On June 21, 1931, a Chalo programme made people assemble at Shah-e-Hamdaan’s shrine at Khankah-i-Mohalla. Seven representatives were elected to take the movement forward. This function changed the course of Kashmir history. Qadeer delivered his historic speech at this function
Zahir-ud-Din
The chalo programme is not a new invention. It has roots in Kashmir history. Chalo programmes are still considered important for the movement. Nothing has changed; not even the official response to such programmes. Chalo programmes consumed people in autocratic regime and the `democratic’ rule has been more ruthless.
People continue to get killed.
The first chalo programme was organized on April 29, 1865 by shawl weavers at Zaldagar. However, then it was not called Chalo. The shawl weavers were asked to assemble at a particular place at Zaldagar to protest heavy taxation on the shawl industry.
Faced with starvation, the shawl weavers of Srinagar chose to fight. On April 29, 1865 they assembled in a ground near Zaldagar. Effigies of Dhar, the inspector of the Daag Shawl Department were torched. Dhar called on the then Governor Kripa Ram. He told him the protesters had plans to march towards his residence. Kripa Ram sent his soldiers to `teach weavers a lesson’. The soldiers led by Col Bijoy Singh stormed the protesters and herded them towards a narrow bridge on Kut-e-Kul. The bridge, Hajj Rather Sum, collapsed. Twenty-eight protesters were drowned and scores injured.
According to noted paediatrician and author of Wounded Paradise, the soldiers opened indiscriminate fire killing 28 weavers on the spot. Notwithstanding severe restrictions on movement, the people fished out all the bodies from the river and decided to march to Maharaja Ranbir Singh’s palace along with the bodies next morning. However, a historian believes the people did not wait till next morning. They marched towards the palace same evening. The procession was intercepted. Scores of weavers including their leaders were taken into custody. Sheikh Rasool and Abli Baba were tortured to death in a dungeon in Shergarhi palace.
No chargesheet was produced in any court against others. Hundreds of weavers were detained in a jail at Habak where many of them died due to cold and hunger. Quda Lal and Ali Paul were detained at Bahu Fort where they died due to tuberculosis.
On June 21, 1931, another Chalo programme made people assemble at Shah-e-Hamdaan’s shrine at Khankah-i-Mohalla. Seven representatives were elected to take the movement forward. The members included Saad-ud-Din Shawl, Mirwaiz Moulvi Yusuf Shah, Mirwaiz Ahmadullah Hamdani, Aga Syed Hasan Jalali, Khawaja Ghulam Ahmad Ashai, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah and Munshi Shuhab-ud-Din.
Abdul Qadeer Khan delivered his historic speech at this function. When the leaders dispersed a young man appeared on the podium and started chanting slogans against Hindus. He said: “Listen. Time has come when we have to act. Requests and memoranda will serve no purpose at this point of time. It will not end tyranny and it will not end desecration of Quran. Stand up upon your legs and fight the tyrant rulers.” He pointed towards Raj Mahal (Palace) and said: “Raze it to the ground.”
This Chalo programme changed the course of Kashmir history. Qadeer was put on trial. On July 13, 1931 Dogra soldiers opened fire killing scores of persons who had assembled outside Srinagar Central Jail to express solidarity with Qadeer. The massacre triggered massive protests across the sub-continent. Protests were held at New Delhi, Lucknow, Lahore and elsewhere. Kashmir committee headed by Dr Sir Muhammad Iqbal (RA) urged the people of the sub-continent to observe August 14 as Kashmir day. The local leadership also called for Naqashband Sahib Chalo on August 14, 1931.
A large number of people including women assembled at the shrine. Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, Chowdhary Ghulam Abbas and Mistri Muhammad Yaqoub addressed them. Blood soaked clothes of martyrs were displayed here as well. Soon after a rally was held at Jamia Masjid, Srinagar. The kith and kin of the martyrs were introduced to the people. Amid sobs, the people expressed determination to continue the struggle despite odds. Sheikh Abdullah after reciting few verses of the holy Quran addressed the rally.
Mirwaiz Yusuf Shah gave a new turn to the freedom movement in September 1931. He called for Jihad much to the annoyance of the Maharaja and asked people to assemble at Khanyar on September 24. Mirwaiz’s Khanyar Chalo programme evoked massive response. Thousands of people came out with shovels, axes, sticks and assembled at Khanyar near Dastgeer Sahib’s shrine on September 24. Some people were also armed with guns. However, no untoward incident took place.
The protests against July 13 incident continued for several months. The protests turned violent in September with the arrest of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah and other leaders. Mirwaiz responded by calling for Jihad. Maharaja was forced to promulgate an ordinance called notification 19-L. It had been drafted on the lines of Burma ordinance of 1818. It was also called as Burma ordinance. Non compliance of the ordinance could win a person imprisonment upto three years or flogging upto 30 strips or fine upto Rs 1000. However, the people ignored the ordinance and assembled at Khanyar.
Srinagar was tense. Maharaja called Mirwaiz and his colleagues to his palace. According to Shabnam Qayoom (Siyasi Inqilaab, Vol I), Maharaja was furious. He came out without wearing his head gear. He had a pistol in his hand and scolded the Mirwaiz. The people were later told to disperse. They obeyed and dispersed peacefully.
The Maharaja responded with brute force. A massive military parade was held in Srinagar on September 25. People were arrested and flogged in four flogging centres established at Central Jail, Exhibition grounds, Police Station Maharaj Gunj and Police Station Kothibagh. People were forced to say: “Maharaja Bahadur Ki Jai.” The courageous people chanted the words but behaved as if it had caused nausea. Angered, the soldiers arrested hundreds of persons and flogged them. Three persons died as a result of flogging. The most notable among them was Moulvi Ahmadullah of Baramulla. One Ghulam Bhat of Srinagar died in Kothibagh Police station. Similarly Ahmad Bhat of Srinagar died in Central Jail.
Flogging of protesters evoked severe reaction in other parts of the state including the city of Jammu. Maharaja had to extend 19-L to whole of the state.
(To be concluded)
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