The Baramulla Pak invasion of 1947, Operation Gulmarg

On 22 October 1947, the Pakistan Army sent its tribal militia to Jammu and Kashmir. Their 'Operation Gulmarg' started. The fight for the occupation of Kashmir by the Pakistani tribes was led by the Pak army with the help of the Pakistani government. After the capture of Muzaffarabad, Domel and Uri, the Pak army-led tribal army reached Baramulla on 26 October. Baramulla was reduced to rubble by miscreants led by Pakistani army officers. But many do not know this history. Robert Trumbull published a description of what Pakistan did in Baramulla on November 10 in the New York Times. 

All the assets of Baramulla were snatched away. Until the Indian army reached there, the Pak youth was also occupied by the Pak youth. They made the whole city almost uninhabitable. Tribal militants formed by the Pak army killed about 3,000 people in the small town. In addition to the people of the city who lost their lives at the hands of the attackers, 4 European citizens also died. Colonel Dick, a retired British Army officer, and his pregnant wife were also killed by insane militants in a bid to seize Kashmir. 

The church could not escape the attack. On October 28, they entered Joseph's Franciscan Convent and carried out arbitrary looting. Hospitals and churches were reduced to rubble. In addition to the four nuns, the assailants shot and killed Colonel Dick and his wife. 350 local Hindus were burned alive inside a house. 

The Indian army reached the town 24 hours after the Baramulla attack. But before that, the city's population of 14,000 was reduced to 1,000. The Pakistani invaders depopulated the city.

According to Associated Press photographer Maxi Dospat,On November 2, he saw more than 20 villages burning. The fire was seen in Srinagar, 20 miles from Baramulla. At the behest of Islamabad, the invaders proceeded towards Srinagar as they carried out a massive act of terror and destruction. Sydney Smith of London's Daily Express paper was in Baramulla Hospital for 10 days after the crash. He also painted a picture of destruction in his report on the Pakistani aggressors. As soon as they fired from the top of the hill, they came forward towards the plane. Countless people lost their lives on both sides of the road. The house was reduced to rubble. Forced that day, Smith saw the assailants climbing over the hospital wall and firing indiscriminately at the patients. Philomena, a 20-year-old Indian nurse, tries to save a newborn Muslim baby. But the attackers killed him first. The newborn Muslim child was then killed. Mother got the news of the incidentRun to Aldertrude Ward. The attackers also attacked him. Atrocities continue to unfold before the eyes of Assistant Mother Teresalina. Later, of course, the attackers shot into his heart! Colonel Dix was also killed by bullets fired by the Pakistani invaders while trying to save Mother Alderbright from attack. Mother did not survive. And many came to his rescue and fell to their deaths. And his pregnant wife also died when she came to help Colonel Dix. His body was thrown into the well. The body was later recovered from there. At about the same time, Anglo-Indian Gi Boreto was shot dead by tribal militants in front of nine nuns in the hospital garden. The nuns were then lined up and shot. Major Ronald Davis, an evangelist, and one of his English aides were also shot dead. His other assistant was taken to the mountains by miscreants and killed.Colonel Dix was also killed by bullets fired by the Pakistani invaders while trying to save Mother Alderbrut from attack. Mother did not survive. And many came to his rescue and fell to their deaths. And his pregnant wife also died when she came to help Colonel Dix. His body was thrown into the well. The body was later recovered from there. At about the same time, Anglo-Indian Gi Boreto was shot dead by tribal militants in front of nine nuns in the hospital garden. The nuns were then lined up and shot. Major Ronald Davis, an evangelist, and one of his English aides were also shot dead. His other assistant was taken to the mountains by miscreants and killed. 

Baramulla's Abdul Ohman recounts the terror he witnessed with his own eyes. According to him, the raiders first attacked the houses of the Hindus and continued to rape and kill them. Then the peaks were attacked in the same way. At first they did not say anything to the Muslims. Hindus and Sikhs were forced to flee due to Pakistani barbarism. Then their houses were looted and set on fire. Almost all women are abducted or raped. At first, the aggressors tried to gain the sympathy of the Muslims. But after a day or two, a similar atrocity started against the Muslims. People of all Hindu-Muslim-Sikh communities were attacked by the tribes. He killed those who came in front of them. No children, old people or women were spared. Every woman in the Muslim community can be said to have been raped. The raiders looted everything from gold and silver to clothes. 

According to Wazir-i-Wazat Chowdhury Faizullah of Barmula, the attackers used to attack in groups of 30 to 40 people. Fifteen thousand invaders were engaged in the process of destruction at the same time. Almost all of them are tribes. However, in addition to some Punjabi Muslims, pirs, Pakistani soldiers and top soldiers have also been seen. People from the local Muslim Conference were also seen with the attackers. They have worked as local guides. The raiders looted a lot of valuable materials from Baramulla! 270 lorries were used to transport the booty from Baramulla to Uri. After the raiders left Baramulla on November 8, it was seen that no house was spared from looting. The residents literally disappeared in order to meet the demands of the attackers.

The recovery of Baramulla by the Indian army was an absolute achievement for them. The Times of London wrote in their newspaper on 11 November that the people of Baramulla stood on the rubble and greeted the Indian army with joy. Despite Pakistan's propaganda, the people of Baramulla know that the Indian army has not harmed them. On the contrary, the entry of the Indian Army into Baramulla has helped save the lives of many people. So they are proud of the Indian Army. They also disagree that Baramulla's horrific tribal aggression of that day was led by the Pak army at the behest of Pakistani leaders.

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