Undoing a 1947 Fraud - Reclaiming Gilgit Baltistan

 

The recent four-day (May 7-10, 2025) skirmishes between India and Pakistan, followed by the 12-day Iran-Israel conflict (13-24 June, 2025), have exposed the underlying geopolitical undercurrents of cruel power games being played by the current global powers. The events have brought back memories of the 19th century Great Game played between the Imperial powers -Britain and Russia. In this world of subtle power games, nations will never stop taking advantage of whoever or whatever comes in handy to achieve their immediate vital goals. Or that the Great Game will not be played again in Central Asia – Middle East with different issues at stake and with a different set of parameters. The British successfully used religion to fulfil their political and strategic objectives in India by partitioning it; the Americans have replicated the policy since 1947-48 by aligning themselves with elements within the Pakistani Army – every Pakistani Tin pot Dictator has had friends in the Pentagon and the State Dep’t. The White House luncheon invitation to Gen Asim Munir is the latest confirmation of the trend! The entry of China as the third player has only added extra mischief to the simmering political cauldron. Gilgit-Baltistan, with borders proximal to China, the Central Asian region besides Afghanistan, Pakistan and India is probably a piece of real estate being coveted by every major or aspiring power. Situated in the north-western part of the original State of J&K, Gilgit Baltistan was fraudulently snatched from its lawful owners (Maharaja Hari Singh and the State of India) in November 1947 by the British in a diabolical political manoeuvre. It has remained under disputed Pakistani control since then. Gilgit Baltistan used to be a predominantly Shia (>80%) region with Ismailis making up the next higher group. Over the last 75 years, Pakistan has ensured that Shias have been reduced to a religious minority. People have been complaining of a notable erosion of Gilgit-Baltistan’s political and constitutional autonomy, culminating in a profound financial crisis. The local inhabitants of Gilgit-Baltistan have been subjected to resource exploitation, particularly exacerbated by the introduction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project (CPEC), which has adversely impacted the livelihoods of those residing in the region. The entire region of Gilgit-Baltistan has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and between India and China since 1959. Background: Historically, in the first half of nineteenth century, Ladakh province, including Gilgit, Baltistan, Nagar, Hunza became a part of Maharaja Gulab Singh’s territory due to the valour of his able general, Zorawar Singh Kahluria. The Raja of Ladakh had paid nominal tribute to the Tibetans, the Mughals, and the rulers of Kashmir at different points, and the kingdom had remained semi-autonomous due to its distance, terrain, and climate. The Ladakhis had at this point stopped paying their annual tributes and Gulab Singh saw it as an excellent opportunity to gain a foothold and perhaps take over the valuable Ladakhi shawl trade. Between 1834-39, General Zorawar Singh was able to conquer various parts of Ladakh. Following a series of battles, the Dogra army secured a decisive victory over Ladakh in 1835, controlling Kargil (then called Purig), Zanskar and Ladakh. In 1839-40, the General set his eyes on the province of Baltistan, another arid but strategic zone, to the west of Ladakh. Routes across the Karakoram Mountains passed through this region. Using all his experience and guile, he overcame the obstacles of terrain and entrenched Balti soldiers to capture Skardu, the seat of Balti power. In May 1841, Zorawar Singh marched a 5,000-strong army into the territory of Tibet. Thus, entire territory of Ladakh became a part of the J&K State and   remained so till the 1947-48 war with Pakistan. The Great Game: During the 19th century, a political and diplomatic confrontation developed between Britain and Russia over Afghanistan which would become known as The Great Game. The shadow boxing and distrust between the two powerful empires became a cause of concern for both. Post Russian Revolution (1917), suddenly, the British became aware of the strategic importance of Gilgit Baltistan as a bulwark against the expanding Soviet influence. The British, from 1931, started putting pressure on Maharaja Hari Singh of J&K to cede control of Gilgit Baltistan to them – the Maharaja succumbed in 1935 and on March 26th 1935, Maharaja ceded control and administration of Gilgit town plus most of the Gilgit Agency and the hillstates Hunza, Nagar, Yasin and Ishkoman for 60 years to the British – a deed signed by Maharaja and Mr LE Lang, on behalf of the British Crown. The British