Following are some newspaper clippings related to Kashmir and Sheikh Abdullah from 1947-53.
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The Mail (Adelaide, SA ) Saturday 17 June 1950

2a Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser Friday 18 January 1952

2b Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser Friday 18 January 1952

2c Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser Friday 18 January 1952

2d Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser Friday 18 January 1952

3a The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld) Friday 31 October 1947

3b The Courier-Mail (Brisbane) Friday 31 October 1947

3c The Courier-Mail (Brisbane) Friday 31 October 1947

4 The Daily News (Perth, WA) Tuesday 4 November 1947

5a The Mercury (Hobart, Tas.) Tuesday 24 May 1949

5b The Mercury (Hobart, Tas.) Tuesday 24 May 1949

6 The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA) Thursday 22 May 1952
![Sheikh Abdullah sat jon the floor with his big map BEHIND THE NEWS By PETER RUSSO TT is disrespectful to the pioneers K of writing on India not to men- tion somewhere that India is a land of contrasts. Within five hours last week I had ta change from the flimsiest of underwear and light linen suiting into heavy woollens and overcoat. Í We had been in ! vited to dinner by ! , Sheikh Mohammad ! Abdullah, Prime Min ! ister of Jammu and ! Kashmir. ! And that meant I flying from New ! Delhi, which was very ! hot, to Kashmir, ! which was still very ? cold. [ The Prime Minister of ¡ Kashmir had issued the | invitation, and the Go ¡ vernment of India was ! organising our transport. | Like all parts of India, ¡ the State of Jammu and ¡ Kashmir has historical [ involvements associated t with the British occupa- tion, and it is impossible | to understand thoroughly the development of Kash miri politics without some knowledge of this background. Back in 1846, the Sikh armies were overcome by . the British at. the battle ' of Sabraon, and, in the treaty which followed, Kashmir was surrendered to the British as part payment of the war in- demnity. Kashmir was then sold for £750,000 to the Rajah of Jammu, Gulab Singh, who had helped the British to destroy the power of the Sikhs. Thus, v/hen Sheikh Abdullah began the "Quit Kash- mir" movement in 1946, he was speaking on be- half of a subject people which was trying to rid itself of Maharajah rule as much as British domination. On October 22, 1947, large bands of tribesmen, equipped with modern .weapons and transport, invaded Kashmir from the frontier1 of Pakistan. As the tribesmen, duly reinforced, were. ap- proaching Srinagar, the - capital, the Maharajah of Kashmir called on India for help, and of- fered the accession of the State to be within the Indian Union. India agreed to defend Kash- mir against the raiders. On this date, therefore, where most of the West- ern world is concerned, Kashmir . entered the 20th century. * WHAT was once a T backward, shabby State of little more than exotic consequence, became overnight another of those celebrated cock- pits where mighty foreign powers, as well as the un- fortunate inhabitants, are caught up in the tangle of power politics. It would be a privi lege for any student of U foreign affairs to hear ? the leading figure in the ? Kashmiri drama and - to ? observe his tactics in his ? own setting. I was not ? disappointed in Sheikh ? Abdullah, mainly because ? he was so far removed ? from the sinister por- ? traits that long-distance artiste are fond of mak- ing. * »THE Sheikh is a huge man-about six foot four - and built very much in proportion, especially about the head and feet. He has the bespectacled, austere look that one ex- pects of old-fashioned school teachers, and, in fact, he was a teacher before he took seriously to politics. He received us at his official residency in Jammu, relic of the British occupation, but it required only a swift look around to note that Abdullah's housekeeping was conducted on the strictest economy lines. Naked electric light bulbs flickered where, no doubt, glorious chande- liers had shed expansive illumination in the past, and the Sheikh's bath- room contained shreds of soap, which Indicated that no new cake was allowed until the last scraps had been washed away. . . THINNER was neat and dry, for the Sheikh is a devout Muslim. The eating equipment was cor- rectly lined up. Western fashion, but the main dish was a simple curry, with its voltage obviously reduced so as not to cor- rode the delicate Western palate. It was not until after dinner that the Sheikh responded to our prod- ding, and finally let him- self go. Then he talked for hours, and I can scarcely believe that he omitted one detail of the Kash- mir and related problems as seen bv Sheikh Ab- dullah, one of the cen- tral figures. He may have said it all before, but I shall never forget the flame which marked his de- scription of "Kashmir's struggle for freedom," and the fanatical convic- tion with which he laced his summary of "Pakis- tan's aggression." * ]^OR shall I forget the way he rolled out a large map of .India to illustrate his points and trace the campaigns and the scenes of the current raids. He sat on the floor to demonstrate positions on !