I had heard about his name during my school years but never had dreamed of meeting him in person
Legends never die nor do their ideology and philosophy perish. This saying perfectly comes true for legendary leader of Kashmiris, JKLF founder Aman ullah Khan who left for heavenly abode last year leaving behind his everlasting footprints that will guide us through the tough journey ahead. I had heard about his name during my school years but never had dreamed of meeting him in person that is why when I accompanying my friend Shaheed Ishafq Majeed saw him, first time in my life at Doctor Farooq Haider’s residence at Rawalpindi, my soul flew high and I felt like achieving some huge award. After all he was my childhood hero and meeting ones hero is always a special feeling. A frail man, always well dressed, passionate to listen about Srinagar and fervent about the independence of his land Aman shaib was always seen working, till late night. He and his type writer were always busy. Aman Ullah Khan was born in Astore Gilgit on 24th August 1934, the year when the first state assembly with some elected members was introduced three years after the initiation of the popular politics and two years after formation of first political party of the state. His father Jumma Khan, a Revenue Department employee died when Amanulah Khan was only 3. Subsequently Aman was sent to his sister in Handwara region of the state where Amanullah Khan completed his matriculation with top grades. In 1952 after completing first year at SP College Srinagar he had to move to Pakistan via Sialkot because of his political beliefs. Here as recorded in his biography he sought admission at Garden College Rawalpindi but was refused on the grounds that Kashmir University was not recognized here. He then managed to get admission in Edwards College Peshawar. However, resulting from a dispute with the Vice Principal he was expelled from College and ended up to Karachi. As he once told me that his early years in Karachi were very hard so much so that he had to sleep on footpath for six months but his determination and continuous hard work never faded down and his consistency bore fruits and by 1956-57 he had succeeded in establishing two private schools which flourished within a few years and by 1962 he was not only financially self-sufficient but also able to do some social work and to spare time and money for his practical participation in freedom movement of Kashmir again. He worked and studied and completed graduation in Law from SM Law College. However instead practicing law he set up a private school that remained the main sources of his income for life. Amanullah Khan had started taking part in freedom movement in 1947 when he was still a school boy in Indian held Kashmir. But a clear ideology of independent Kashmir developed in his mind as a result of his study of the history of Kashmir, of Kashmir Issue, of the contemporary and past freedom movements the world-over especially of Aljazeera and Palestine, and of the mal-treatment Kashmir, Kashmiris and Kashmir Issue had received since 1947. All this resulted in his becoming a staunch exponent of reunification and complete independence of Jammu Kashmir State. In 1962 Amanullah Khan, when he was still a student of LL.B., started monthly the “Voice of Kashmir” which strongly preached the ideology of independent Kashmir. Before its closure under government pressure several years later, he had spent on the magazine most of what he had earned from his schools. He re-started the magazine in England in 1976 and continued projection of his independence ideology for several years. Its editorials and articles preached independence of Kashmir directly as well as indirectly. He along with late Advocate Abdul Khaliq Ansari, G.M. Lone, the then a member of Azad Kashmir State Council, Mir Abdul Qayum and Mir Abdul Manan , Pir Ghulam Mustafa Alvi and others played key role in establishing Kashmir Independence Committee in 1963, the first pro-independence Kashmiri organization and worked as its first de-facto secretary before it was de-organized couple of years later for many reasons. as co-founder and Secretary General of Jammu Kashmir Plebiscite Front (for Azad Kashmir and Pakistan) formed in April 1965 and of is two wings JKNLF and Kashmir Committee for Afro-Asian Peoples Solidarity, Amanullah Khan and JKPF contributed a lot through literature, rallies, press conferences, demonstrations etc. towards projection and expansion of independence ideology up to 1977. Plebiscite Front was launched in April 1965 he was elected its general secretary with Abdul Khaliq Ansari as president, Muhammad Mabqool Bhatt as publicity secretary. However, when the proposal to set up an armed wing of the PF presented by him and Maqbool Bhatt could not win the majority they formed the Jammu and Kashmir National Liberation Front on 13th August 1966. From this date onwards he and Maqbool Bhatt along with Major Amanullah Khan and others focused more on the armed struggle and Amanullah Khan produced some literature including the famous booklet Al-fatah and NLF. When the NLF was cracked down upon, Amanulah Khan along with Abdul Khaliq Ansari came to Britain while as to break the shackles of infamous Indra Abdullah accord of 1975 in which sheikh Abdullah preferred power over national dignity, Muhammad Maqbool Bhatt crossed back to the IOK in 1976. As two very close friends for almost 24 years, and two of the co-founders of Jammu Kashmir Plebiscite Front (JKPF) and Jammu Kashmir National Liberation Front (JKNLF), Shaheed-Baba-I-Quom Maqbool Butt and Amanullah Khan played a pivotal role in promoting the ideology for reunification and complete independence of Jammu Kashmir State as it stood on August 14, 1947 and of the concept of armed freedom struggle for Kashmir. Maqbool Butt was sent to gallows by India after keeping him behind the bars for over 10 years whereas he remained in Pakistani prisons for over two years. In both cases his ‘crime’ was his struggle for his national emancipation. If one only evaluates the literary contributions of Aman sahib vis-à-vis these simply stands above all. Amanullah Khan has written, in both Urdu and English, about different aspects of Kashmir Issue, three books, over 60 booklets, brochures and pamphlets, over 100 leaflets, over 100 articles (most of them published in leading newspapers and periodicals of India, Pakistan, Kashmir, Europe, USA and of Arab countries) and has been interviewed by the print and electronic, national and international media on different aspects of Kashmir Issue and independence ideology.
