Sir,

Being an ex-citizen of Jammu and Kashmir, I read with mixed emotions your “Now Kashmir …” (WSN, 2/2/90); you called for the “liberation” of Kashmir: Surely Sikhs were doing it to spite India, I thought. I was saddened because so much Sikh blood had been spilled to place Kashmir where it is; and now Sikhs are helping to “‘give it away!” Reflection, however, brought home the message: Fruit of liberty is as sweet for the others as the Sikhs want it for themselves. The Sikh ideal Jo Jare din ke hate that fights for the meek, and their history intertwined with that of Kashmir filled me with pride. I commend thee: Shabash; Zindabad.

Who else, but the Sikhs, should fight so that others be free. It befits their heritage: Guru Tegh Bahadur martyred to defend the right to worship of a few Kashmiris! But for the Sikhs, the Kashmiris could still be under the yoke of Afghanistan; Ever since Mahmud Ghazni annexed it in the 10th century, Kashmir remained a part or a satellite of Afghanistan (excepting the Mughal rule of 168 years) till the Sikhs of Ranjit Singh liberated it in 1819. The remnants of Ranjit’s empire passed to the British, the Dogras and then to the Indians.

Little did I appreciate the joy of adults when, as a refugee in the beleaguered Jammu Cantonment, we heard the news in October 1947: “‘M Hari Singh has fled Kashmir, and Patiala Shahi Fauj has landed in Srinagar.”’ We are told that wave after wave of Patialvi Sikhs perished fighting to secure the Srinagar airport from the well-entrenched and determined Qabili invaders. We never tried of regaling the heroics of ace-flyer “Baba” Mehar Singh. Even till the Sixties our resolve and entertainment remained very Sikh-like: Sikh classmates danced Bhangra to the call: “Khat ke liandi kheer; Lar Lar mar jange, nahin chhadni Kashmir (Shall die fighting, but won’t let go Kashmir).

I now feel the apprehension, sorrow and joy of a father who must brave himself to give his daughter away in marriage, to a perfect stranger!

Sukhbir Singh Indianapolis, IN

Article extracted from this publication >> March 9, 1990