Instead toeing the
parochial line for community interests pleaded for justice to all with emphasis
to underprivileged majority community. Though what he said then has been
carried in letter and spirit now but at that time his community was aghast and
at rage. He was smeared with human faces all over his face even thrust in to
his mouth by one Madsudhan popularly known as Madir Tazaaeeb of Ganpatyar for
his short temper, because he differed with his views. P.N.Bazaz was forced to
shift from his ancestral house at Sathooo to Abiguzar near Tyndale Bisco School
Amirakadal, But stood firm to his ideology. While as Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah
had a grouse which ushered him in to the movement of revolt. He and Hans Raj
Nanda both did their Masters in Chemistry while Hans Raj was given job as
lecturer, Shiekh Sahab was appointed a teacher in Middle School Dilawar Khan
Srinagar. Some are of the view though he was lower in rank but as from
underprivileged society expected preference . He was introduced by the Ashai as
one who has a sweet voice and to start any public meeting by reciting the holy
verse to drive home it is a cause in the name of Allah.
This tradition is
still being carried by Kashmir based parties. Friendship went ahead in
publication of Urdu newspaper Hamdadh which went to print from 1935 as a weekly
and later published as daily from 1939 onwards under the editorship Nandlal ji
Wattal .This partnership between them ceased in 1942 despite that Sheikh Mohd.
Abdullah continued to come to the office of the Newspaper located at Lal chowk
Sh P.N.Bazaz was brain behind to bail out Sheikh Mohhamad Abdullah by helping
him to form National Conference, from Muslim conference. Where he was
uncomfortable as Muslims of jammu who were well read bred and person of
substance did not allow to have his writ run in the party. Choudhary Ghulam
Abbas used to taunt him to slight and cut him to size that he is mere Muslim
leader of Khannabal to Khadanyar, In 1939 at Annatnag a convention of Muslim
Conference was held in which a resolution was passed that hence forth Muslim
Conference will be called National Conference ( NC ) in the larger interests of
the struggle against Maharaja.
Doors were opened for
the Non Muslims and were invited to join a secular party which will fight for
the rights of all irrespective of caste creed colour or faith. Though Muslim
leaders from Jammu under the leadership of Chaudry Ghulam Abbas also voted for
the conversion yet they had some reservations. Progressive Kashmiri Pandits
like Pt. Sham Lal Saraf, D P Dhar, Sh. Kashyap Bandhu Bulbul , despite earning
the wrath of the community joined NC and took active part against the Dogra
Rule.In the meantime Sheikh thought that Bazaz being more intelligent than him
might steal a march on him. A conspiracy was hatched and Bazaz was eased out of
National Conference.
Bazaz did not take it
lying down and formed Kisan Mazdoor Party. Fate separated them, for the
unfortunate future of Kashmir, on diametrically opposite directions. Josef
Korbel writes: " In fact, the leadership of the Indian National Congress
was permeated with ideas close to Abdullah's heart". To advance these
ideas he and a Kashmiri Brahmin Prem Nath Bazaz founded in 1935 a weekly
Hamdard in which he advocated for admission of Sikhs and Hindus into Muslim Conference.
Abdullah subsequently became President of All India States Peoples Congress.
And it was Pandit Bazaz who introduced him to Pandit Nehru. According to Korbel
All Jammu & Kashmir National Conference was founded in June 1939 with G.M
Sadiq as its first President .Shiekh Mohammadh Abdullah in Atishe Chinar says,
he met Nehru for the first time in 1937 when the latter was on way to NWFP. At
Nehru's request he accompanied him and there met Badshah Khan also. He further
says it was Nehru who advised him to throw open the membership of Muslim
Conference to every community. He further says that Dr Mohammed Iqbal too had
advised him the same in 1937.
According to Abdullah
Budh Singh was elected as the President of NC in September 1940 and re-elected
in 1941 in Srinagar where Badshah Khan was invited as the Chief Guest.
After 1941 three sets
of opinion emerged regarding the fate of Jammu & Kashmir. (A) Maulana Mir
Waiz Mohd. Yusuf Shah who was till then under the wings of Sheikh Abdullah fell
out. Muslim League under Mr. Jinnah threw their weight in support of Yusuf
Shah, and Maulana openly advocated the integration of J&K with Pakistan. He
had die hard supporters from the down town city and the conservative clerics.
