GILGIT BALTISTAN FROM SHACKLE TO SWORD _1st NOVEMBER

By: ASHIQ RAKI

History is a testimony whenever the region of Gilgit-Baltistan has had suffered from crisis or due to crisis, the region has given birth to such daring sons who have faced the throes boldly and which not only have faced those crisis but they also have pulled out Gilgit Baltistan from those crises, it is not wrong to say that, they have crushed many crises under their feet. When in 1947, when the British Empire continued to disappear from the surface of subcontinent and Britain’s sunset was imminent forever. At that very movement freedom struggles proliferated into every corner of the occupation of the British Empire. These struggle movements escalated in two ways, first against external imperialism and second struggle against internal Imperialism. Such freedom movements also started in Gilgit Baltistan 1st November 1947 against enemy from within and without and which has been named by many authors as, Gilgit Rebellion, Gilgit-Baltistan Independence or War of Independence Gilgit Baltistan. In fact, it is a natural cycle whenever an old state or empire seems to be weak or scatter and resulting in a new state or states. These states do not come into existence without organized public struggle and war. So, it would not be wrong to say that war making states, states make war.
Such a struggle started against internal imperialism in the last days of the British era in Gilgit-Baltistan against the co called Dogra rule, which is remembered in the history as Freedom of Gilgit Baltistan. In short, battle of Gilgit Baltistan was a specter of battle of Thermopylae and battle of Badar in which a handful sons of Gilgit Baltistan challenged an enemy which was thirty five times larger and compelled that enemy to kissed iron chains and made a new chapter in the history of prowess, and proved that war is win by enthusiasm, faith and spirit and not with weapons.
It was not less than David and Goliath war in which Gilgit Baltistan came out victories. Gilgit-Baltistan war of liberation was also a retrospect which reminded once more battle of Badar and Thermopylae, in which a small group of highlanders from Gilgit Baltistan defeated many times large tyrant and inherited that war is win by the power of will and not with weapons. It was just like the stage of Thermopyle in which one single son of Gilgit Baltistan was overcoming 10 enemies with fast and spiky tactics; some has righty remarked that speed defeats size.
Perhaps these freedom fighters were fighting for a particular purpose, which is still a paradigm in the field of heroism and bravery, such freedom fighters born after centuries. Though, these Freedom fighters belonged to every walk of life. Some of them were regimented Solders, like Colonel Hassan Khan, few of them were civilian Mujahideen, like Mujahid Bakhtawar Shah, even daughters of the soils took part in this decisive fight to throw off shackles of slavery. However, they all were by birth warriors, who stood farm in the arena and fought for fourteen months without thinking anything else except freedom, of course freedom was the greatest reward for all of them and their generations to come. These freedom fighters did Herculean deeds which are hard to believe without consulting the pages of history. Freedom fighters like them, those who put everything in stake for their future generations, who stepped in, just for freedom of their own homeland. For those who fought for their land’s honor, greatness, and above all, for the defense of their Muslim Ummah.
1st November is the prelude of story of freedom in which every single son of soil played a remarkable role in freedom of Gilgit Baltistan. Take example of Bakhtawar Shah who was a civilian cum soldier, who stirred his hand when Revolutionary leader Colonel Hassan Khan asked for help after Bunji garrison.
Bakhtawar Shah did it without any greed and gratitude, and he also left everlasting impressions on the minds of new generation and became one of the immortal character of Gilgit Baltistan history.
The history of throes and sacrifices made by our freedom fighters are unforgettable. Unfortunately, still many of us are unaware of these exceptional and yeoman services of those freedom fighters, which offered their lives and sacrificed for the survival of Islam against infidelism and hence proved patriotism for Pakistan. And also their deeds and sacrifices have given us the blessing of freedom, today we all are living as a free nation to some extent.
Every one of us should look into the dusted pages of 1st November and the real story behind and the fourteen months struggle for freedom by our heroes. It is our sole duty to pay tribute to martyrs and warlords of Gilgit Baltistan who participated in war of Independence of Gilgit Baltistan. Because the best reward of favor we can do to our martyrs, freedom fighters and heroes is to remember them with golden words and gratitude, because, it is the sign of living nations that they always remember their mortal Gods and Heroes.

M.Phil Research Scholar and Media Coordinator PPP GB