Rohit Sharma
October 26-27, 1947 will always be remembered in Indian history as the days when Kashmir agreed to become an integral part of India. Left leaning historians have always told a half-baked truth, blaming Maharaja of Kashmir Hari Singh for delay in his decision to join India. What wasn’t taught to us in history is that Nehru delayed the integration process of J&K with India and Nehru’s decisions were behind India losing one-third of undivided Kashmir to Pakistan. In this blog I have cited facts, debates and evidence from the unbiased writings of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, PN Chopra, M G Tapasvi, Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan (3rd Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India & Ex Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir) and Dinkar Joshi. Nehru had information of a Pakistani attack on J&K 25 days prior to the incident. However Nehru’s, vengeful attitude towards Maharaja Hari Singh led him to become a mute spectator to Kashmir’s loot and arson. He wanted to concertise his promise to Sheikh Abdullah of making him Head Administrator of J&K and delayed the Kashmir integration process. The contributions of RSS Chief Guru Golwalkar, during this time has been wiped off from Indian history. How on the request of Sardar Patel, Guru Golwalkar met Maharaja Hari Singh at Srinagar and made him agree to integrate Kashmir with the Indian Union.
In 1946, Sheikh Abdullah started a agitation against Maharaja to leave Jammu Kashmir, Maharaja put Sheikh Abdullah in jail. Nehru being friend of Sheikh Abdullah came to Jammu to help him but he was also taken into custody by maharaja, Both Maharaja and Nehru became enemies, the only reason behind that Nehru himself took responsibility of Accession of Jammu Kashmir in India otherwise what was interest of Nehru in Jammu Kashmir, he took responsibility just because of his personal rivalry with Maharaja and his friendship with Sheikh Abdullah. He had promised Sheikh that he will make him Administrator of Jammu Kashmir.
It is due to Nehru Maharaja signed standstill agreement with both countries rather than transferring his powers to Sheikh Abdullah, Sardar Patel was aware of all the developments in Kashmir , he was also aware of relations that M.S Golwalkar (Second sarsanghchalak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) had with Maharaja and requested him to visit Srinagar and meet maharaja and convenience him for accession of Jammu Kashmir in India.
On 17th October, Golwalkar reached Srinagar and remained successful in convincing Maharaja that Jammu Kashmir will be no longer able to survive from external aggression by Pakistan as well as internal forces, hence accession of Jammu Kashmir in India is very Important to save Jammu Kashmir from destruction . M.S Golwalkar reached back to Delhi on 19th October and gave all the information to Sardar Patel, reference of meeting can be found in book written by M.G tapasvi’ “Rashtraye namah”
But those leftists who curse RSS for anything and everything, why would they write about contribution of RSS in accession of Jammu Kashmir in India.
On 22th October Pakistan attacked Jammu Kashmir and on 24th 1947, Ram Lal Patra Deputy Prime Minister of Jammu Kashmir reached Delhi with signed accession papers and requested for immediate military Aid. But Nehru didn’t accepted accession papers , if accession papers had been accepted on the same day and forces had been sent to Jammu Kashmir more than 1/3 area of Jammu Kashmir which is in Pakistan today could be saved. The reason behind for not accepting accession papers was just because Maharaja did not declared Sheikh Abdullah as Administrator of Jammu Kashmir. After long discussions and meetings in Delhi, finally Nehru asked VP menon to visit Srinagar and bring Mehar Chand Mahajan, the then PM of Jammu Kashmir to Delhi.
References of same can be found in Autobiography “Looking Back” of Mehar Chand Mahajan, who later also remained third Chief Justice of India. He writes in Autobiography that “VP Menon came to Jammu Kashmir to take me to Delhi. I told him that we have already sent our Deputy Prime Minister Ram Lal Batra with accession papers to Delhi. Menon told me that It is not possible to give military assistance without my presence in Delhi. When I reached Delhi, I told them that Kabayilis are approaching Srinagar and immediate military assistance is needed, in response to which Pt Nehru said, “We will liberate Kashmir even after their occupation of Kashmir”. I asked him that who will compensate destruction? But still I was adamant on the demand for military aid but Nehru was adamant at his point”.
What the then Prime Minister of Jammu Kashmir Mehar Chand Maharaj has further written in Autobiography is more surprising.
“The tribesmen had reached the door of Srinagar but still Nehru was not accepting Kashmir’s accession to India until Sheikh Abdullah was made a partner in power. Then I said accept our proposal of accession , help us with military aid in Kashmir and give the power to whom you want to give in Kashmir. But military aid should reach Kashmir by tomorrow or else I will have to go to Jinnah to save Srinagar from destruction.”
When Mahajan was giving this blow, its echo also reached the ears of Sheikh Abdullah, who was present at Nehru’s house at that time. When he saw the power slipping from his hands, he sent a slip to Nehru on which was written that he too agrees with Mahajan.
Seeing this slip, Nehru’s attitude completely changed and on 27 October 1947, the army reached Srinagar and the first war between India and Pakistan started, but Nehru, in the meantime, also asked VP Menon to go to Jammu with supplementary accession papers and get Maharaja Hari Singh’s signatures on it. It was written on paper that he makes Sheikh Abdullah an emergency administrator of Jammu and Kashmir, i.e., it is clear that when the Maharaja agreed to give power to Sheikh Abdullah, only then Nehru sent the army to Jammu and Kashmir, but between the insistence and the debate, no one can guess the damage done to the Jammu Kashmir and the country. If Nehru had not insisted on giving power to Sheikh Abdullah and only on 24 October Military aid had been provided to Jammu and Kashmir, then Rajouri, Nowshera, chammb, Jourian, Akhnoor wouldn’t have lost thousands of lives.
(The writer is Pursuing his Masters in Public policy and public administration from Central University of Jammu).
