GHULAM
QADIR GANDERBALI (1911-1970) …THE FORGOTTEN POLICE OFFICER
He
was the first police officer from Kashmir to be inducted into the Indian Police
Service (IPS) in 1958, for his work and reputation. Born into a family of wealthy
landlords from Ganderbal, he joined the police service in 1930 as a sergeant
during the rule of Maharaja Hair Singh and rose to the post of Deputy Inspector
General of Police.
In 1947, during the 'Tribal Raid' in Kashmir, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah formed the Peace Brigade, nicknamed ‘Khuftan Fakirs’ by Kashmiris. The Peace Brigade was formed by National Conference to instill confidence in masses after the breakdown of law and order when Tribal Raiders attacked Kashmir and Maharaja was advised by *GOI emissary ( V P Menon ) to leave Kashmir immediately handing over power to National Conference leadership which was already in close touch with Indian National Congress leadership headed by Jawahar Lal Nehru. They were also nicknamed 'Kuntreh Pandaah' as every member of the brigade was paid a net salary of Rs. 29 and 15 Anna. From a salary of Rs. 30 per month, one Anna was deducted for a stamped receipt. During the turbulent days of the 'Tribal Raid ' in Kashmir, the ‘Khuftan Fakirs’, equipped with wooden dandas (Hatab wood ), knives, and axes, marched through Srinagar city to maintain peace and dispel fear from the minds of locals. Once ‘Tribal Raid’ was over, the Peace Brigade was not disbanded. From 1947-1953, Sheikh Abdullah, as ruler of J&K, crushed political dissent through this ‘Peace Brigade’ or ‘Khuftan Fakirs’. As per orders of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, It was this Peace Brigade who got ex-PM of J&K, Ramchandra Kak, tied to ropes, and paraded half-naked on the streets of Lal Chowk. The Peace Brigade was managed by the topmost leaders of NC under the command of Sheikh Abdullah. With his dismissal on 9th August 1953, the ‘Khuftan Fakirs' came under the direct control of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad, the new PM of J&K. Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad also utilised the services of the’ Peace Brigade’ against his political opponents, pro-Pakistani elements and members of the Plebiscite Front. He made Ganderbali head of “Special Staff” or “Khuftan Fakirs”. Ganderbali proved tough with anti-India groups and pro-Pakistan individuals during the rule of Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad.
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As
DIG of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Ganderbali played a key role during one of
the state’s most politically charged atmospheres. He also served in the CID,
fiercely working to counter propaganda from Radio Azad Kashmir in POK against
India and Kashmiri mainstream leadership. This radio station also started a
campaign of vilification against Ganderbali with a false propaganda-based
programme saying that he was putting hot potatoes into the mouths of anti-India
and pro-Pakistan elements and also rolling hot iron on their bellies. There
were allegations of torture and rough treatment by some pro-Pakistan groups and
members of the Plebiscite Front against him within Kashmir. Some senior police
officers have refuted all these allegations as exaggerated. Capt. S K Tikoo, who
knows the family of Ganderbali, has this to inform:-
“The stories of third-degree torture by Ghulam Qadir Ganderbali are highly exaggerated and emerged mostly from local propaganda
by vested interests and Radio Azad Kashmir
based in POK. Some pro-Pakistan elements in Kashmir tried to demonise him. Ganderbali’s visible ruthlessness was his sudden appearance at a
Paan shop in the evening, where a motley crowd would be listening to Pakistan
news, and whereat he would make good use of his baton, and the radio set would be silenced
forever.”
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Ganderbali was also a member of the Constituent Assembly and a supporter of landmark land reforms under Sheikh Abdullah, backing the “Land to the Tillers” movement and criticising feudal exploitation. This is what he spoke in the Constituent Assembly:-
“The
poor peasant, with his family, toils hard in the field, grows crops and provides
a chance for the landlord to attain a high position. He has grabbed the tillers
income. The latter remained poor, naked or without food while the former has
made himself rich and fat. Sher I Kashmir has, after taking all these facts into
account, raised the slogan of ‘Land to the Tillers’. This slogan reached every
corner of our land. This slogan appealed to the poor, oppressed, and downtrodden
peasants, who are in the majority in our country. Their deepest feelings were
stirred, and they felt conscious of the fact that they did not enjoy the status
of human beings. Despite his own and his family’s hard labour in the field
throughout the year, he is unable to obtain two square meals and an hour of
leisure. The peasant realised that the fruit of his labour was being usurped
and that moral and human status was being denied to him. They became conscious.
