Colonizing Kashmir: Kanjwal’s book reveals complexities of Bakshi rule

BOOK REVIEW Iftikhar Gilani Book: Colonizing Kashmir: State-building Under Indian Occupation Author: Hafsa Kanjwal Pages: 384 Publishers: Stanford University Press, California In her recently published 384-page book, “Colonizing Kashmir: State-building Under Indian Occupation,” historian Hafsa Kanjwal delves into the intricate dynamics of Kashmir’s modern history, shedding light on the impact of the rule of Bakshi Ghulam Mohamad, the region’s second Prime Minister. Bakshi dislodged Kashmir’s popular leader and first Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah in 1953 to rule the state […]
A facsimile of the book: Colonising Kashmir
A facsimile of the book: Colonising Kashmir
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BOOK REVIEW

Iftikhar Gilani

Book: Colonizing Kashmir: State-building Under Indian Occupation

Author: Hafsa Kanjwal

Pages: 384

Publishers: Stanford University Press, California

In her recently published 384-page book, “Colonizing Kashmir: State-building Under Indian Occupation,” historian Hafsa Kanjwal delves into the intricate dynamics of Kashmir’s modern history, shedding light on the impact of the rule of Bakshi Ghulam Mohamad, the region’s second Prime Minister.

Bakshi dislodged Kashmir’s popular leader and first Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah in 1953 to rule the state for a decade.

Kanjwal’s research explores how the Indian government, through Bakshi, sought to integrate Kashmir into the Indian mainstream and solidify its control.

Considering recent developments, such as the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, and the development thereafter, in the region, Kanjwal’s research shows that all these tactics have been employed in the past as well. There is nothing new that the Centre is employing in Kashmir currently right now, from not allowing a popular government to take the reins to maintaining surveillance, silencing the critics, and detaining dissidents.

The book says that Bakshi also tried generosity, from offering cheap rice to often writing appointment orders on matchboxes and slips of paper to ensure fast execution.

<em><strong>Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed was ‘Prime Minister’ of Jammu and Kashmir from 1953 to 1964.</strong></em>
Bakshi Ghulam Mohammed was ‘Prime Minister’ of Jammu and Kashmir from 1953 to 1964.

He was seen as being generous even to opponents, including members of the various pro-plebiscite or pro-Pakistan groups, whom he had detained, by taking care of the economic and social needs of their families.

But despite all that largesse, he is considered a greater “sellout” in popular memory.

The book provides a comprehensive analysis of the events and policies that unfolded in Kashmir during this critical period, offering insights into the complex relationship between the Indian state and the region.

It challenges prevailing narratives and examines the nuances of state-building, normalization, and economic development as strategies employed to entrench India’s colonial occupation.

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