| the map, and when the ¡¡ distances became too ¡¡ widespread his feet would !| co-operate with his ¡¡ hands to cover the area ','. under discussion. '! Sheikh Abdullah is the !| absolute zealot, the Mes- ¡ siah who genuinely be- ; Heves he is leading his j people out of the wilder- ' ness of feudalism, and a ' visit to Kashmir will per- ' suade the most sceptical ' observer that Abdullah 1 has done a remarkable ' .fob. , In Abdullah's opinion ' -one that certainly I counts - the issue be- ' tween India and Pakis- 1 tan affects Kashmir in ¡ many ways, but in only < one major aspect does it i permit of "no compro- j mise, no concession no < yielding." That is on the ¡ question of the theocra- « tie State as represented ! by Pakistan. j * ! ABDULLAH is firmly ! convinced that i Pakistani theocracy- ! that is to say the religi- ! ous State with all its | political and social im- < plications - is the very ! negation of progress. ! Although Abdullah is a ' Muslim, he says that ! he would rather die than ! "betray" the million ? non-Muslims of Kash- ¡ mir and throw them to ' the "intolerant di'scrlm- ! ination" of the "Pakis- ¡ tani mullahs."' i This is not to say that ' Abdullah's devotion to the Indian Union is ab- , solute. He has fre- quently expressed Kash- mir's intention of de- veloping' autonomously within the Union, and , he is extremely jealous of his State rights. * TN his summing up, ! Abdullah stated ; bluntly that there ] could be no settlement of the Kashmir issue I until Western arbitra- ] tors learned to "feel" the < communal struggle be ! hind it. . i He insisted it, was no ] use being legalistic about > the division of men's ¡ souls, and communalism « and theocracy resorted ! to just this kind of divl- ] sion. i Abdullah's dinner j party was a revelation, i the more so in that I j was able to check many < of his propositions later ! in Jammu and Srinagar. ]](https://a123lad.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/capture-7b.jpg?w=73&h=150)
7b The Argus (Melbourne, Vic) Monday 23 March 1953
![Sheikh Abdullah sat jon the floor with his big map BEHIND THE NEWS By PETER RUSSO TT is disrespectful to the pioneers K of writing on India not to men- tion somewhere that India is a land of contrasts. Within five hours last week I had ta change from the flimsiest of underwear and light linen suiting into heavy woollens and overcoat. Í We had been in ! vited to dinner by ! , Sheikh Mohammad ! Abdullah, Prime Min ! ister of Jammu and ! Kashmir. ! And that meant I flying from New ! Delhi, which was very ! hot, to Kashmir, ! which was still very ? cold. [ The Prime Minister of ¡ Kashmir had issued the | invitation, and the Go ¡ vernment of India was ! organising our transport. | Like all parts of India, ¡ the State of Jammu and ¡ Kashmir has historical [ involvements associated t with the British occupa- tion, and it is impossible | to understand thoroughly the development of Kash miri politics without some knowledge of this background. Back in 1846, the Sikh armies were overcome by . the British at. the battle ' of Sabraon, and, in the treaty which followed, Kashmir was surrendered to the British as part payment of the war in- demnity. Kashmir was then sold for £750,000 to the Rajah of Jammu, Gulab Singh, who had helped the British to destroy the power of the Sikhs. Thus, v/hen Sheikh Abdullah began the "Quit Kash- mir" movement in 1946, he was speaking on be- half of a subject people which was trying to rid itself of Maharajah rule as much as British domination. On October 22, 1947, large bands of tribesmen, equipped with modern .weapons and transport, invaded Kashmir from the frontier1 of Pakistan. As the tribesmen, duly reinforced, were. ap- proaching Srinagar, the - capital, the Maharajah of Kashmir called on India for help, and of- fered the accession of the State to be within the Indian Union. India agreed to defend Kash- mir against the raiders. On this date, therefore, where most of the West- ern world is concerned, Kashmir . entered the 20th century. * WHAT was once a T backward, shabby State of little more than exotic consequence, became overnight another of those celebrated cock- pits where mighty foreign powers, as well as the un- fortunate inhabitants, are caught up in the tangle of power politics. It would be a privi lege for any student of U foreign affairs to hear ? the leading figure in the ? Kashmiri drama and - to ? observe his tactics in his ? own setting. I was not ? disappointed in Sheikh ? Abdullah, mainly because ? he was so far removed ? from the sinister por- ? traits that long-distance artiste are fond of mak- ing. * »THE Sheikh is a huge man-about six foot four - and built very much in proportion, especially about the head and feet. He has the bespectacled, austere look that one ex- pects of old-fashioned school teachers, and, in fact, he was a teacher before he took seriously to politics. He received us at his official residency in Jammu, relic of the British occupation, but it required only a swift look around to note that Abdullah's housekeeping was conducted on the strictest economy lines. Naked electric light bulbs flickered where, no doubt, glorious chande- liers had shed expansive illumination in the past, and the Sheikh's bath- room contained shreds of soap, which Indicated that no new cake was allowed until the last scraps had been washed away. . . THINNER was neat and dry, for the Sheikh is a devout Muslim. The eating equipment was cor- rectly lined up. Western fashion, but the main dish was a simple curry, with its voltage obviously reduced so as not to cor- rode the delicate Western palate. It was not until after dinner that the Sheikh responded to our prod- ding, and finally let him- self go. Then he talked for hours, and I can scarcely believe that he omitted one detail of the Kash- mir and related problems as seen bv Sheikh Ab- dullah, one of the cen- tral figures. He may have said it all before, but I shall never forget the flame which marked his de- scription of "Kashmir's struggle for freedom," and the fanatical convic- tion with which he laced his summary of "Pakis- tan's aggression." * ]^OR shall I forget the way he rolled out a large map of .India to illustrate his points and trace the campaigns and the scenes of the current raids. He sat on the floor to demonstrate positions on !| the map, and when the ¡¡ distances became too ¡¡ widespread his feet would !| co-operate with his ¡¡ hands to cover the area ','. under discussion. '! Sheikh Abdullah is the !| absolute zealot, the Mes- ¡ siah who genuinely be- ; Heves he is leading his j people out of the wilder- ' ness of feudalism, and a ' visit to Kashmir will per- ' suade the most sceptical ' observer that Abdullah 1 has done a remarkable ' .fob. , In Abdullah's opinion ' -one that certainly I counts - the issue be- ' tween India and Pakis- 1 tan affects Kashmir in ¡ many ways, but in only < one major aspect does it i permit of "no compro- j mise, no concession no < yielding." That is on the ¡ question of the theocra- « tie State as represented ! by Pakistan. j * ! ABDULLAH is firmly ! convinced that i Pakistani theocracy- ! that is to say the religi- ! ous State with all its | political and social im- < plications - is the very ! negation of progress. ! Although Abdullah is a ' Muslim, he says that ! he would rather die than ! "betray" the million ? non-Muslims of Kash- ¡ mir and throw them to ' the "intolerant di'scrlm- ! ination" of the "Pakis- ¡ tani mullahs."' i This is not to say that ' Abdullah's devotion to the Indian Union is ab- , solute. He has fre- quently expressed Kash- mir's intention of de- veloping' autonomously within the Union, and , he is extremely jealous of his State rights. * TN his summing up, ! Abdullah stated ; bluntly that there ] could be no settlement of the Kashmir issue I until Western arbitra- ] tors learned to "feel" the < communal struggle be ! hind it. . i He insisted it, was no ] use being legalistic about > the division of men's ¡ souls, and communalism « and theocracy resorted ! to just this kind of divl- ] sion. i Abdullah's dinner j party was a revelation, i the more so in that I j was able to check many < of his propositions later ! in Jammu and Srinagar. ]](https://a123lad.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/capture-71.jpg?w=150&h=113)
7a The Argus (Melbourne, Vic) Monday 23 March 1953

8a The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA ) Wednesday 8 April 1953

8b The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA ) Wednesday 8 April 1953

9 The Mercury (Hobart, Tas) Thursday 30 July 1953

8c The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA ) Wednesday 8 April 1953

10a The Sunday Herald (Sydney, NSW )Sunday 16 August 1953

10b The Sunday Herald (Sydney, NSW ) Sunday 16 August 1953

11a The Sun-Herald (Sydney, NSW) Sunday 29 November 1953

11b The Sun-Herald (Sydney, NSW) Sunday 29 November 1953

12a The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA) Saturday 5 December 1953

12b The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA) Saturday 5 December 1953
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