmir in Bharat. The armed force of Punjab police halted them, a hundred meters prior to the university building but the Satyagrahis were determined to meet Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad.

The police force too, would not relent and enforced Lathi charge on them as well as rolled out Tear gas. Several were injured, yet the gathered crowd was unmoved. The collector Baldev Chand advised them to leave them aside on their will but Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad ordered the police to fire. The police obeyed the Deputy Prime Minister and fired two hundred rounds. The Kashmiri Militia fired using the Sten gun.

More than Seventy Satyagrahis were injured and out of them Eight were critically wounded. Witnessing their condition, the Army hospital of Hiranagar refused to admit them. Eventually, they had to be brought to hospital in Jammu. Two of the Satyagrahis, Biharilal and Bhishm Singh attained martyrdom in this mayhem. The police took their bodies to Vasantpur Police Station on the Kathua-Basohli Road, on the banks of river Ravi.

Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad gave Four gallons of Petrol to Ajit Singh and Tara Mani of police force, in order to burn off the dead bodies.They utilised two bottles of petrol for burning the dead bodies and sold the rest of the petrol in Lakhampur and used the money for buying booze. The police left both the dead bodies in sparsely burnt condition on the bank of Ravi. In the wee hours of morning, Tilakraj Gandhi – the in-charge of the Prabhat shakha of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh reached Shahpur Kandi, where the half burnt bodies were lying. The RSS Swayamsevaks brought them to Hiranagar and gave the dead bodies of Satyagrahis, an honourable funeral.

Praja Parishad declared seven days of strike to oppose the carnage. The Government did not stop here. Several significant journalists received a statement by Sadar-e-Riyasat published and distributed by the Kashmir Information Centre.  The statement illustrated criticism of Praja Parishad. The Government announced that this statement was given by Karn Sinh to a journalist in Kangra, where he had gone to a small village nearby, to visit his ailing mother.

When it was brought to Karn Sinh’s notice, he denied making any such statement or giving address!!! The national flag – Tiranga had been unfurled above all the Government structures and the Sachivalaya on the 26th January. The state government took it off within no time. 

Sadar-e-Riyasat Karn Sinh had hoped that the state Government would not doff the Bharatiya national flag from the Sachivalaya at least, and humiliate the symbol of Bharat’s sovereignty. He had an aspiration that unfurling of Tiranga over the Sachivalaya would send out a positive message to the nationalist groups.

But, he was disheartened when Shaikh Abdullah did not care for respecting this important emblem of independent Bharat. Praja Parishad gave a call for the Civil Disobedience Movement in January 1953. Prior to it, Sadar-e-Riyasat Karn Sinh had written to Pandit Nehru about the prevailing atmosphere and its possible impact. He clearly mentioned about the spread of the agitation in every remotest area with dedicated participation of womenfolks and youth. He had narrated about the brutality inflicted by the police force and police’s conduct causing immense bitterness among the citizens.

But, the reality was beyond even Karn Sinh’s imagination. In Mogla village of Naushahara, people formed a “Lok Sarkar ” under the leadership of Praja Parishad. Thakur Sahdev Sinh was appointed as the collector and Tilakraj Sharma as the Police Superintendent. Thakur Hari Sinh’s home in Mogla had been established as the headquarter of this ‘government’. One home had been established as the prison. The common people addressed this new government as the Rebel Government.

This is a classic example of people’s fury against the National Conference government of the state and their undemocratic and authoritarian rule.

Praja Parishad gave a call for the Civil Disobedience Movement in January 1953. Prior to it, Sadar-e-Riyasat Karn Sinh had written to Pandit Nehru about the prevailing atmosphere and its possible impact. He clearly mentioned about the spread of the agitation in every remotest area with dedicated participation of womenfolk and youth. He had narrated about the brutality inflicted by the police force and police’s conduct causing immense bitterness among the citizens.

But, the reality was beyond even Karn Sinh’s imagination. In Mogla village of Naushahara, people formed a “Lok Sarkar ” under the leadership of Praja Parishad. Thakur Sahdev Sinh was appointed as the collector and Tilakraj Sharma as the Police Superintendent. Thakur Hari Sinh’s home in Mogla had been established as the headquarter of this ‘government’. One home had been established as the prison. The common people addressed this new government as the Rebel Government.

This is a classic example of people’s fury against the National Conference government of the state and their undemocratic and authoritarian rule. Just Fifteen days had passed to the Civil Disobedience Movement and thousands of farmers from the far away vicinity,  gathered in Jourian in Kathua district with a cry for state’s infinite annexation in Bharat. The police had enclosed all the roads around the town and began firing. One hundred and twenty five people were wounded and several went missing. Six Satyagrahis named Mohan Lal, Gnyan Sinh, Trilok Sinh, Baldev Sinh, Basant Sinh and Hari Sinh attained martyrdom.

The torture on the Satyagrahis by the administration was growing by day. 

People’s pets in the Danu village near Akhnoor were auctioned. When the police raided the houses, the youth would flee, leaving behind the old and women at home. They expected that the police would not harm them. But, the police did not even spare the olds and women and dismantled their homes. The Government was imposing collective fines in the villages and the unpaid fines were recuperated by auctioning their property.

The soldiers in Kashmiri Militia blatantly told people that the only way to save themselves from this furor was to join the “National Conference ” or at least shout the slogan of “Sher-e-Kashmir Zindabad”.