had, in 1913, created a special armed force known as Gilgit Scouts, led by British officers on loan from the British Army, to control the territory. Rewarding the Traitor: Once partition of India was announced, the British cancelled the lease and entire Gilgit Baltistan was handed over to Maharaja Hari Singh on August 1, 1947. Maharaja appointed Brig Ghansara Singh as the Governor of GB, who was accorded a joyous welcome by the local populace. Brig Ghansara Singhhad the Mirs of Hunza and Nagar and Raja of Punial and Chieftains of Koh Gizar, Yasinand Askoman as his subordinate chiefs. Out of all these influential heavyweights, the new Governor enjoyed the support of all except that of the Mirs of Hunza and Nagar, who were decidedly hostile to him. However, the British were aware that since the Maharaja was inclined towards acceding to India, they would lose control over the Northern Territories. They meticulously planned a division of J&K and the major players were Maj Gen Henry Lawrence Scott, the Chief of State Forces, George Cunningham, Governor of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Maj William Brown and Capt Matheson, both officers of Gilgit Scouts. Titled Operation “Datta Khel,” the strategy to oust the governor and hand over Gilgit to Pakistan was planned well in advance by Lieutenant Colonel Roger Bacon, the outgoing political agent at that time. Around midnight of 31 Oct- 01 Nov 1947, about 100 men of Gilgit Scouts under Maj Brown, Lt Hyder Khan and Sub Maj Babar Khan, surrounded Governor’s house. Some of them tried to intrude inside the house to capture the Governor in sleep. However, the gutsy Brigadier, along with his orderly and driver drove away the intruders by using whatever weapon they had; Governor used his pistol, whereas the other two used a twelve- bore shot gun and a sports gun, respectively. The skirmish resulted in the death of two Scouts men. The Scouts now resorted to machine gun fire, which continued till early morning. In the late morning, Maj Brown sent a terse message to the Governor to surrender or else, he threatened, that all non-Muslims in Gilgit would be massacred. With practically nothing or no one available to defend his position Brig Ghansara Singh surrendered and was immediately putunder arrest. When people learnt about it, they flocked to Gigit and protested vehemently. On Nov 1, Maj WA Brown and Capt. Mathieson declared accession of Gilgit with Pakistan by raising the Pakistani flag. The Muslim elements of the StateForces joined the rebels and executed the non-Muslim troops. Colonel AslamKhan was given the command of the force by the Azad Kashmir provisional government. The combined force conquered Skardu (the capital of Baltistan) and threatened Ladakh, leading to the eventual formation of Gilgit-Baltistan which continues to beunder Pakistani control. The exploits of Maj Brown are well documented. He is said to have flown to Karachi soon after Independence was declared, to meet the then rulers of Pakistan and offer GB to them on a plate. Interesting to note, before he was to meet Liaquat Ali Khan, he was asked by the British Army brass to avoid sharing too much information with political leadership of Pakistan. Though Maj Brown had committed ‘treason’ in military terms by violating the official orders and policy of the British Govt, he was rewarded with an MBE (Member of Most Exalted Order of the British Empire) in 1948, for services rendered to the British Empire. After returning from Gilgit in January 1948, Brown was transferred to the Frontier Constabulary, where he served for the next two years. Brown remained in Pakistan for the next few years and returned to the United Kingdom with his family in 1959; he died in 1984. The Government of Pakistan posthumously awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz to Brown in 1993. Brig Ghansara Singh, last Governor of GilgitThe Traitor of Gilgit- Maj William Brown To understand why Kashmir is disputed till today, reference to ‘Untold Story of Partition’, by Narendra Singh Sarila, a diplomat and one time ADC to Lord Mountbatten, is necessary. He has deftly used the declassified British Records, official correspondence, and US & European sources to describe how British cast their fortune with Pakistan after Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s assurances that the newly formed Pakistan will ally with British to dispossess India of strategic princely state of Jammu and Kashmir. The so-called Pak raiders ingress into J&K soon after creation of Pakistan was fulfilling that promise. Britain was bound to protect its strategic and economic interests from the damaging consequences of its withdrawal from its vast, two-century old Empire in India – particularly after the rise of Soviet influence, post WW II. How this was done by outmanoeuvring