A rumor had spread in Gilgit that the Maharaja of the state of Kashmir was about to join India. Along with this, there was talk about a possible rebellion of the scouts. Slogans of Pakistan Zindabad and Maharaja of Kashmir Dead were written on the walls everywhere, even at the gate of the Governor House. I saw him, the governor, himself erasing the slogan. But the next morning they were written again, even on the gate of my house.’
These are the words of Major William Brown who was the British commander of the Gilgit Scouts in 1947 and was about to be part of a coup that resulted in the newly independent state of Pakistan becoming a major part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Along with Gilgit, this area also included the city of Skardu, which is now Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan. But this story begins in Gilgit in 1947.
This was the time when Pakistan and India had become independent, but the issue of accession of some other states, including the state of Jammu and Kashmir, had become controversial.
In such a situation, Major Brown, who is in Gilgit, writes in his book ‘Gilgit Rebellion’ i.e. ‘Gilgit Uprising’ that on the evening of October 25, 1947, ‘it was learned from the news that the Indian government has decided to send troops to Kashmir.’
A few days ago, tribal fighters had invaded Kashmir via Muzaffarabad and had reached near Srinagar.
It was then a part of present-day Gilgit-Baltistan, the state of Jammu and Kashmir. In his book ‘The Gilgit-Baltistan Conundrum: Dilemmas of Political Integration’, sociologist Saeed Ahmed writes that the state of Jammu and Kashmir had four units: Jammu Province, Kashmir Province, Gilgit District, and Ladakh District.
However, in 1935, the British took over the management of the Gilgit Agency from the Dogra ruler on a 60-year lease, while the Baltistan region remained directly under the Dogra rule.
Gilgit Mutiny, Governor Ghansara Singh and Major Brown
In ‘The Gilgit-Baltistan Conundrum: Dilemmas of Political Integration’, sociology teacher Saeed Ahmed writes that two weeks before the independence of India and Pakistan, the British suddenly canceled this lease, and on July 30, 1947, the British Commander-in-Chief of the Kashmir Army. Major General Scott arrived in Gilgit accompanied by Brigadier Ghansara Singh who was sent to Gilgit by the Maharaja of Kashmir as Governor.
Until then, the Maharaja had not decided to join Kashmir with Pakistan or India, but with the end of British rule, resistance against the Maharaja started in different parts of Kashmir and after the advance of the tribals towards Srinagar, the Maharaja on October 27 In 1947, it declared its accession to India.
According to Major Brown’s book, the Gilgit Scouts, who had already formed a Revolutionary Council, launched a mutiny under these circumstances on 31 October 1947 under the name ‘Operation Datta Khel’.
The mutiny began at Bunji near Gilgit where Muslim soldiers of the Kashmir State Army led by Mirza Hasan Khan attacked the Sikh companies of the Sixth Kashmir Infantry.
Meanwhile, Governor Ghansara Singh in Gilgit surrendered to Subedar Major Babur after some resistance. Major Brown also claims to have signed this document.
On November 1, 1947, a Provisional Government was established in Gilgit, which unconditionally acceded to Pakistan, and on November 16, 1947, the representative of the Government of Pakistan, Sardar Muhammad Alam Khan, arrived in Gilgit as a political agent.
Battle of Skardu
Retired Pakistani Brigadier Masood Ahmad Khan writes that at that time Major Aslam Khan (later Brigadier) was posted in Gilgit, anticipating the coming situation, started training volunteers including local scouts, and prepared four different armies One of them was named ‘Ibexforce’.
Aslam Khan was one of eight siblings, including Asghar Khan, who later became Air Chief Marshal and Chief of the Pakistan Air Force.
According to Masood Ahmad Khan, Skardu was located at an altitude of 7400 feet above sea level on the banks of the Indus River and was also of strategic importance. In such a situation, both Pakistan and India realized that control over Skardu was necessary. In those days, though the distance from Gilgit to Skardu was 160 miles, it used to be a 20-day journey.
It should be noted that Skardu was the political center of Baltistan and the headquarters of a tehsil of the Ladakh Ministry of Kashmir State where the administration of the Ministry spent six months every year while the remaining six months were posted in Leh.
