A Symbol of Liberation and Struggle

Dr. Sahibzada Muhammad Usman

The people of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) celebrate annually the creation of their state on the 24th of October, 1947 which goes down vividly in the annuls of history and the hearts of the people of Kashmir. The founding day of Azad Kashmir is a symbol of victory and struggles for the right of self-governance. It does not cease to be a day devoted equally to traditional ethnic dynamism and national enthusiasm in the entire liberated zone, which brought into existence for the first time that first revolutionary regime which was to rise in revolt against oppression when ‘Ghazi-e-Millat’ Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan was at the helm of affairs.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir was established on October 24, 1947, symbolizing the struggle for self-governance against the Dogra regime.

After years of turmoil that saw the subcontinent going through the pains of partition a new history of Kashmir began in 1947. On the 24th of October of the same year, Azad Jammu and Kashmir formally achieved its independence which offered light to a nation that was thirsty for liberty. No doubt that today has a great historical meaning. It symbolizes victory whereby the male hegemonic Indigenous population with an unshakable desire to be free rebellion against the oppressive Dogra regime that had dominated for several years.

Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan is one of the giants in this revolution, in a meeting with the Srinagar residence he chaired the meeting in which the resolution of accession of Kashmir with Pakistan was passed. People owe their leadership to him for mobilizing the stranded Kashmiri will to struggle for independent rule resulting in the formation of Azad Jammu and Kashmir government.

This provisional government, established during the chaos of partition, defined itself as a “War Council” with a singular goal: freedom of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK). The formation of AJK was not merely a political decision but had incorporated an idea of, at least, millions – the freedom from political bondage, to attain the right to self-determination.

The day commemorates the leadership of Sardar Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, who played a pivotal role in the region’s independence.

This geographical area has gone through remarkable development during the last 77 years of its existence. The structure of the state resembles that of Pakistan with autonomous executive, legislative, and judicial branches. It has its president, prime minister, and flag, and it is an independent state. Nevertheless, there are some signs of autonomy, which are looked large due to unrest of simmering unresolved Kashmir issue, for which the people of AJK and their fellow beings in IIOJK are still struggling. The blood of the Kashmiri martyrs and heroes of the liberation movement has not gone to waste and the people of Kashmir remember the sacrifices of the liberation movement, and they continue to struggle for their rights.

Surprisingly, Azad Kashmir Founding Day is not merely an occasion to remember history but an occasion to rise and fight for the rights of those people who are suffering in occupied Kashmir. AJK foreign policy makers in collaboration with Pakistan have been successful in keeping the Kashmir issue on the international agenda.

Pakistan has never doubted ‘Kashmir’, which is part of its foreign as well as military policy. This rooted relationship can be manifested through the assertive stand of Pakistan towards Such right of self-governance for the people of Kashmir is there in international law and several resolutions passed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Celebrations include a 21-gun salute, prayers for prosperity, and tributes to martyrs of the liberation movement.

Among the important problems that attract the attention of the world community, the unresolved status of IIOJK remains significant. Thus, as rightly observed by the organized world under the auspices of the UNSC, India’s bid to transform the situation through legislation is not acknowledged legally. The Kashmiri people, especially in IIOJK have suffered greatly in resisting the Indian occupation: total lives lost may be reckoned at thousands. But they will not be forgotten for the sacrifices they made in the struggle.

The founder of Azad Kashmir is remembered in special ways all over the AJK on Azad Kashmir Founding Day. The day starts with the firing of a 21-gun salute aimed at marking the state capital which is a symbolic event to show that the event is important. In mosques, special supplications are made for the prosperity of Pakistan and the earliest possible liberation of IIOJK. These prayers are the part and parcels of the spiritual angle of the struggle and that struggle is not only political but also the moral and spiritual one with divine backing.

In all the districts of AJK, the flag is hoisted and the national as well as the state flag flies high in the air. The unknown warriors are commemorated by special wreaths placed at the graves meant to remind the people of their debt to the martyrs of the liberation movement. These occasions are usually graced with the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Chief Secretary as well as directly elected members of the AJK Legislative Assembly. The speeches reiterate the resolve of the Kashmiri leadership to continue the struggle for liberation as well as the solidarity of the people of Azad Kashmir with their fellowmen in IIOJK.

The ongoing struggle for the rights of Kashmiris in Indian-occupied territories remains a central theme of the celebrations.

Simply put, Azad Kashmir Founding Day enculturates the spirit of enduring nature, the struggles, and the courage with which the people of Kashmir have been fighting for their independence. While people celebrate these occasions in different parts of the state, which is otherwise called to remind the world, how the Kashmiri people have been demanding their right to self-determination for the past many decades. The day signifies the expected future when the whole state of Jammu and Kashmir would be liberated from subjugation and access to Pakistan, as was planned by the first PM of AJK and the founder of Azad Kashmir in 1947.

The writer holds a PhD in geopolitics and is the author of ‘Different Approaches on Central Asia: Economic, Security, and Energy’ with Lexington, USA.