Jammu Martyrs Day

Today, the people of Jammu & Kashmir on both sides of the Line of Control and rest of the world are observing 70th anniversary to pay tributes and commemorate the supreme sacrifices offered by Muslims of Jammu on this day in 1947 while migrating to Pakistan. The day is observed every year by Kashmiris to remember the martyrdom of over 250,000 people of Jammu including men, women and children who were mercilessly slaughtered by the armed Hindu gangsters and the Indian occupying Dogra military troops near Jammu-Sialkot working boundary under a preplanned conspiracy. The day is observed with the renewed pledge to continue the mission of Kashmiri martyrs to bring the Kashmir freedom struggle to its logical end In Azad Jammu & Kashmir it is a gazetted holiday and special ceremonies including seminars and symposiums are being held in all small and major towns of all nine districts of AJK including the capital city of Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Kotli, Bhimbher, Bagh, Rawalakot, Palandri, Havaili, Hattiyan and Neelam valley as well as in various parts of Pakistan. In Mirpur, a special prayer meeting to mark Jammu Martyrs Day is being held under the auspices of National Events Organizing Committee Mirpur. Participants will offer ‘Fateha’ for the departed souls of all the martyrs including the martyrs of Jammu & Kashmir who have gave supreme sacrifices in their struggle to get rid of Indian occupation. India has shown utter disregard to the UN resolution giving the Kashmiris to join India or Pakistan through plebiscite.
The partition plan of 3rd June 1947 envisaged that over 565 princely states would join India or Pakistan keeping in view the aspirations of their people and geographical contiguity. On 19th July 1947, Muslim Conference had organized a convention and passed a resolution for merging with Pakistan, which stated: “This convention of Muslim Conference has reached the conclusion that geographical conditions, 80 per cent Muslim population, important rivers of Punjab passing through the state, language, cultural, ethnic and economic relations and contiguity of the state with Pakistan make it imperative to merge with Pakistan”. India, however, occupied the State using military force and claimed it as an integral part of India. When volunteers from Azad Kashmir went to Kashmir to help their brethren, it was India that took the matter to the UN.
The occupied Kashmir comprises three principal regions: Kashmir valley, Jammu and Ladakh. Kashmir Valley is 95 per cent Muslim. Many rich Indian Hindus acquired immovable property on long lease, as non-Kashmiris are not allowed to buy property according a local law. Jammu region consists of six districts, is not in its entirety a Hindu majority area, as three of its districts on the right side of Chenab have a Muslim majority and constitute a distinct geographic entity. Three out of its six districts, namely Doda, Rajouri and Poonch have a Muslim majority of 60-65%. The total area of the three Hindu majority districts, namely Jammu, Kathua and Udhumpur is 10,298 sq KM, whereas the area of Muslim districts is 15,995 sq Km. i.e 50% more. In fact, Doda district alone is more than 11,691 sq Km, which is more than the three Hindu majority districts combined.
Udhumpur, a Hindu majority district only, 4550 Km in area and less than half of Doda, has a density of only 36, about 1/3rd of Udhumpur. Likewise, Kathua, a Hindu district has almost the same area as Muslim majority. Though both are equally a mix of plain and hilly areas, the former has population density of 139 while the latter has 115. These are proven examples of under enumeration of Muslims and over enumeration of non-Muslims. Only 2 lakh Punjabi Hindus and some Sikhs had gone to three Hindu districts in 1947, whereas horrific massacre had compelled the Muslims to migrate to Pakistan. Ladakh is not predominantly Buddhist but a Muslim majority area. It lies sprawled over 96,000 sq km, bigger than NWFP, and comprises two districts: Leh and Kargil, whereas Kargil has 84% Muslim majority.