1st November 1948 was a day which brought revolution in the lives of people of Gilgit Baltistan. Indeed the social, political and economic instability that were escalating, under Dogra’s rule, which compelled people of GB toward revolution.
Prior, people of GB were struggling to come out from the autocratic rule of Dogra rulers, especially, the last Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir Hari singh. Which was rapidly escalating brutalities and authorities on people of GB. A autocratic ruler who always tried to suppress people of the era.
Under, Maharaja Hari singh’s rule, people were even deprived from basic necessities and the ruling elites were enjoying comforts and luxuries. A part from this, It was an oppressive rule of Dogra Raj that eventually took people of GB come closer to each other and created collaborative ideas among them. That created a common thinking and common aims among people.
At that time, they preferred the slogans of we and us instead of I and you. Indeed, they were one as Gilgit Baltistani. Later, on 1st November 1948, the objectives of revolution had been accomplished by people of GB. During struggle for independence, Hundreds of thousands, of ideas were emerged, merged and later formed one idea which was followed by all. That was the idea where they thought on, what will be the preliminary things which could boost us and our struggle for independence.
After successfully developing collaborative thinking, the decline of Dogra’s Raj started from this point when they were united for change. Unequivocally, for sixteen days people of GB governed this territory without any external assistance and practically proved that if you are courageous and if you are determined than, you will be a chooser not a bagger.
Likewise, their level of patriotism toward Pakistan can be gauged from the fact that they struggled for themselves and unconditionally surrendered their sovereignty to pakistan. But, unfortunately, on the eve of 76th independence day of Gilgit Baltistan the Parliamentarians of Pakistan can not say we have done much for Gilgit Baltistan. Which are still unable to uplift Gilgit-Baltistan as comparison with the metropolitans of Pakistan.
After getting independence, still people of GB are marginalized and deprived in every grounds of life. In the ground of quality of education and access to it and in the grounds of prestigious institutions like Pakistan. Predominantly, We struggled for complete transfer of sovereignty in sense of legislative, executive and administrative. But, after 76th years of independence, again people of GB are struggling for their fundamental and constitutional rights. However, representatives of Pakistan are repeatedly showing betrayal response when people placed their demands in front of government officials.
To divert people from actual issues, they initiate debates on provincial status of GB and sometimes provisional provincial status of GB but they always failed to propagate these ideas to a final stage. Vividly, this is a failure of parliamentarians of Pakistan as well as the representative body of Gilgit Baltistan which compels people of GB to rise hue and cry.
Think for a while, people endorse there are immense impediments in the way of constitutional amendment. But, can parliamentarians of Pakistan provide answer about what are the impediments in the way of giving rights. Which with the passage of time only exacerbated and government of Pakistan have been showing reluctancy upon these matters.
Undoubtedly, in every era, the beauty of GB has been dominating upon the chronic issues of GB. In a nutshell, there is no magical solution to our problems, but hard work, equal opportunities, a meritocratic system for all areas can help to make Gilgit Baltistan a progressive territory. Which its founding fathers hoped it would be.
