Sindhu described in National Anthem flows from Ladakh symbolising ethos of Indian civilisation
Rig Veda describes the Sindhu ‘So swift is Sindhu, nothing can impede’
Ladakh & not Kashmir valley (Kashmir ) is presently & historically boundary land of Bharat
Daya Sagar
Ancient India of 600 BCE is quoted as having 16 Mahajanpads like Kamboja, Ghandara and hence Bharatvarsh had influences even beyond waters of Mansarovar lake. It is river ‘king’ Sindhu, the Indus, that rising from Mansarovar Lake flows through Ladakh to Aarbian Sea has been the stream of cultural integration and emotional divinity of the lands and people of Bharat Varsh.
In modern India it will not be an overstatement to say that it was only in 1996 that Lal Krishna Advani was the first to take serious note of that when he was at banks of Sindhu he visited Choglamsar (8 km from Leh – Ladakh ) and again visited to pay tributes with some festivity in the name of Sindhu Darshan Abhiyanin October 1997. A formal go was given to observance of Sindhu Darshan Festival on 7th June 2000by the then Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji at Shey (about 15 km from Leh city ) where Vajpayee ji had said quoting a hymn from Rig Veda: “Sindhu’s might surpasses all the streams that flow – His roar is lifted up to heaven above the earth, he puts forth endless vigour with a flash of light, even as cow with milk rush to their calves, so other rivers roar in to Sindhu. As warrior king leads other warriors, so does Sindhu lead other rivers.” > professing that some people queried about existence of Sindhu in India as described in our National Anthem but little did they know that it flows from our soil in Ladakh symbolising 5,000 years ethos of Indian civilization and its re-discovery will strengthen emotional integration of country. True Rigveda, even accepted world wise was composed atleast about 1500 BCE, mentions the Sindhu river, which is the source of the name that the modern times have givento India (Sindhu), the land of Bharat. Will it not be more appropriate to say Ladakh to Kanyakumari in place of Kashmir to Kanyakumari?
With effect from after 31st October 2019 one can say that UT of Ladakh is the Crown of India. The State of J&K has now been bifurcated and now with the appointed date as 31-10-2019 Ladakh is a Union Territory of India . With Order No: 2019 S.O. 3979(E) of 02-11-2019 issued by Ministry of Home Affairs (Department of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh Affairs) in exercise of the powers conferred by Section 103 of the Act No 34 of 2019 on President of India , The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Removal of Difficulties) Second Order, 2019, the Territories of Leh district of UT of Ladakh have been laid as the territory of Leh district specified in Section 3 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 including Gilgit, Gilgit Wazarat, Chilas, Tribal territory and ‘Leh and Ladakh’ except present territory of Kargil” districts of the existing State of Jammu and Kashmir.
A commemorating postage stamp (28 July 1999)on the Indus River (Sindhu) has been issued also bearing a line ‘Rig Veda describing the Sindhu [“So swift is Sindhu, nothing can impede”.
As per recent known history too Hunas were a tribe close to Himalayas that were mentioned in the epic Mahabharata who belonged to the Xinjiang province of present China and as per some scripts about Mahabharata Hunas have link with Vasishta, Viswamitra and Kamdhenu. Ramayana too has some descriptions of type but a little different than that in Mahabaharat. References of Ladakhas too have been seen as emerging from the descriptions of Kurukshetra battle. Kashmir valley (“Kashmir”) hence is both historically and presently no boundary land of Bharat.
So far, all these years even after 1947, Jammu and Kashmir State has been seen as ‘Kashmir State’, Jammu and Kashmir Affairs have been seen only as “Kashmir Affairs” more in relation to people living in Kashmir valley and their aspirations , questions related to Jammu & Kashmir state have been more seen as questions from &related to people from “Kashmir Valley” and the limits of India have been continuously addressed in reference to Kashmir only.
May be perhaps seeing everything in the name of “Kashmir” is the reason why those people who have been even raising questions on the extent and quality of constitutional relations of Jammu & Kashmir with India or those who have been seeing accession of J&K as an issue yet to be finally resolved or imaginations/ aspirations of people of J&K have been read only as like some people from Kashmir valley have been penning . Hence most of the people only belonging to Kashmir valley have been able to carve for them some position whether it was in relation to some ‘dispute’ of their dreams at some international levels or as legitimate voice/ representation of J&K even when Kashmir valley formed just less 15% of J&K .
In other words Indian leadership too has allowed Kashmiris to project J&K only as Kashmir valley, what to talk of to those of outside world but even to many of common Indian people. Whereas very vast lands of emotional / historical/ cultural values and size are there beyond Kashmir valley in J&K along the international borders with China , Afghanistan and even Pakistan ( ‘Anuj’ of Bharat ). Even what people have written about J&K after 1990 that too has been structured to see/project J&K only as Kashmir Valley and they have succeeded too in making the ‘outside’ world sense & assess likings/ dis-likings/sufferings/achievements of people identifying their self with ‘Kashmir’ identity only..
Now it is the UT of Ladakh ( let us see it like a Janapad of Bharatvarsh) that has large international Indian borders and also has references in holy epic Ramayana & Mahabharat asking for not seeing Kashmir Valley only as territory of Bharatvarsh. Why not adopt describing our emotions &culture now onwards by using the phrase atleast form “Ladakh to Kanyakumari” if not from Aksai Chin to Kanyakumari !.
To be continued
(Daya Sagar is a Sr Journalist and analyst of J&K Affairs [email protected])
