Sir — This refers to the article, “Kashmir Valley: From nowhere to nowhere” (July 17) by Balbir Punj. While discussing the Kashmir issue and its addition to the Indian Union, the writer has sought to bring Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in focus, saying, “The Sheikh, honed by the divisive AMU ideology started on his agenda to unite Muslims…. against the Maharaja.” The charge that the AMU has a divisive ideology, is not based on facts. The AMU played no role in the country’s division. AMU products, from Maulana Hasrat Mohani to the Ali brothers, struggled for the country’s independence. The writer should realise that all higher educational institutions during the freedom struggle and even now, are platforms of different ideologies — and the AMU was no exception. AMU had Rightists, leftists, Centrists, Congressmen, and so on.
The writer also said that, “the current crisis in the valley can be traced to the 1930s when young Sheikh Abdullah returned to his homeland after getting infected with the virus of Muslim separatism during his stay in the AMU. The university, a hotbed of Islamic communalism, is responsible for providing intellectual muscles to the movement for the creation of Pakistan.” The columnist has forgotten or is ignorant that the AMU Students Union had bestowed its first life Membership on Mahatma Gandhi on October 29, 1920. If the AMU was divisive then why it stand with Mahatma Gandhi and his policies of secular and united IndiaIJ Twisting of facts cannot wipe off the truth.
I have been compelled to point out one more fact. The British had given the option to the princely States before leaving, that they merge their state in either the Indian Union or Pakistan, or may declare themselves independent. All princely States had decided their future and had opted for either to India or Pakistan, except the three States of Hyderabad, Jammu & Kashmir and Junagarh. J&K had Muslims in majority while Hindus were in minority; Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had from behind the curtains launched a public revolt against the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Nawab of Junagarh, and on the pretext of maintaining law and order, forcibly annexed the States into the Indian Union. Nawab The Nawab of Junagarh escaped to Pakistan while the Nizam of Hyderabad had put up some resistance, and so the infamous police action was taken against him, during which the massacre of Muslims had taken place.
The Maharaja of Jammu & Kashmir had annexed his state to Indian union under Pakistani attack on certain conditions enshrined in Article 370 while its public had some other views. History confirms that justice was not done at that time but these are all old and buried points which should not be raised now in national interest.
Author (Narendra Bhai Modi: Farsh se Arsh Tak) &AMU alumnus