JAVED Nama is viewed as Allama Iqbal’s most remarkable Persian work. In Javed Nama, Iqbal has presented, among other things, imaginary dialogues between himself and some historical personalities in the heavens, discussing philosophical issues. Tahir Ghani Kashmiri, a 17th-centruy poet from Kashmir, is one of those figures that Iqbal has imaginarily exchanged views with. The discussion between Iqbal and Ghani Kashmiri includes the issue of independence of British India and Kashmir.

But “Jagan Nath Azad in his 1977 book Iqbal Aur Kashmir, while discussing Javed Nama’s portion where dialogue between Iqbal and Ghani Kashmiri begins, wrongly attributed a few couplets to Sheikh Abdullah and Mir Waiz Hamadani,” writes Dr Zafar Husain Zafar in his book Kashmir: Bahattar Dinon Ki Kahani, (Kashmir: the story of 72 days). “This blatant lie by Jagan Nath Azad pleased Sheikh Abdullah so much that he granted Azad his most cherished wish: the post of the head of Urdu department at Jammu University”.

To put it into perspective, Iqbal finished writing Javed Nama in April 1931 and it was first published in February 1932. In April 1931, Sheikh Abdullah, 26 at that time, had barely begun his political career. In fact he rose to the political horizon in July 1931. How he could have inspired Iqbal when Iqbal was writing the book in April 1931, or even before, is beyond comprehension. But Azad has specifically mentioned Sheikh Abdullah’s name (Lahore ed. 1993, pp.187-188).

Quoting from Ghulam Nabi Khayal’s book, titled Iqbal Aur Tehreek-i-Azadi-i-Kashmir (Iqbal and Kashmir’s freedom movement), Dr Zafar further says that “but in 1989-90, just 13 years after the publication of Azad’s book, when Kashmir’s independence movement resurfaced anew in the streets of Kashmir, the grave of Sheikh Abdullah — the very person that Azad had praised — had to be guarded by armed personnel, as Sheikh Abdullah had become a figure so much hated among the Kashmiri youth that it was feared some members of the third generation of Kashmiris would reach the grave of Sheikh Abdullah and vandalise it to settle the scores for their doomed fate” (p.285).

Iftikhar Gilani has penned the foreword to the book. Being a prominent Kashmiri journalist and having personally experienced the atrocities committed by the Indian authorities, Iftikhar Gilani touches a sore spot when he writes that Kashmiri people have gone through a myriad of agonies. And “the most significant phase is the period between July 1947 and October 1947”.

What happened in that period, says Gilani, “has been echoing for the last 78 years, causing a tense situation in the entire south Asia. But no objective and authentic research on the issue has so far been presented. Whatever we have had on the topic is either the autobiographies of leaders who have justified their role or the writings by Pakistani or Indian researchers that lack impartiality”.

Gilani, now based in Turkiye, is a prominent Kashmiri journalist and son-in-law of late Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Gilani. Iftikhar Gilani was imprisoned in the infamous Tihar jail by the Indian authorities for the alleged possession of “sensitive documents”, which were, ironically, later on available online.

Dr Zafar in his intro says “while working on the correspondence between Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Kashmiri leaders, I came across many basic and primary sources. During this study I deeply felt that Kashmir’s freedom movement that began on July 13, 1931, had entered a decisive phase on Aug 15, 1947. But, having reached so close to the destination, it was embroiled in the whirlpool of history so badly that 78 years have elapsed and with every passing day the wayfarers to the destination of freedom are getting farther and farther away”.

Zafar has unmasked, with citations, some of the characters that have played dubious roles in Kashmir’s not-so-recent history. He has devoted separate chapters to highlight roles, negative or positive, played by different persons and parties, for instance, the British rulers, Indian National Congress, Muslim League, Maharaja Hari Singh, All Jammu & Kashmir Muslim Conference and All Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, in addition to Sheikh Abdullah, Quaid-i-Azam and Nehru.

The book, published by Lahore’s Nashriyaat, recounting the turbulent 72 days, from Aug 15, 1947 — India’s Independence Day — to Oct 27, 1947, when tribesmen advanced into Kashmir, narrates the events, with ample evidence and historical background, reflecting how Kashmiris were denied their rightful claims and deprived of what they deserved.

Dr Zafar Husain Zafar is a well-known scholar from Azad Kashmir and has been teaching Urdu at various universities. He has to his credit several books and research papers.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2026