Independence Day of Gilgit-Baltistan

[Ganguly]

salute to the brave souls, indeed it is a special day!! muslims though faced a bigger army but they proved a soul of a muslim is more than any other soul god bless gilgit and baltistan pakistan , and free occupied kashmir..

I am sure this type of discrimination was not there in any religion. Don’t misinterpret.

 

[Aslan]

About Islamic Republic of Gilgit 1947

In August 1947, the Governor-General of the Union of India, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, negotiated with the Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, the accession of his domain to the Union of India, that included the Northern Area, known commonly as Gilgit-Baltistan, which were assigned by the British only recently to the Maharaja of Kashmir. The local population, overwhelmingly Muslim, strongly opposed such a move. Contrary to the policies of the former Viceroy of British India (now the GG of the newly independent Dominion of India), two British officers of the Gilgit Scouts were playing a strange game supportive to the pro-Pakistani sentiments of the local population and troops under their command. They were Maj. William Alexander Brown and Capt. Mathieson. Maj.Brown, faced with the advance of Swat and Chitral troops on Gilgit, and unsure of the loyalty of his Gilgit Scout in stopping the invasion bent on the massacring the Hindus (Dogra) officials and soldiers, tried to persuade the Kashmiri-appointed local governor, Brig.Ghansar Singh to hold the referendum to decide the future belonging of the Gilgit-Baltistan area. When the governor refused, Maj.Brown got him arrested and placed into protective custody together with other Dogra officers and soldiers. Thus, Maj.Brown became instrumental in frustrating attempts of Mountbatten to hand the entire Northern Area, as part of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, to India and helped to fulfill the aspiration of local Muslims to join Pakistan rather.

On November 1,1947 the Islamic Republic of Gilgit was proclaimed with Raja Shah Rais Khan, (member of the local ruling dynasty) as its president. The flag of the new republic was raised over the governor's mansion and the new government claimed the area of Gilgit-Baltistan, several princely states, Kargil and Ladakh as its territory. with the aim of joining the Dominion of Pakistan. The Republic came to an end on November 16,1947 with the arrival of the Pakistani Agent, Sardar Mohammad Alam, who took the area into Pakistani possession. The war continued into 1948 with Pakistan holding to all of Northern Area and chunk of the State of Jammu and Kashmir known as Azad Kashmir. Maj.Brown's role in securing the area for Pakistan was finally acknowledged by President Parvez Musharaf by bestowing posthumously the title Sitara-e- Pakistan in 1994, received by his widow, who also brought from Scotland many documents untangling the complicated history of the events of 1947.

The flag of the Islamic Republic of Gilgit is my reconstruction based on description of Abdul Hamid Khan,Chairman of the Balawaristan National Front. The position of the crescent and star is not entirely clear, but most of the friends of Abdul Hamid Khan tend to remember it a little skewed, similar to the Pakistani flag.
Chris Kretowicz, 28 March 2008

Islamic Republic of Gilgit 1947 (Pakistan)

 

[Areesh]

And we salute Major Brown for his crucial rule in the independence movement.

 

[GUNNER]

This is an excerpt from an article which appeared in Dawn.


By Yaqoob Bangash

The writer is a historian at Keble College, University of Oxford.

Monday, 14 Sep, 2009

As the date of the transfer of power and partition of India neared, Viceroy Lord Mountbatten terminated the lease of Gilgit and handed over the wazarat to the Kashmir durbar on Aug 1, 1947. This move was not welcomed by the people of Gilgit or the Gilgit Scouts, who were led by a Scottish soldier, Major William Brown.

The lacklustre handing over ceremony on July 31, 1947 and the later sham oath-taking ceremonies by the Gilgit Scouts were clear examples that the people of the region were not happy to see the return of Kashmiri rule after decades of British administration. Even the new Kashmiri governor Ghansara Singh wrote to the Kashmir prime minister that: “In case the state accedes to the Indian Union, the Gilgit province will go to Pakistan.”

Charged anticipation brewed in Gilgit as the maharaja of Kashmir mulled over the accession issue. Meanwhile, Major Brown, together with his assistant political agent, Captain Mathieson in Chilas, created a secret plan code-named Datta-khel.

According to the plan, on D-day, which was supposed to be determined by Brown, Mathieson’s duty would be to keep Chilas under control and take care of the Kashmir State Forces stationed at Bunji, with or without the help of the Muslim contingent, which they were hoping would rise in rebellion.

Brown, on the other hand, would put Ghansara Singh under arrest, cut all lines of communication with Srinagar and immediately wire Pakistan for assistance. Almost at the same time, some local officers of the Scouts and the State Forces were also contemplating a revolt in case Kashmir acceded to India.D-day was the night between Oct 31 and Nov 1, 1947 when Major Brown carried out Datta-khel and very quickly secured Gilgit while Captain Mathieson controlled Chilas.

Various accounts exist as to who was actually responsible for the midnight revolution, but several pieces of evidence and corroborating evidence from the Kashmir-appointed Ghansara Singh show clearly that it was Major Brown who was in ultimate control till the Pakistani government deputed a political agent in Gilgit on Nov 16, 1947.

Thus, without the involvement of anyone from Pakistan, the Pakistani flag was flown in Gilgit town on Nov 2, 1947. The credit for this bloodless revolution goes to Major Brown and Captain Mathieson and also to the people of the region who were wholeheartedly behind the move to secede from Kashmir and join Pakistan.

Even as late as June 1949 The Times noted: “This much is certain … the inhabitants of this completely Muslim region are wholeheartedly with Pakistan. Ever since the bloodless revolution of October 1947… the populace has been determined to throw in its lot with Islam as represented by Pakistan.”

 

[aimarraul]

salutation to the heroes ,long live

 

[Pasban]

Happy Independence day

 

[Spring Onion]

I wasn't aware of this history.

Mubarak and may Allah bless Pakistan and it's people. Pakistan zindabad.

Brother many on our side are also not aware of it unfortunately due to those neo-liberal Zionists in our ranks the education system has been screwed and you will find no account of this blood-less freedom battle.


Our members should save this information with them and educate others.

Pakistan Zindabad