the Indian leaders and partitioning India is a fascinating story narrated by NS Sarila! The miscalculations of the Indian leadership, their upholding ‘ideals’ divorced from realities and their inexperience in the field of international real-politic emerge in their own words (verbal as well as written) in the records so carefully maintained by the British! Indian Army pushed the raiders back to an extent, particularly in the tough terrain of Ladakh. On Nov 1, 1948 under the command of Lt Col Rajinder S Sparrow, Stuart Tanks of the 7 Light Cavalry captured the 11000 ft Zoji La pass, shocking the Pakistani Army which could never imagine tanks at this height! The untimely ceasefire enforced on the advancing Indian Army worked in favour of British design resulting into nearly half J&K under illegal Pak occupation. With aggressive pushing by Lord Mountbatten, the matter was taken to UN. The matter came to a head at the UN in October 1948 when British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin spilled the beans in a conversation with his US counterpart Mr. George Marshal, “the main issue was who would control the main artery leading into Central Asia. Indian proposal will leave that in their hands.” It is argued that had India signed ‘the Stand Still Agreement’ with Maharaja of J&K, a military intervention could have been possible well before the signing of Instrument of Accession and entire J&K would have been saved for accession thus defeating the British in this game. But Pt Nehru, to humiliate Maharaja Hari Singh, insisted that Maharaja hand over power to Sheikh Abdullah – a condition that was not imposed on any other princely state – that the Maharaja was ultimately exiled from his own state only confirms Nehru’s bias and venality. Pakistan was in a hurry to annex J&K to please its creator -the British. Since road connectivity to J&K was through Pakistan (Sialkot and Muzaffarabad), despite having signed Stand Still Agreement, Pakistan first imposed an economic blockade and later attacked Kashmir in October 1947. The rest is a history. Why was the ceasefire enforced when Indian Army was on a winning spree in all theatres of war, from Ladakh to Muzaffarabad to Poonch is a mystery. This should also be the subject matter of scholar’s agenda. However, the complicity of the British with Pakistan in handling entire issue of Kashmir becomes evident. Socio-political unrest in GB is a matter of cautious concern for India. Gilgit Baltistan area is at least 6-8 times bigger than POJK. Its strategic importance can be judged from the fact that its borders touch not just Pakistan (KhyberPakhtoonwa) but also China, Afghanistan and are a gateway to the old Silk Route to Central Asian nations. Gilgit dominates one of the caravan routes from Srinagarto Kashgar, passing through Gurez-Burzil or Kamri-Mintaka Pass. Gurez also dominates an equally important route that takes off towards east, followed the Indus to Skardu anthem on to Kargil and Leh. Importance of this route in strategic terms, at the outbreak of 1947-48 the hostilities, was obvious as Kargil was connected directly to Srinagar via Dras, Zojilaand Baltal. There were other shorter and tactically invaluable tracks which cross overthe Deosai Plateau, a table top plain stretch at 4270 meters, lying between Korakoram and Himalayan Ranges. Another track thatemanates from the junction of Indus and Shyok Rivers goes eastwards along Shyok Riverand follows the old caravan route to Leh and Yarkand. Given the fluid geo-political conditions of the world today and particularly, the socio-economic crisis that besets Pakistan, it is only a matter of time (5 years) before Pakistan implodes. Its inherent contradictions shall ensure multiple disintegrations over the next decade. It is being kept artificially alive by America because it suits US policy; China too is propping it up as it has made heavy investments in Pakistan. Rumblings for secession have become loud in Baluchistan – other provinces too are straining at the leash! As I write this, China appears to be grappling with its internal political uncertainties with rumours about weakening of Xi Jinping. There is a groundswell of public opinion in India that time has come for India to reclaim POJK including GB. Certain military analysts are arguing that Gilgit – Baltistan can become a part of India even before POJK returns given that GB is sparsely populated compared to POJK (1:4 ratio). With Operation Sindoor in a ‘pause mode’ it appears time for undoing the fraud of 1947-48 is very near! The troubled soul of Major Brown and the valiant deeds of our unsung hero of siege of Skardu (1948), Major Sher Jung Thapa, MVC, of 6 J&K Infantry shall find their due only then.

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Courtesy:  SANJEEV MUNSHI and  Spade A Spade 2025