Awami Raj in early years (1947) was a complete travesty! (Guest Post)

Professor Manohar Nath Tikoo (Narrator)

The State was under dual control; Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah an emergency Head and Mehar Chand Mahajan the Prime Minister of J&K State, headed by Mahraja Hari Singh Bahadur, Mahraja Jammu Kashmir Ladakh Gilgat ve Tibetha.

Location:              
Anantnag - Kashmir


Characters: 
(i)    Omkar Nath Kachroo from Rainawari - Srinagar. 
(ii)   Mirza Mohammad Afzal Beig (Emergency Head from National Conference.
(iii)  Pundit Rugh Nath Matoo, Dy. Commissioner, Anantnagh 1947 in the Government of the   then Mahraja Hari Singh Bahadur, Mahraja Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh ve Tibet ha.


(iv)  Soom Nath Koul, Office Superintendent to DC Anantnagh - Kashmir : he was from Srinagar and living in close neighbourhood of Prof. M N Tikoo.

(v)   SHO, Ram Chand Kishtwari, a good looking, tall, fair complexioned personality.
(vi)  Nand Lal Reshi who accompanied handcuffed Prof. M N Tikoo to give him moral support.

Prof. M N Tikoo: 
“I chanced to see Omkar Nath Kachroo from Rainawari, one of my classmates (DAV College, Srinagar) in one of the lanes near bus stand Anantnagh. We exchanged pleasantries and parted. I told my father that I met one of my friends and classmate at the bus stand. My father directed me to rush back and invite my friend on morning meal the next day. Next day, I went to some neighbour’s to call one of the family on the morning meal. To my surprise, in the neighbour’s yard, I was surrounded by a team of Policemen. Knowing that I am Manohar Nath Tikoo, they handcuffed me with a grass rope as the iron ones were out of stock. I could understand that I was being shadowed by CID people for the last 24 hours. They asked me if I knew Omkar Nath Kachroo and if he was at my place. I replied that he was my classmate and he was expected any time to have lunch at my place. My father and Nand Lal Reshi accompanied me for moral support. I was taken for interrogation to the hostel of Hanfia School. Many like me had to wait in the courtyard of the hostel for their call by the authorities upstairs. 


Late in the evening, darkness all around as those days Anantnagh had no electricity, someone called Manohar Nath is called to present himself before the authorities upstairs. I, handcuffed in a grass rope responded and went to the hall in dim light of some gas lamp. In the hall Mirza Afzal Beig was surrounded by DC Rugh Nath Matoo, his office Superintendent Soom Nath Koul, Advocate Damoodar Bhat, Manohar Nath Karihaloo(Koul), SHO Ram Ji Kishtwari. Beigh Sahib questioned my connections with Onkar nath Kachroo, who was alleged to be affiliated with RSS. I humbly said that my articles published in Hamdard and Navyug will speak for  my innocence and without any link with RSS. If Nehru and Ali Mohammad Jinah can share the same dining table what wrong have I done if I invited a friend of mine from the city for a meal as per the age-old tradition of villagers? Beigh Sahib said that I ought to have been a lawyer. I said: “Sir, if will let me go, I will go for LLb. 


Beigh Sahib turned to the SHO and asked him to go through my articles and proceed accordingly. For four days I had to go to the Police station to get myself marked….."


First appeared courtesy of B K Dass (Kashnet Yahoogroups)
- (Video talk of Professor Manohar Nath Tikoo is on his facebook page)