Peer Ghulam Hassan Shah and the Jammu and Kashmir Police

By Abdul Rashid Khan

Being a police officer myself who has served in the J&K police, I was keen to document the life and work of Peer Sahib, who is an example of what can be accomplished through hard work and dedication in order to motivate other officers in the J&K police force. He graciously agreed to a series of interviews on which the book, written in the oral history style, is based in which he shared his thoughts about his upbringing and anecdotes about his personal and professional life. This book is mainly based on the events which occurred from the perspectives of a police officer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 23, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543446913

Abdul Rashid Khan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Abdul Rashid Khan is a former Inspector General of Police, J&K. His grew up in Magarmal Bagh, Srinagar, and presently resides in Rawalpora, Srinagar. He graduated from S.P College, Srinagar and then did his post-graduation in economics at the University of Kashmir. He then did research at the National Council of Applied Economic Research, New Delhi. He was appointed as Assistant Director in the Planning Department of the J&K Government. After passing his KAS examination he joined the Police Department as Deputy Superintendent of Police. Due to his meritorious service he was inducted into the Indian Police Service (IPS) and rose to the rank of Inspector General of Police (IGP). As IGP he headed the J&K Crime and Railways, Modernization and Traffic wings of the Police Department. He has made notable contribution towards the improvement in the traffic system in the cities of Srinagar and Jammu. He has been awarded National as well as State Meritorious and Gallantry Awards. After his retirement from the police department, he served as a member of J&K State Human Rights Commission. He is a prolific writer and regularly contributes to some of the states leading daily English newspapers.

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Copyright © 2017 by Zubair Hassan.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2017913149

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CONTENTS

Preface

Acknowledgments

1.   Shutloo Village

2.   Shajjr-E-Nasab (Genealogy)

3.   Childhood

4.   College Life

5.   Beginnings Of A Police Career

6.   Wataldob To Shahabad, Sopore

7.   Dsp—Deputy Superintendent Of Police

8.   Hajj Pilgrimage

9.   Recovery Of Mou-I-Muqadus

10.   Visit To The Middle East

11.   Sp, Cid

12.   Dig, Kashmir

13.   Case Studies

14.   Commissioner Of Vigilance

15.   Assembly Elections 1977

16.   Igp And First Dgp Of J&K

17.   After Retirement

18.   Reflections

Appendices

Abbreviations/Acronyms

Glossary

References

About The Author

Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson

PREFACE

To tell the story of the modern Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police force, we need to delve into the various aspects of the life of the person who is hugely responsible for its development and expansion. This person is none other than the living legend Peer Ghulam Hassan Shah, who came from the remote village of Shutloo, Baramulla, and rose to the pinnacle of success by the dint of hard work, dedication, and devotion to duty. He started his career as an assistant subinspector of police and ascended to the highest rank of police hierarchy in J&K, becoming the first ever director general of police. He is a highly decorated police officer and has been awarded the President’s Medal for Distinguished Services and the President’s Medal for Gallantry. A locality in Sopore was renamed Shahabad after him by the local people in recognition of the work he did there when he served as a junior police officer, a rare honor for any policeman.

Peer Sahib served the state as inspector general of police and director general of police for more than five years. With his professional competence and administrative acumen, he left deep imprints in each position he worked in. He has been a part and witness to crucial and sensitive moments in the history of Kashmir. During his tenure as director general, the police force in J&K underwent a period of significant reorganization and expansion. He was instrumental in setting up the Police Training College in J&K, modernized the forensic laboratory, improved radio communication and wireless networks, upgraded police stations, and improved police housing. Under his leadership, the number of police personnel increased threefold, and the police budget increased fivefold. He was also able to secure revised, improved pay scales and allowances for the police force from the Pay Commission. In addition, during his tenure as head of the J&K police, there was a significant improvement in the image of the police force among the public.

Being a police officer myself who has served in the J&K police, I was keen to document the life and work of Peer Sahib, who is an example of what can be accomplished through resolve and perseverance, in order to motivate other officers in the J&K police force. He graciously agreed to a series of interviews on which the book, written in the oral history style, is based during which he shared his thoughts about his upbringing and anecdotes about his personal and professional life. This book is mainly based on the events that occurred from the perspectives of a police officer.

