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Siraj Shah writes: :"From Salam Dalal to Shabir Shah :A chapter from recent political history of Kashmir (some stuff deleted) :In 1947-1948 the genuine voice of the people got drowned in the fast :and confusing developments in the state...arrival of Afridis, the :confusion of Sheikh Abdullah, and sudden departure of Maharaja from :Srinagar. :Was there a voice of dissent during this period? Yes, there was a :voice of dissent and in fact the battle lines had been clearly drawn. :But, there was total oppression and the voice of disagreement was :totally suppressed. It was an era of intimidation and terror. Pandit :Prem Nath Bazaz in his book, Kashmir's Freedom struggle calls it a :fascist era. Freedom of expression which had been earned from the :autocratic ruler was snatched away, press was muzzled, personal and :business post was censored. :About the Abdullah era of 1949-1953 M.S.Pampori in his book, "Kashmir :in Chains" 1819-1992", writes, "Abdullah, his emergency council and :interim government moved earth to suppress pro-Pakistan elements". :Quoting from the correspondence between Sardar Patel and Mr Mahajan, :Pampori writes, "Large number of officers and men are in custody :without charges or trial, corruption in National Conference is :rampant..., Gazetted and Non-Gazetted officers are made to obey the :orders of volunteers on threats of dismissal or arrest". :When seen in historical perspective, the Abdullah era of fifties seems :no different than the present rule in the state except for some :radical land reforms. Thousands were put behind bars for their :allegiance to any political party other than National Conference. :Workers of Muslim Conference, Kissan Mazdoor Conference and Kashmir :Socialist Party were targets of intimidation and terror. Dreadful :voice of National Conference hoodlums, "Hadri Chadri" still echo some :old people. It would mean anything from personal humiliation to loot. :Bazaz, drawing a graphic picture of the era writes in his book, :"History of freedom struggle in Kashmir" From October 1947, about ten :thousand people of various political organisations have been put :behind bars. Political workers of opposition parties whatever their :outlook, were deprived of their individual freedom. Even National :Conference workers who because of their bitter experience, expressed :themselves freely were not spared..... :..After 1953 the Abdullah era of oppression with the silver lining of :radical reforms of land to tiller and abolishing debt was over and :Bakshi reign started, which was an extension of the same policies as :were framed by Sheikh Abdullah." Few more of such posts from Mr. S.Shah and Gharib Hanif will be out on the streets looking for a job. According to the gospel propounded by Messrs. Hanif and MoinA, for last 150 years and till 1990 uprising, pandits had been muslim oppressors and now 25 years of this alleged pandit speciality are being chipped off and Abdullah and Bakshi are being blamed- unless of course these two are to be considered as "pandit renegades!". :Against this politics of "Hadri Chadri" (Hoodlum Politics) there were :scores of voices, like Chowdry Ghulam Abbas, Ghulam Nabi Gilkar, Abdul :Salam Yatoo, Prem Nath Bazaz, Jagar Nath Sathoo, Mir Abdul Aziz, :Pitambar Nath Fani, Noor Mohammad, Aga Showkat Ali, Mohammad Sikandar :Malik, Mohammad Yusuf Saraf, Mohammed Akram Lone, Amin Haider and :other hundreds of young men who were not swayed by the gale of :Abdullah propaganda. All of them were either sent across the Cease :Fire line (Now LOC) or put behind bars. Most of the opposition :politicians then were Against the Nehru-Sheikh Combine Nehru would dub :all politicians other than Sheikh Abdullah as reactionary...