But, people refused vehemently to oblige and no one wanted to agree to this ultimatum. The Government had taken utmost precautions to avert any information about the agitation, reaching out to the rest of the nation. The newspapers going out of the state were to publish news related to agitation, as per the press note provided to them by the Communication cell of the government. When Karn Sinh came to Jammu, for the first time after he was appointed as the Sadar-e-Riyasat, the English Communication Cell, rolled out the news about the grand welcome, extended to him on the Seven mile road from the Jammu airport to his palace. They also propagated that Praja Parishad could gather only Two hundred students to oppose the appointment and they were standing on the side of the Tawi bridge with Black flags.

These illustrations were completely false and Sadar-e-Riyasat, himself has narrated the reality in his autobiography.

The National Conference Government had imposed a ban on all major publications. The newspapers such as “Dainik Milap”(Delhi & Jalandhar), “Dainik Hind Samachar” (Jalandhar), “Dainik Pratap” (Delhi & Jalandhar), “Dainik Prabhat (Delhi), Dainik Hindi Milap (Jalandhar), “Dainik Tarjman” (Ludhiana), Saptahik “Milap” (Pathankot), Saptahik “Hindu” (Jalandhar), Saptahik “Organizer” (Delhi) were prohibited in the state.

Apart from that, the newspapers published in Jammu-Kashmir, such as Dainik “Martand Shrinagar”, Saptahik “Amar Jammu”, Saptahik “Sadakat Jammu” were also forbidden from publishing.

The publication houses in state were petrified by the curtailed freedom of expression on the media and out of fear, they would not publish the truthful news about the Praja Parishad ‘s agitation, the cause behind it and the mammoth acceptance it received from the people. Hence, Parishad was compelled to find out a way to spread the word. They started printing pamphlet named ‘Lalkar’ using Litho/Stancil. Several pamphlets were printed using various names and they were distributed secretly. The Cyclostyle machines were hidden in Gudha Salathia, Bhadrawaha and Raipur Domana and all the pamphlets were printed in them. The posters were printed and sent from Jalandhar but it was extremely difficult to stick them on the walls  as the Kashmiri Militia along with National Conference karyakartas would be patrolling the area. The intelligence department of the state had also become very agile. The Communist party karyakarta would also lend their hand in guarding the city, thus it was colossal task to stick out the poster, hiding from their vigilance. But, the passion and dedication of Praja Parishad’s karyakarta was exceptional and they managed to fulfil their duty.

The news about the agitation was spreading far and wide. Infact, it had become global news. “The Times”, a London based newspaper published the news -” The agitation had reached the far away, remote villages. The common public are not only participating in the processions organised by Praja Parishad but also enduring the Lathi charge and Tear Gas and fighting it out with head erect.”

“The New York Times” wrote-

” In the current weeks, around Five hundred satyagrahis have been arrested. The non-governmental sources claim that the numbers are higher. In the conflict with police, many more have been assassinated.”

But, within the state of Jammu-Kashmir, the ban on newspapers prevailed.

In early March of 1953, the atmosphere in Ramvan was strained since dawn as the people were determined to unfurl the Tiranga on the collector office. The people from surrounding villages were travelling towards Ramvan. 

Around afternoon, about Three Thousand Satyagrahis began marching towards the Tehsil office with Tiranga in hand. As Soon as the procession crossed the Praja Parishad ‘s office situated on the central market area, the deputy tehsildar stationed on the spot, gave orders to police for firing. Before, the Satyagrahis could understand what was happening, two young Satyagrahis – Shibba Ram and Devi Sharan became victim of the police firing. When the procession moved a little further, Bhagwandas was shot in his head by the firing. All three of them sacrificed their lives but did not let the Tiranga fall off their grip. They fell in the lap of Bharat Mata, holding the national flag.

After this incident, people were fuming with rage. The entire secretariat of Jammu was transferred in the Civil Line area and curfew was imposed with ‘shoot at sight’ order.

But, Pandit Nehru was unaffected. On the contrary, he answered Karn Sinh and condemned the agitation, in a humiliating manner. He wrote, “The stories that Praja Parishad spreads of the police atrocities, have been outright exaggerated and groundless, that it could not be trusted a bit. Most of these stories are formed in the Pathankot karyalay of Praja Parishad.”

The three dead bodies of martyrs were lying in the market of Ramvan and Pandit Nehru, addressed this ‘as fictitious story created in Pathankot karyalay!!!” At last, In April month of 1953, Praja Parishad decided to begin the Non-cooperation movement.

They decided to –

a) Villages should refrain from paying the tax revenue to the Government.

b) Refrain from paying the tax on usage of water for irrigation.

c) Refrain from paying tax to the government on farm produce.

d) The Registrar, Lumbardar (in-charge of land administration, Jailor and the Guard should immediately resign from their posts.

e) Refrain from extending any support to the Revenue  officer.

The Shaikh Abdullah Government issued an order in May 1953. As per the order, anyone entering the princely state without taking the permit could be arrested and prisoned. The conflict between the National Conference government and the people of Jammu and Ladakh had turned into a war.

Sources of Information :

हमारी भूलोका स्मारक : धर्मांतरित कश्मीर

नरेन्द्र सहगल

कश्मीर : दहकते अंगारे

जगमोहन जी

जम्मू कश्मीर की अनकही कहानियां

कुलदीप चंद अग्निहोत्री

Kashmir : Behind The Vale

M J Akbar

My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir 

Jagmohan ji