The last chapter, Reflections, was written by Peer Sahib himself based on recollections of his long career as a policeman and as a private citizen.

Abdul Rashid Khan, IPS

Inspector General of Police (Retd.)

Jammu and Kashmir

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I owe a huge debt of gratitude to people who helped and supported me in the writing of this book. I am extremely grateful to Peer Ghulam Hassan Shah Sahib for his graciousness and the confidence he reposed in me by allowing access to his personal files and records. I am also extremely thankful to him for showing faith and affection to me during our interactions. I also extend thanks to Mr. Mohammad Afzal Makhdoomi for sharing some of his experiences with Peer Sahib while working as his personal assistant. I am grateful too to Mr. Saleem Makhdoomi, who, with his skill and enthusiasm, helped me in compiling this manuscript. My thanks also to Mr. Abdul Hamid for his help in researching for this book. Above all, I must acknowledge the contributions of my friends and family and am grateful to them all for their patience and understanding.

CHAPTER 1

SHUTLOO VILLAGE

Shutloo is a small hamlet of Tehsil Baramulla, situated on the Baramulla–Langate road in the lap of thick forests at the foothill of Monde Hill. It is about twenty kilometers from Baramulla District Headquarters and is surrounded by a cluster of villages, including Tragpora, Rohama, Sikh Chhak, Chijihama, Wulanwar, Brandob, Volhatra, Kambar, Braman, and Khahmuh. There are several green pastures where the Gujjars graze their cattle. Shutloo comprises two parts separated by a small stream—Bonapor (lower village) and Herimpor (upper village).

Peer Sahib’s ancestral house is located at Herimpor where there are two springs, Bon Nag and Peth Nag, whose waters would remain warm in winter and cool in summer. The entire area of Shutloo and other surrounding villages was previously known as Hambal, before Prime Minister Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad renamed it as Rafiabad. The people of the area are mostly dependent on horticulture, growing apples, walnuts, and sheep husbandry. Sikh Chhak village adjoins Shutloo. This village is predominantly inhabited by Sikhs. Sardar Amar Singh Bali was the Numberdar (village functionary assigned to collect land revenue) of Sikh Chhak and Dooniwari. He had close contacts with the Dhar family, a prominent Kashmiri pandit family of Safa Kadal, Srinagar, as he worked as the manager and caretaker of their estates at Buran Pattan. He was a resourceful gentleman, who was helpful to the people in the village who therefore treated him with respect. It was due to his close contact with the Dhar family that he succeeded in establishing the first government primary school in Shutloo.

The Sikhs and the Muslims of this area enjoyed a friendly, cordial relationship and would support one another in times of need. In 1947, during tribal raids, the Sikh community felt vulnerable and planned to leave the village but was dissuaded from doing so by their Muslim neighbors. During this very trying and dangerous period when the whole subcontinent was engulfed in the flames of communal hatred, the people of this small and remote village, in keeping with the best traditions and teachings of Islam, gave shelter. They opened their homes to their Sikh neighbors and ensured their full protection. Peer Hafizullah Shah, the elder brother of Peer Ghulam Hassan Shah, played an important role in the protection of the Sikh community. When the situation improved, the members of the Sikh community resumed their normal lives. Sardar Amar Singh Bali made sure that his children received a good education. One of his sons, Sardar Harcharan Singh Bali, later rose to the level of superintendent engineer. After his retirement, he joined politics and became chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council.

CHAPTER 2

SHAJJR-E-NASAB (GENEALOGY)

Peer Sahib was born on June 20, 1926, in Shutloo. His father, Peer Mohammad Maqbool Shah, was a renowned religious leader of the area, who spent most of his time preaching the Quran and Sunah. He was mentored by the noted scholar Moulana Ahmadullah Sahib Seiloo of Sopore. Peer Mohammad Maqbool Shah was highly respected by people in the village and adjoining areas and was considered a symbol of righteousness.

