To Madhu Kishwar About Yasin Malik : :By Amanullah Khan (Patron, JKLF)
As one of the founders of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and now its patron-in-chief, I owe it to JKLF as well as to the readers of Greater Kashmir (GK) to explain real facts about several matters related to JKLF contained in ‘An Open Letter to Yasin Malik’ from Mr. Madhu Kishwar, founder editor, MANUSHI and a senior follow, Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, published in GK on Nov 15, 2009. First of all, Mr. Kishwar says “It also makes me very uneasy that the JKLF does not even have a constitution, leave alone any democratic machinery for managing its affairs.” Although it is not clear from Mr. Kishwars statement whether Mr. Yasin Malik has said so or it is Mr. Kishwar’s own guess, it is a white lie. Mr. Yasin Malik’s group may or may not be having one, but the original and ideological JKLF does have a constitution and a comprehensive one too. It is published in Urdu language and is spread over about 60 pages and divided into 30 Articles, most of these Articles further divided into sections and sub-sections. Its Preamble has been written by me. The main features of JKLF Ideology are divided into 12 items and spread over 2 pages whereas its Aims and Objectives are divided into 15 items. Our Policy Planning Committee (sort of a Think Tank) evolves our policies regarding important matters after fully analysing all aspects of the matter and hands it over to our highest authority, the Central Executive Committee (CEC) which discusses the matter further and amends / approves it before taking practical steps for its implementation. Our constitution explains Rights and Duties of all its institutions, office bearers and ordinary members. We have regular elections of office bearers of all levels and of committees. Each colour of our tri-colour flag has two meanings. Green colour represents the greenery of the State and its Muslim majority and white colour represents non-Muslims of the State and our peaceful (political and diplomatic) struggle for our freedom. The beauty of the matter is that the ratio between green and white colours of the flag is the same as between Muslim and non-Muslim population of the whole State. By the word ‘Azadi’ we mean an independent Jammu Kashmir State (whose borders will be the same as they were on August 14-15, 1947) having a democratic (parliamentary), federal (with five provinces namely Kashmir Valley, Jammu, Ladakh, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan each having maximum possible internal autonomy with a bi-cameral parliament at the centre) and secular system of government. What is all the more important; our independent Jammu Kashmir must have real friendship and treaties of peaceful co-existence with all its immediate neighbours. We have a road-map leading to a peaceful, equitable, honourable, democratic and permanent solution of Kashmir Issue with the only proviso that both India and Pakistan see reason and do not stand in the way of its implementation but unfortunately they don’t bother to listen to REASON.
Mr. Yasin Malik may or may not be a true follower of Mahatma Gandhi but we in the original and ideological JKLF are nearer to the ideology of late Subhas Chandra Bose as compared to that of Mahatma Gandhi. As a matter of fact, the head of the militant wing of our JKNLF (the predecessor of JKLF) major (R) Amanullah Khan had been an active member of Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) while a prisoner of war in Japan and a devoted follower of Netaji. I personally have the honour of knowing the great Indian leader Jai Parkash Narayan. I was in correspondence with him before and after meeting him in Karachi in Sixties where I had several lengthy sittings with him on Kashmir Issue. He was really a great man and real supporter of Kashmiris’ cause.
It seems to be in the fitness of things to mention here that we do not accept Jammu Kashmir State (as it existed on Aug 15, 1947) or any part of it as an integral or constitutional part of India or of Pakistan and that we are not the enemies of the people, the territories or the Sovereignty of India or Pakistan. Our fight is against those parts of government machineries of India and Pakistan which have been denying us our fully deserved and pledged rights specially our right of Self-determination. These denials being of different magnitudes, we also respond to them accordingly. I have all along been taken as a ‘hostile element’ by the governments of both India and Pakistan often dubbing me as each others agent. In 1970-72 I remained imprisoned in Gilgit for about 15 months initially dubbed as Indian agent while during the same period I was being tried in a Jammu court in absentia dubbed as Pakistan’s agent. My compatriot Shaheed Maqbool Butt spent about 10 years in Indian and Indian controlled Kashmir Jails as an agent of Pakistan and was finally sent to gallows whereas he remained in Pakistani jails for over 3 years dubbed as an Indian agent but finally acquitted honourably. Indian government got me arrested in England under a secret business deal with the British government in 1985 and when after over 15 months of imprisonment, the court acquitted me of all baseless charges, Indian government got me deported from England. Indian government also got Interpol warrants of arrest issued against me and I was arrested in Belgium in 1993 where I had been invited by European Parliament to participate in a discussion on Kashmir Issue. Indian government got me arrested by Interpol and I had to spend 10 weeks in Belgian jails before the Belgian court turned down Indian demand for my extradition to India and deported me to Pakistan. On her part, the government of Pakistan put my name on the Exit Control List (ECL) and also confiscated my passport in 2003 with the result that I just can’t get out of Pakistan to lobby for my cause on international level. India’s actions against me are also aimed at keeping me from projecting my cause on international level.
Coming back to Mr. Kishwars open letter to Yasin Malik, Mr. Kishwar says that Yasin Malik claims that he was the first person to take up the gun for Azadi. I don’t Know whether Yasin Malik claims so or not, but the fact is that Maqbool Butt, Major Amanullah, Aurangzeb, Kala Khan, Mir Ahmed etc (of JKNLF) took up gun for Azadi in 1966. Aurangzeb of Gilgit got killed by Indian army in September 1966 near Sopore while Maqbool Butt, Kala Khan and Mir Ahmad were arrested. Even during the phase of armed freedom struggle that was started in 1988 by JKLF, Yasin Malik was not the first to take up the gun for Azadi. Hundreds of JKLF members had already taken up the guns for Azadi when he joined us.
