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PARTITION: Tape 37 (cont)
Writer
255MODEM
Mod Date & Time
255MODEM Mar 08 09:51
Side B (cont)
G.M. SHERWANI
interviewed at his home in Baramulla on 8 March 1997
81-year old teacher, has nine children, performed Haj four times,
considerable figure in the community, bearded with Kashmir hat,
cheerful and outgoing, serving tea and Kashmiri snacks; one of
sons runs Sherwani Medical Store; says 'absolutely untrue' that
3,000 killed in Baramulla by raiders, and mentions two deaths -
one local Muslim and one nun
Baramulla at the west of the valley, and although the valley
continues up to Uri, it has the feeling of the end of the valley,
with steep hills towering, often swathed in clouds; often
described as the gateway to the valley
Kashmir 1: side B, from 70
75 > some reminscences about Maharaja Hara Singh - and
synopsis of later developments; 'Sheikh Abd was not
so popular at that time in the beginning ...
afterwards he became the great leader of Kashmiris'
110 - 'before coming of the raiders ... we heard there was a
turmoil verywhere in the K valley ... '; further
synopsis of events at partition time
135 - majority of raiders from NWFP; ' there were some Pathans
... tribal ... they were Pathans; ... there was
tremendous firing in the air, tremendous; we trembld
all ... very much frightened ... there was no
resistance in Baramulla'
161 - buildings set on fire by carelessness of raiders - may
have burnt down some also
170 - 'they came to my house ... my elder brother was dealing
in shoes and caps ... there was a boot shop ... all
that property we had brought to our home ... when
those [raiders] came we served them with tea,
afterwards went to hall and took shoes and some Jinnah
caps as to their choice, the rest one man bundled them
in a blanket and went away; we couldn't do anything ...
in case we stop them, may be thye will shoot us'
200 - re Indian troops, and Nehru's visit
236 - in 47 people in Baramulla 'were thinking about Pakistan
... cos B is gateway of the valley'; discussion 'shall
we remain independent, shall we go with Pak, shall we
go with India, it is today still a problem, we don't
know which way we have to go ... in case a referndum
had taken place at that time, I think, it's my
personal opinion, nobody can vote for Pakistan cos we
were blind followers' of Sheikh Abd
261 - 'I was myself a ML follower; I attended the mtg of Mr
Jinnah in Baramulla, and also his procession [? in
46] ... Jinnah was a great man ... he knew very
little Urdu, but he spoke in Urdu; he said: oh you,
people your God is one, your prophet is one, your qabah
is one, your kalima is one, be one, be united, be all
one. ' |
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