The family are the descendants of Hazrat Sayyid Shaykh Baba Masud of Narwara, Srinagar, through Sayyid Peer Abdul Hamidullah Shah. Peer Sahib’s father, Peer Mohammad Maqbool Shah; his younger brother, Peer Ghulam Mohammad Shah; along with their sister, Mohtarma Khatija Bano, lived in the same home. Peer Ghulam Mohammad Shah, Peer Sahib’s uncle, took care of the household and the land. Peer Sahib’s father, Peer Mohammad Maqbool Shah, had six children—four sons and two daughters. Three of Peer Sahib’s siblings, namely Peer Hafizullah Shah, Peer Mohammad Muzaffar Shah, and their sister Mohtarma Zarifa Bano, have passed away. The younger brother, Peer Mohammad Yaseen Shah, continues to live in their ancestral village, while his younger sister, Mohtarma Rajah Bano, who is married to Peer Ghulam Mohammad Shah Naseem, lives in Nowpora Jagir, Baramulla District. Peer Sahib’s mother, Mohtarma Sarwa Khatoon, was the daughter of Peer Ghulam Rasool Shah and niece of Peer Abdul Gaffar Shah of Lahore. She also traces her origin from Hazrat Sayyid Shaykh Baba Masud’s family through Sayyid Peer Baba Abdul Qadir Shah. The mausoleums of Sayyid Peer Baba Abdul Qadir Shah and Sayyid Peer Baba Abdul Hamidullah Shah are located in the village of Tragpora and the nearby village of Chijihama, respectively, in Baramulla District. Sayyid Peer Baba Abdul Qadir Shah was a qalandar (mystic) with many karamat (miracles) credited to him. Sayyid Peer Baba Abdul Hamidullaha Shah was a renowned Islamic scholar, and his handwritten copy of the Quran in Arabic and the seven volumes of al-Jazuli’s Dala’il Al-Khayrat (Guide to Goodness) still survive and are the treasured heirlooms of the family.

Hazrat Sayyid Shaykh Baba Masud immigrated from Kufa, south of Baghdad, in present-day Iraq to Narwara, Srinagar, in the sixteenth century. He was a very successful businessman and was, in fact, called Malik-ul-Tujjar (King of Tradesman). He took Bayat (allegiance) in the Suhrawardy Sufi Order at the hands of Hazrat Mir Sayyid Ahmad Kirmani (RA), Abu-al-Fiya, who had come to Kashmir from Kirman, Iran, during the reign of Sultan Nazuk Shah (AD 1529-30 & 1540-1551). The sultan constructed a khanqah (place of meditation) for Hazrat Mir Sayyid Ahmad Kirmani (RA) at Narwara, Srinagar. After taking the Bayat, Hazrat Sayyid Shaykh Baba Masud gave up his worldly wealth and spent his time in meditation and rose to such spiritual heights that the son of Hazrat Mir Sayyid Ahmad Kirmani (RA)

appointed him Khalifa in AD 1569. He was a contemporary of Sultan-ul-Arifeen Shaykh Hamza Makhdoom (RA), who was also a disciple of Hazrat Mir Sayyid Ahmad Kirmani (RA). He was held in such high regard due to his spirituality that Sultan-ul-Arifeen Shaikh Hamza Makhdoom (RA) would often offer Asar prayers at Narwara, led by Hazrat Sayyid Shaykh Baba Masud. Hazrat Sayyid Shaykh Baba Masud had two wives. One was the daughter of Meerak Shah Andrabi (a great Sufi of his era), whose descendants either stayed in Srinagar or moved to South Kashmir. His other wife was the sister of Yusuf Shah Chak, the last king of Kashmir. The descendants of his wife from the Chak dynasty moved to Northern Kashmir. According to some other sources, he had two other wives—one of whom did not have any children, while the descendants of the other wife remained in Narwara, Srinagar. Peer Sahib’s family are the descendants of his wife from the Chak dynasty through Hazrat Sayyid Abdullah Shah and his son Sayyid Mohammad Yaquoob Shah, who settled in Tragpora, Baramulla. The shrine of Hazrat Mir Sayyid Kirmani (RA) is located near the shrine of Hazrat Baha-ud-Din Gunjbaksh (RA) in Nowhatta, Srinagar, whereas the tomb of Hazrat Sayyid Shaykh Baba Masud is located in Narwara, downtown Srinagar, where it is affectionately called Narwuer Saheb. The annual Urs of Hazrat Mir Sayyid Ahmad Kirmani (RA) is held on the twenty-first of Ramadan.