According to S. Kumar Mahajan, the author of the book ‘Debacle in Baltistan’, a company of six battalions under the command of Major Sher Jang Thapa was present in Leh, who was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel to defend Skardu as soon as he got the news of the mutiny in Gilgit. Ordered to depart.
Siege of Skardu
According to Mahajan, when Sher Jang Thapa reached Skardu on December 3, 1947, he realized that his position was not strong. He requested more reinforcements, which were rejected, and told to ‘fight to the last man and the last round.’ Sher Jang Thapa established a defensive enclosure outside the city.
Earlier, according to Mahajan, the District Magistrate of Ladakh, Amarnath, who was in Skardu at the time, had marked where the planes could land to immediately transport Indian troops to Ladakh, Kargil, and Skardu. However, the Indian Army was busy on other fronts of Kashmir at that time and one of the problems according to Mahajan was that the planes of the Indian Air Force could not land at these places.
According to Ahmed Hasan Dani’s book ‘History of Northern Areas’, Major Aslam Khan also realized that if the Indian Army reached Skardu by planes like Srinagar, this city would be out of their hands. Time was short.
However, with the help of the Raja of Rondo near Skardu and organized planning, the IBEX force under the leadership of Major Ehsan managed to cross the first defensive line and reach Skardu. Troops of the 6th Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Battalion who escaped from Bunji were stationed at Kharpochu Fort in Skardu city, at ground point 8853 and in and around the cantonment.
In such a situation, the Indian High Command sent two additional companies from Srinagar to Skardu as reinforcements headed by Brigadier Faqir Singh.
The first formal attack on the Skardu cantonment was made on 11 February 1948 in which there was a fierce exchange of fire and according to the book ‘Stories of Heroism’ by author B Chakraborty, a six-hour standoff between the IBEX force and the entrenched troops took place on 11 February 1948. After a fight, the attackers retreated.
Further attacks were carried out during February and March, during which half of the positions, including Point 8853, were captured according to Masood Khan. Meanwhile, news came that a brigade-sized reinforcement led by Brigadier Faqir Singh was coming to rescue the besieged force in Skardu.
In such a situation, two platoons were sent towards the Kargil-Skardu road, where they ambushed and fired at the army of Indian soldiers and also pelted heavy stones from a height. Brigadier Faqir Singh and his advisers managed to escape with some soldiers due to low light while many others jumped into the river Indus and drowned.’
According to Mahajan, both the morale and supplies of Indian troops and their commander Sher Jang Thapa, who were besieged in Skardu, were decreasing. Meanwhile, the Indian Air Force airlifted some supplies to the fort.
Meanwhile, however, Major Ihsan sent a few troops beyond Skardu towards Kargil and Zojila, and in May 1948, elements of the Ibex Force succeeded in capturing Kargil and Drass through the Eskimo Force. Later they had to retreat as a result of operations by the Indian Army.
When Sher Jang Thapa surrendered
Meanwhile, 300 young men of Chitral Scouts and Chitral Body Guards under the leadership of Prince Muta-ul-Mulk and Major Burhanuddin reached Skardu where Muta-ul-Mulk sent a message to surrender but got no response.
Chandra B. Khanduri writes that by mid-August 1948, the Skardu garrison was in bad shape.
On August 13, 1948, the Kashmiri and Indian troops in Skardu left the fort in small pieces, and on August 14, 1948, after a long siege of 5 months, Lt. Col. Thapa, Capt. Ganga Singh, Capt. Prahadal Singh, Lt. Ajit Singh with 250 men. Surrendered with.’
According to historian Dr. Ahmad Hasan Dani, ‘The final victory was achieved with the help of the Chitral soldiers who gave the last blow under the command of Colonel Muta-ul-Mulk.’
At 1 am on 14 August 1948, the Pakistani flag was hoisted at the historic hilltop fort Kharpochu and Skardu became part of the Pakistan-administered Northern Territory along with South Baltistan.
Major Ehsan Ali was awarded the Star of Valor by the Government of Pakistan while Lt Col Sher Jang Thapa was later awarded the Mahavir Chakra by India.
After the war, he and other prisoners of war were sent back to India
📢 Join our WhatsApp Channel for the latest news and updates: Click Here
e7r93e