By Daya Sagar
On June 3, 1947, Louis Mountbatten, first Earl Mountbatten of Burma and the then Viceroy of India had announced the decision for partition of India creating a new dominion of Pakistan. To create a theocratic Islamic State of Pakistan area was to be carved out of only the British India. So, based on the plan prepared by Louis Mountbatten the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed by British Parliament.
The Act received Royal assent on July 18, 1947 and the appointed date for carving out of dominion of Pakistan was set as August 14, 1947 and hence the appointed date for Independent India dominion was August 15, 1947.
The Indian Independence Act did not transfer to the proposed Independent India dominion the paramount authority that the British crown held over the Indian princes. The territories of British Indian Empire that were under the executive rule of the princes were hence for the time being in a way left out of the independent India dominion in terms of the Indian Independence Act 1947 of the Parliament of Britain. But with the social, economic and geographic conditions that prevailed it was not possible for a large majority of the native States to stay independent of India or Pakistan dominion. So advisories had been issued to princes for acceding to either of the dominion in greater interest of their people. There was no condition laid down in the Indian Independence Act directing that a princely state could accede to India or Pakistan dominion only by or before August 14, 1947. It is an unpleasant fact that Muslim League had got the partition of British India done on the basis of religion. Pakistan was to come up as an Islamic state. So, it was anticipated that there would be very large movement of Hindu and Muslim across the new boundaries.
Since Pakistan was to be a theocratic state, more movement of Hindu from Pakistani areas was expected. Communal clashes on religious lines were feared. Therefore, it was suggested that decisions by princely states (that were within British Indian Empire but outside British India) are better taken before August 14, 1947.
This was more to ensure that movements on the basis of religious faith take place before geographical partition of British India and are not spontaneous. Hence, taking decision about accession before 14th August was suggested to princes more for a peaceful transition.
The British was to retreat from the Indian land in terms of Indian Independence Act 1947. Indians had yet to decide for the model (say Constitution) for managing the affairs on their own. The Princes acceding to India Dominion or newly born dominion of Pakistan had to live as ordinary / common citizen in democratic India or Islamic State of Pakistan. Living as ordinary or common citizen was surely to be simply not that pleasing for some of the princes.
Looking at the social, economic and geographical conditions that prevailed at that time around 550 princely states were likely to accede to India. So, for speeding up the process a common text of Instrument of Accession was designed by Lord Mountbatten for princely states that were likely to accede to India dominion. No such instrument was drafted by Mountbatten for States that could accede to Pakistan since the number of such states would have been just around 15.