The Shajjr-e-Nasab of Hazrat Sayyid Shaykh Baba Masud has been traced to Imam Hassan bin Ali (RA) and Hazrat Ali (RA). This has been authenticated by Mirwaiz Kashmir Ghulam Rasool Shah Sahib and substantiated by Khawja Mohammad Yaseen Naqashbandi Srinagar, Mir Mohammad Yaseen Khanyari, and Mohammad Salam-u-Din of Hazratbal in a document signed by them on fourteenth Ramadan 1301 Hijri (AD July 8, 1884).

Peer Abdul Gaffar Shah Sahib, Peer Sahib’s mother’s uncle, was born in the village of Tragpora, Baramulla. His grandfather, Peer Mustafa Shah, was a mystic and used to visit Baghdad, Multan, and various Islamic centers to gain religious and spiritual knowledge. In his old age, he settled in Lahore. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Peer Abdul Gaffar Shah also left Tragpora and, with his father Peer Ahmad Shah, settled in Mohalla Takia Sadwan in Lahore. Peer Abdul Gaffar Shah was educated in Lahore and taught Farsi at the Oriental College in Lahore. He got married in Lahore, but his wife passed away fourteen days after the birth of their son Peer Mohammad Ashraf and only two years after their marriage. After the death of his wife, he did not remarry and spent most of his time in prayers and spiritual pursuits. He was a contemporary of Alama Sir Mohammad Iqbal and Moulana Mohammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri. His home was a center of many debates and discussions about political, religious, and spiritual issues. He established a Dar-ul-Aloom by the name of Madrasa Gousia in Lahore. The people who were interested in obtaining education of Tafseer-i-Quran, Hadith Nabawi, and Fiqa would join this institution. He lived a pious and saintly life and was revered by the people of Lahore. He published books and pamphlets of Darood-i-Sharief and Naat-i-Nabi (SAW) and then distributed them free of cost. Before the partition in 1947, the political leaders of Kashmir, who used to visit Lahore in connection with the freedom movement, would often stay with him at his residence in Lahore. Among the notable personalities from Kashmir who stayed with him were Mufti Jalal-ud-din, Ghulam Nabi Drabu, Moulana Mohammad Syed Masoodi, Mirza Mustafa, Mirza Kamal-ud-din, Abdul Rashid Qazi, Bashir Ahmad Qazi, Ali Mohammad Qazi, and Hajji Abdul Aziz Mir. The students of Kashmir pursuing higher education in Lahore would make it a point to meet Peer Abdul Gaffar Shah and receive his blessings. The kitchen of Peer Abdul Gaffar Sahib served as a langar for all those who would visit Lahore from Kashmir. Peer Abdul Gaffar Shah would also send Islamic books to Kashmir with his visitors for distribution at various masjids and shrines. After living a long life, he passed away in Lahore in 1930. His funeral was attended, among others, by Moulana Mohammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri, the world-renowned Islamic scholar, who traveled all the way from Deoband to Lahore.

Peer Abdul Gaffar’s son, Peer Mohammad Ashraf Shah, later shifted his father’s body after seventeen years and buried it at Mazang in Bagh-i-Gul Begum on the outskirts of Lahore to fulfill his father’s wishes. It has been reported that his body, when moved, was still in a pristine condition. This place has become a popular shrine with the annual Urs celebration being held on October 6th. Peer Mohammad Ashraf Shah’s daughter, Iqbal Ashraf, was married to Peer Sahib’s maternal uncle, Peer Abdullah Shah, who carried forward Peer Abdul Gaffar Sahib’s mission. He was the khateeb of Masjid-i-Qazi Khan in Lahore. The people of the area and the outskirts of Lahore would come to seek his blessings. Peer Abdullah Shah’s brother Peer Ghulam Ahmad Shah and sister, Mohtarma Sarwa Khatoon, mother of Peer Sahib, continued to live in their ancestral home in Tragpora, Baramulla.

Moulana Mohammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri was also a descendant of Hazrat Sayyid Shaykh Baba Masud. He was born in 1875 in the village of Dudwan, Lolab Valley, Kupwara, and was the maternal cousin of Peer Sahib’s father, Peer Mohammad Maqbool Shah