Mr. Madhu Kishwar would do a great service to India, to his own organization and of course, to the people of Jammu Kashmir State, if he persuades the government of India to act as the government of a civilized nation and honour her own pledges and declarations made on national and international level about Kashmir specially the pledge made in the highest international forum (the UN Security Council) by India’s representative late Gopala Sawami Ayangar on January 15, 1948. He had declared on behalf of India, “whether she (Kashmir) should withdraw from her accession to India or either accede to Pakistan or remain Independent with a right to claim admission as a member of the United Nations-all this we have recognized to be a matter for unfettered decision by the people of Kashmir after normal life is restored there”. Let Indian government declare publicly that she was going to honour that pledge in letter and spirit and if Pakistan does not agree to honour her pledges given to Kashmiris, we will be with India to fight against Pakistan.
Amanullah Khan
Patron-in-chief JKLF
Email: amanullahkhan1931@gmail.com
Mr. Yasin Malik may or may not be a true follower of Mahatma Gandhi but we in the original and ideological JKLF are nearer to the ideology of late Subhas Chandra Bose as compared to that of Mahatma Gandhi. As a matter of fact, the head of the militant wing of our JKNLF (the predecessor of JKLF) major (R) Amanullah Khan had been an active member of Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) while a prisoner of war in Japan and a devoted follower of Netaji. I personally have the honour of knowing the great Indian leader Jai Parkash Narayan. I was in correspondence with him before and after meeting him in Karachi in Sixties where I had several lengthy sittings with him on Kashmir Issue. He was really a great man and real supporter of Kashmiris’ cause.
It seems to be in the fitness of things to mention here that we do not accept Jammu Kashmir State (as it existed on Aug 15, 1947) or any part of it as an integral or constitutional part of India or of Pakistan and that we are not the enemies of the people, the territories or the Sovereignty of India or Pakistan. Our fight is against those parts of government machineries of India and Pakistan which have been denying us our fully deserved and pledged rights specially our right of Self-determination. These denials being of different magnitudes, we also respond to them accordingly. I have all along been taken as a ‘hostile element’ by the governments of both India and Pakistan often dubbing me as each others agent. In 1970-72 I remained imprisoned in Gilgit for about 15 months initially dubbed as Indian agent while during the same period I was being tried in a Jammu court in absentia dubbed as Pakistan’s agent. My compatriot Shaheed Maqbool Butt spent about 10 years in Indian and Indian controlled Kashmir Jails as an agent of Pakistan and was finally sent to gallows whereas he remained in Pakistani jails for over 3 years dubbed as an Indian agent but finally acquitted honourably. Indian government got me arrested in England under a secret business deal with the British government in 1985 and when after over 15 months of imprisonment, the court acquitted me of all baseless charges, Indian government got me deported from England. Indian government also got Interpol warrants of arrest issued against me and I was arrested in Belgium in 1993 where I had been invited by European Parliament to participate in a discussion on Kashmir Issue. Indian government got me arrested by Interpol and I had to spend 10 weeks in Belgian jails before the Belgian court turned down Indian demand for my extradition to India and deported me to Pakistan. On her part, the government of Pakistan put my name on the Exit Control List (ECL) and also confiscated my passport in 2003 with the result that I just can’t get out of Pakistan to lobby for my cause on international level. India’s actions against me are also aimed at keeping me from projecting my cause on international level.
Coming back to Mr. Kishwars open letter to Yasin Malik, Mr. Kishwar says that Yasin Malik claims that he was the first person to take up the gun for Azadi. I don’t Know whether Yasin Malik claims so or not, but the fact is that Maqbool Butt, Major Amanullah, Aurangzeb, Kala Khan, Mir Ahmed etc (of JKNLF) took up gun for Azadi in 1966. Aurangzeb of Gilgit got killed by Indian army in September 1966 near Sopore while Maqbool Butt, Kala Khan and Mir Ahmad were arrested. Even during the phase of armed freedom struggle that was started in 1988 by JKLF, Yasin Malik was not the first to take up the gun for Azadi. Hundreds of JKLF members had already taken up the guns for Azadi when he joined us.
Mr. Madhu Kishwar would do a great service to India, to his own organization and of course, to the people of Jammu Kashmir State, if he persuades the government of India to act as the government of a civilized nation and honour her own pledges and declarations made on national and international level about Kashmir specially the pledge made in the highest international forum (the UN Security Council) by India’s representative late Gopala Sawami Ayangar on January 15, 1948. He had declared on behalf of India, “whether she (Kashmir) should withdraw from her accession to India or either accede to Pakistan or remain Independent with a right to claim admission as a member of the United Nations-all this we have recognized to be a matter for unfettered decision by the people of Kashmir after normal life is restored there”. Let Indian government declare publicly that she was going to honour that pledge in letter and spirit and if Pakistan does not agree to honour her pledges given to Kashmiris, we will be with India to fight against Pakistan.
Amanullah Khan
Patron-in-chief JKLF
Email: amanullahkhan1931@gmail.com
To Read Madhu Kishwar's Open Letter to Yasin Malik, Please visit
Dear Mr Amanullah Khan,
ReplyDeleteFirst a simple clarification. I am not a "Mr". I am a woman.
I found the information you provided reagrding the history of JKLF quite interesting. However, it is still not clear to me what is the nature of the relationship of your JKLF with the JKLF headed by Yasin Malik.
You say you follow the ideology of Subhash Chandra Bose. Mr Bose's romance with the gun was substantailly different from JKLF's romance. It did not target innocents. It was meant to fight only the British army. In any case that adventure also proved to be rather naive and wasteful.
Mr. Khan ( THE GREAT WARRIOR OF KASHMIR ),
ReplyDeletewhich part of ur consitution led u KILL Kashmiri Pandits.