Indian Independence Movement and Princely States of British Indian Empire
DAYA SAGAR
Why had the J&K Maharaja delayed the accession to India or Pakistan could be well read from the spirits / reasons mentioned by Maharaja Hari Singh Ji in his letter dated 26-10-1947 addressed to Governor General of India which among others said “”. One would surely ask had the delay in accession given enough time to Pakistan for attacking Princely State of J&K from Muslim majority Kashmir Valley side where at that time Maharaja did not have even a few hundred troops to defend his territories and had to leave the valley in the evening of 25th Oct 1947 leaving the common people to the mercy of ………. And Pakistan getting enough time to make advances in the territories of the State that had acceded to India 4 days after the attack ?
The Princes like Nizam of Hyderabad and Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir did not ‘Accede’ to India Dominion before 15th Aug 1947 or even immediately after that .Maharaja of J&K acceded in Oct 1947 and that too when his kingdom had been openly attacked & invaded by Pakistani ‘forces’ and Pakistan promoted tribals on 22nd Oct 1947.Hyderabad acceded even after 1948.
To be continued
(The writer is a senior journalist and analyst of J&K Affairs, can be reached at dayasagr45@yahoo.com)