In my view one thing nobody can deny about Aman Ullah Khan is his consistency and dedication towards the cause of freedom. He was an all-rounder. An un-parallel organizer, a prolific writer, a smart teacher, a fiery speaker, an ideologue, a loving husband, a caring father, a reliable friend, a wise old guard who knew how to connect with new generations, a unshakable revolutionary who wanted to pass on his legacy with pride, an intellectual and writer whose pen never got tired and who expressed his views and ideology without any fear or bias, a warrior who during his life time led thousands of Kashmiris and tried to trample cease fire line dividing Kashmir. A fearless personality whose shook the conscience of the international community by entering into UN general assembly hall at New York asking justice for Kashmir? He remains the only one to do so and today when I visualize a number of JKLF activities and ventures conceived, planned and their execution supervised by Mr. Amanullah Khan gave instant projection to Kashmiris’ cause on national and international level. For instance, the historic protest demonstration held for about 20 minutes by JKLF activists one by one inside UN General Assembly Hall New York (visitors’ gallery) and throwing of thousands of leaflets containing Kashmiris’ demands, into the Hall, on October 10, 1980 during Indian foreign minister’s address to General Assembly, a unique endeavor which made 155 foreign ministers, about a thousand senior diplomats and politicians from all corners of the world and above all hundreds, of world media persons, (then sitting inside the hall and in visitors galleries) aware of Kashmiris demands (through slogans raised by our activists and the leaflets thrown into the Hall) within one third of an hour , I despite having vast exposure am amazed at his will and valor.
His three press conferences at the UN headquarter in New York, one at National Press Club in Washington (as guest speaker) about half a dozen in London and one or more each in important capitals of Europe. His being the only Kashmiri who has been imprisoned abroad (England 16 months, Belgium 72 days and New York (UN Lockup for one day) as well as in Kashmir and Pakistan for his activities related to liberation of Kashmir. Aman Ullah khan was an upright person, no personal agenda, no personal gains, no personal or political considerations except one of liberating his nation from foreign occupation. Today much is talked about his vision and supervision but for me his dedication and choosing hardships over conveniences remains as most cherished. He was among the most popular political figures of Azad Kashmir, Gilgistan and even in Pakistan he enjoyed wide spread respect and regards but power politics was never his abode. He could have led a luxurious comfortable life in Karachi but chose the horny path and sufferings. Many a times he was offered high offices but he refused to submit before occupation. He too could have used fabricated ill-excuses of serving poor people through Indian or Pakistani mainstream politics but knew no compromises. As far back as in 1973, he was offered President-ship of Pakistan People’s Party in Gilgit Baltistan which would entitle him to become areas first Chief Minister but he flatly refused saying that, that was against his political ideology.
Today when I look back to my years of life, I proudly cherish my decision to join and unite with Aman Ullah Khan. During my last three visits to Pakistan, I met him several times, enjoying his fatherly affection, gaining from his matchless wisdom, his relentless struggle, his political mastering and every time I met him I found the burning desire of a free Kashmir in his eyes. As per the human psychology and nature, having different opinion on subjects and disagreements with each other on many aspects of life especially a peoples struggle is unavoidable. Aman Sahib was also a human and so difference of opinion with him was not any new thing but those who knew him, who read him or his consistent struggle can never overlook his legendary persona. He introduced the moto of JKLF ‘Islam our religion, Kashmiriyat our identity and independent Kashmir our goal’. And today hundreds of thousands involved in the resistance and independence politics across the division line admire him for that. Amanullah Khan was a great believer in national unity in politics. In 1966 his proposal to bring about unity of thought and action on topics on which the three parties of Azad Kashmir (1) AJK Muslim Conference (2) Jammu Kashmir Liberation League and (3) Jammu Kashmir Plebiscite Front agreed was approved by the Working Committee of JKPF and he did a lot of running about for that purpose and finally succeeded in it. The Itehad-e-Salasah (The Three Party Alliance) approved a 3 point common agenda including (a) that Jammu Kashmir State included Gilgit Baltistan is an indivisible political entity (b) a democratic setup in Azad Kashmir is the necessity of the day and (c) To mobilize the liberation movement.
On 26 April 2016 this legendary figure passed away and as per his will was buried in Astore, Gilgit Baltistan. As rightly put by prominent Kashmiri intellectual Shams Rehman “Amanullah Khan’s burial in Gilgit, seems reflecting the vision of the Kashmir state he propagated all his life which includes the Valley, Jammu, Ladkah, AJK and Gilgit Baltistan.
Author is Chairman JKLF. [email protected]