Tribal invasion anniversary a 'Black Day' in Kashmir's history: Speakers at SACPPE event

Baramulla (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], October 22 : To commemorate October 22 as 'Black Day', the South Asia Center for Peace and Peoples Empowerment (SACPPE) organised a one-day event 'Tribal Invasion: A Black Day in J-K's History' at Baramulla Dak Bungalow on Sunday.
The program was organised on the anniversary of the Pakistani Tribal invasion of Jammu-Kashmir that happened on October 22, 1947.
In the jam-packed hall, the speakers at the event gave a detailed account of October 22, the day tribal raiders looted and pillaged the erstwhile state with a ferocity that shocked the people till the Indian army came to the rescue and decisively threw them back.
Tauseef Raina, former chairman of Municipal Committee Baramulla, spoke in detail about the reality of the event how marauding tribesmen not only killed non-Muslims but hundreds of Kashmiri Muslims as well and the aim of the tribal raid was to seize the land.
"The St Joseph's Hospital in Baramulla was burnt crisp to the ground; its sick, elderly, and nurses were raped and killed. Pakistan only wants Kashmir to bleed and burn. Young women were abducted and carried off without distinction of colour, cast or creed. Each raider tried to grab as much wealth or as many girls as he could," he said.
Raina said after seeing violence, death and destruction for decades, Kashmiris, especially the youth here have given up the gun culture and dissociated themselves from Pakistan.
"Pakistan's facade - wolves dressed in sheepskin - is peeling. Youngsters have opted for respected professions, joined government services, or taken up the challenge of self-employment through many entrepreneurship schemes of the Government of India," he said adding that peace was imperative for progress, development and prosperity of Kashmir.
Fida Firdose, chairman of the Kashmir Writers Association, said truth is usually the first casualty of wars. He spoke in detail about the ill consequences of the October 22, 1947, tribal raid on Kashmir and its aftermath.
"Invasion of J-K by Pakistan and its proxy tribal Lashkars in 1947 has left a deep, lasting, and grim mark on the fate of J-K. The invasion also delivered the first big blow to the Sufi-inspired way of life commonly referred to as Kashmiriyat that had prevailed for centuries in J-K, and a hallmark of which was religious inclusiveness and bonding," he said.
Firdose added, "It is about time that the people of J-K realized that the real tragedy is that Pakistan even today believes in the same policy and adopts the same methods that it did in 1947, no matter how acutely detrimental those may be to the interests and the well-being of the people of J-K."
Tahir Majeed, a renowned social activist while quoting from history said, Pakistan Army Major General (Retd.) Akbar Khan in his book has described Pakistan's role in their "jihad" on Kashmir.
In Khan's words, "On October 26 (1947), the Pakistani forces captured Baramulla where only 3,000 survived out of 14,000."
"The Afridi and Mahsud Lashkars did not participate in the invasion of J-K out of any religious consideration, but their primary aim was loot and plunder and the kidnapping of women," he said.
Majeed said the planners and perpetrators of the tribal invasion were, and remain, without doubt, the foremost enemies of the Kashmiri people. "The day the invasion began on October 22, 1947, similarly, has to be the darkest day in the history of J-K," he added.
Zaman Noor, a social activist from Srinagar made the audience aware of how peace in Kashmir would benefit common people in the long run. He advised the students to make society a better place by investing in peace.
Muskan Shafi, a student and a social worker, in a strong speech, made the audience aware of the devastation October 22, 1947, brought to Kashmir.