The Young Chronicle: For Grade 3 November 28th, 2014 | Page 4

YOUNG CHRONICLE

November 28th, 2014

The Kashmir Polls and What the Hullabaloo is all about
Rambo and Pranks realised that they needed to know the history of Kashmir before they could understand why the high voter
turnout in Kashmir made such a huge difference during the first phase of the polls.
Very quickly, Pranks opened the books on history their father had gifted them, and Rambo opened a big map of kashmir. Hereʼs
what they read:
It was ruler Hari Singh, who had ascended the throne of Kashmir in 1925, who was the reigning king in 1947 when India gained
independence. Around that time, an internal revolt began in the Poonch region against taxation by the Maharaja. In August, the
Maharaja's forces fired on demonstrators who were in favour of Kashmir joining Pakistan. The entire episode burned whole villages
and leading to deaths of innocent people. The Poonch rebels declared an independent government of "Azad" Kashmir on 24
October. Rulers of Princely States were encouraged to accede their
States to either Dominion - India or Pakistan, taking into account factors
such as geographical continuity and the wishes of their people. In 1947,
Kashmir's population was "77% Muslim and 20% Hindu".
To postpone making a hurried decision, the Maharaja signed a
"standstill" agreement with Pakistan. The agreement ensured continuity
of trade, travel, communication, and similar services between the two.
Such an agreement was pending with India. In October
1947, Pashtuns from Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province recruited
by the Poonch rebels, invaded Kashmir, along with the Poonch rebels
because they had heard of incensing atrocities against fellow Muslims in
Poonch and Jammu.
The rebels engaged in looting and killing along the way. The aim of this
was to frighten King Hari Singh into submission to Pakistan. Instead the
Maharaja appealed to Lord Mountbatten for assistance, and the Governor-General of the British (who were still in the process of
leaving) agreed to help, on the condition that the ruler accede to India. Once the Maharaja agreed, Indian soldiers entered Kashmir
and drove the Pakistani-rebels from all but a small section of the state. India accepted the accession, while reassuring the people
that the accession was provisional. India assured the Kashmiris that a poll would be held as soon as the conditions in Kashmir
were calmed (without any terror or rebellion or the presence of the Pakistani Army), ascertaining whether the disputed territory will
be part of India or Pakistan.
Kashmir leader Sheikh Abdullah endorsed the accession as ad-hoc that would be ultimately decided by a vote, and was appointed
as the head of the emergency administration. The Pakistani government immediately contested the accession, suggesting that it
was fraudulent, and that the Maharaja had no right to sign an agreement with India when the standstill agreement with Pakistan
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was still in force.

To Read about why the high voter count is a huge achievement for India, head to page 6

THE WOW ACTIVITY SECTION

WHAT DO YOU FEEL? WILL RAMBO BE ABLE TO STOP THE SPREAD OF EBOLA? GO TO PAGE 7 TO READ