By and by liberation movement gained strength. The peasant was inspired. The
feudal Government tried to curb them, but they knew how to defend themselves, and so they went ahead. The tillers were put to forced labour (Baigar) in
Gilgit, Ladakh, Bonii and Banihal frontiers, and 90% of them would not return
because they were treated as animals and beasts.”
He loved music more specifically Kashmiri Sufiana music. He was married to Raj Begum, a celebrated Kashmiri singer, and was the inaugural recipient of the Police Medal for Gallantry in J&K State. In his book, “Guns Under My Chinar “, A M Wattali writes this:-
“Sheikh
Ghulam Qadir Ganderbali raided the premises of the Rajas of Zachaldara and
Rajpura -the Jagirdars (feudatories of Maharaja) who were quintessential the
harbingers of sowing the seeds of sedition and secession in Jammu and Kashmir
by siding with Pakistan in getting arms and ammunition into the erstwhile
state.”
Other
Notable Achievements
(
1)
He
led the police team that arrested Munawar, the notorious Pakistani trans-border
criminal hiding with lethal arms somewhere in the Gulmarg hills. The government of
Pakistan had declared an award of Rs50000/= for the arrest or elimination of
Munawar. When the Pakistan government decided to give him the award, he
declined, saying that he could not accept awards from an enemy country.
(2)
In
1953, as an investigating police officer, he built a foolproof case against
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Mirza Afzal Beg. He gathered some crucial
evidence. Through secret Pakistani support, the Plebiscite Front had also sought help
from Dingle Foot, the noted criminal lawyer from England. Dingle Foot is
reported to have told Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Mirza Afzal Beg that the
investigating police officer had built a foolproof case against them, and their
chances of winning the battle were dim. Dingle Foot also cross-examined
Ganderbali for 2 hours as the chief investigator of the case, but didn’t
succeed.
(3)
He
was the main support of B N Mullick, who investigated the Hazratbal Conspiracy
case relating to the theft of holy relics from the Hazratbal shrine. Ganderbali
was made part of the SIT to investigate the theft of the holy relic. He also
played a key role in the recovery of the holy relic and the maintenance of law
and order.
Sheikh
Ghulam Qadir Ganderbali reportedly worked for 14 hours a day. This strenuous
lifestyle played havoc with his health. He caught tuberculosis and had to be
shifted to AIIMS, New Delhi, where he breathed his last on February 21, 1970.
Mrs Indira Gandhi (PM) and Y B Chavan (HM) visited him in the hospital, and also
came to the airport when his body was taken to Srinagar for the last rites.
(Avtar Mota )
PS
*
From the book," The Essays Which That Change Your Beliefs ", ...Extract from the interview of Capt Dewan Singh ADC to Maharaja Hari Singh with this blogger:-
“As Maharaja came to know about the Tribal Raid, he wanted to lead his troops from the front like a true Kshatriya. Inside Srinagar Palace, during those crucial days of October 1947, one day, I saw the Maharaja in battle dress. He called his officers and asked us to be ready for any sacrifice to save our motherland. It was only Brigadier Rajinder Singh who stood like a rock and stopped the Maharaja from visiting Uri and leading troops to stop the advancing tribal raiders. I disagree with the popular belief that Maharaja ran away at night to save his life. Let me make it clear that during those critical days, the Maharaja‘s mind was only focused on driving away the raiders and saving his state and the people. He never thought of leaving Kashmir. He was very firmly asked to, or better say, directed to move out of the valley immediately by Mr V P Menon, who suddenly flew to Srinagar one day with the draft of the accession document. The painful decision to leave was reluctantly taken during the afternoon of the same day. It was 25th October 1947. And we left during the night at 2 a m the same day. Sheikh Abdullah had sought assurance from Pandit Ji that the Maharaja would leave Srinagar before the formation of the popular Government once the instrument of accession was signed. And Pandit Ji did not want to annoy Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah."
Based on a work at http:\\autarmota.blogspot.com\.
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