Jinnah happened to come to Srinagar and openly addressed the Mir Waiz and his
supporters and asked them to work for the integration with Pakistan.To rub the
salt on Sheikh he termed the NC National Conference Movement as "Goonda
Movement ".
This irritated the
Sheikh a lot and while Jinnah was returning to Rawalpandi , he got his car
"Stoned " at Baramulla under the aegis of Mubarak Shah( Who later on
became a Minister in Sheikh's cabinet). Jinnah a highly mercuric temperamental
person reaching Lahore said that when the J&K will be part of Pakistan,
Sheikh will find himself behind the bars(B) By now Sheikh had fallen between
the proverbial two stools ------- between Mirwaiz for Pakistan & Prem Nath
Bazaz for Independent kashmir.He was left with no option but to seek
integration with India. Because the offer to Jinnah through his five member
emissaries led by Baikshi Ghulam Mohamad along with Gh Mohammed Sadiq to ceded
to Pakistan on his terms was out rightly rejected. Back home Baikshi and Sadiq
cautioned him for hasty decision. When found him adamant Sadiq youngest cabinet
minister again cautioned him not to change stand from now on. Which he did at
number of times .
It is a recorded fact
that when raiders attacked the state Sheikh Abdullah lost no time to shift his
family to Indore. (C) The third option as advocated by Bazaz was for
Independent State . His party Kisan Mazdoor Party was also a force to reckon.
It had the support of educated and progressive elements of the state. The one
who professed the faith on which
Pakistan was formed
pleaded the case for India, legitimating the instrument of accession in united
Security council , disclaiming vociferously the contention of Pakistan about
its validity While as Pandit Prem Nath Bazaz , challenged and opposed tooth and
nail induction of Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah , as emergency Administrator and
accession. He had to pay dearly to oppose Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah. An attempt
on his life was made near Directorate of Animal Husbandry Amira Kadal had a
miraculous escape. After that was imprisoned and lodged in Kathua jail where
Allah Rakha Sagar a prominent Jammu leader was under arrest . From t there
served exile order upon him escorted up to Pathankote with ten rupee note
tucked in his pocket for onward journey.
Banished to enter the
State. And Allah Rakha Sagar was pushed to Pakistan against his wishes.
P.N.Bazaz was never forgiven by Sheikh Shaib which can be judged by that when
he made an request to him in 1978 to allot him a piece of land in Srinager for
a dwelling to spend his last days on the soil of his mother land but was
categorically refused as he dreaded him P.N.Bazaz was more popular in Pakistan
and on the other side of the fence. Atal ji though leader of immense beside PM
could not match him in this regard. Irony is while Bazaz shaib was denied his
ashes to be within his the soil Sheik shaib though found place there is
under24/7 security protection and he may be in constant dread, lest may some
may succeed one dig him out from his resting place and dishonoured by very
those whom he liberated from the yokes of slavery, Bazaz Sahab has been
altogether forgotten by his so called Pakistani leaders and secessionist
friends. But still find place in references. It requires mention that here in
1975 Shiekh Mohd. Abdullah made u turn under Indira-Sheikh accord
The accord was signed
on behalf of Abdullah by Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beg and on behalf of the Indian
government (headed by Prime Minister Gandhi) by G. Parthasarathy on 24 February
1975 in New Delhi and converted Plebiscite Party in to National Concerence. All
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference after two years got deleted All Jammu and
Kashmir, just National Conference which speaks intensions of Kashmir lobby
unification is not in their agenda. Needless to add the birthday of Sheikh
Mohammed Abdullah which is being celebrated on 5th of December was started by
Bazaz shaib, killing two birds with one stone, as it was birthday for both of
them, what a coincidence. Evidently the maize of History is so much twisted
that it is impossible for ordinary people like me to know even casual ' facts'
leave alone "truth".In my view all history of Kashmir is deception
galore and the real cause of the amputation the Paradise suffered in 1947.
(The writer is a Jammu based environmentalist and a regular contributor to this Website.)
(Feedback at: blparimoo@gmail.com)
By- Bushan Parimoo