The Story of How Nehru Threw Away Kashmir….well almost!
A couple of days ago, I was involved in a discussion about Nehru and Sardar Patel with a few friends. During the discussion, I commented that had Sardar Patel been our first PM, the whole of J&K would have been part of India.
This was met with a lot of resistance and protest. But what amused me the most was a remark that the Pakistani raiders attacked Kashmir in October 1947 and that the instrument of accession was not signed until then. The person also said that once it was signed, the Indian army was swiftly deployed in the valley. Seventy-seven years have passed since our independence.
Do we really know how we lost a part of Kashmir?
The Background
How many of us know that it was Mountbatten who delayed the Indian army deployment in Kashmir? At this point, you might ask a pertinent question: Who was Mountbatten and what was he doing in independent India?
Mountbatten was a British representative, and he was appointed as the first Governor General of independent India by Nehru and senior Congress leaders. Mountbatten and his wife were known to be close to Nehru and were said to have used this relationship to influence him on various matters. It is also said that Lady Mountbatten’s influence on Nehru may have led to some of his wrong decisions. Maulana Azad even mentions this in his autobiography. Notably, Pakistan, which also became independent at the same time, had a Pakistani as its Governor General.
Strategic Importance of Kashmir
Kashmir was always a strategic territory, and Britain wanted the region to be under its influence. This was possible only if Kashmir remained independent or joined Pakistan, which was leaning towards the West at the time. Mountbatten’s loyalty was always to the British crown, and all his moves were aimed at ensuring his country’s interests were well served in any decision he made.
June-September 1947
By this time, Maharaja Hari Singh, the ruler of Kashmir, had already made up his mind to accede his state to India. He was waiting for the right time to negotiate the best terms for the accession. What you are about to read might shock many of you!
When the Maharaja offered to accede Kashmir to India unconditionally, Nehru refused. Nehru wanted Sheikh Abdullah, who had been imprisoned by the Maharaja, to be freed first and made the Prime Minister of Kashmir before Kashmir was merged with India. This was unacceptable to the Maharaja. Many might argue that the times were different, but it’s hard to understand why anyone would refuse such an offer unless, of course, he/she is a ‘Nehru’. It is said that Mountbatten may have influenced Nehru to make this unusual demand.
October 1947
Pakistani raiders started their invasion of Kashmir, and by the 22nd, they were knocking on the doors of Srinagar. Maharaja Hari Singh was desperate and requested assistance from India. At this juncture, Sardar Patel suggested sending the army. However, Mountbatten, who was calling the shots (not Nehru), insisted on signing the Instrument of Accession.
If you examine all these developments, it becomes clear that Mountbatten’s actions were deliberate to ensure that Kashmir was taken over by Pakistan. This is what happened in the following days:
24 October: Blackout in Srinagar as a result of the attack by Pakistani raiders.
25 October: Mountbatten sends a defense delegation to Kashmir to assess the situation (instead of sending troops).
26 October: The delegation returns to Delhi and reports that Srinagar will be lost if no action is taken quickly. However, at this point, Mountbatten insists that the Instrument of Accession be signed first. Accordingly, V.P. Menon, who was part of the defense delegation, flies to Kashmir once again. The Instrument of Accession is signed, and it is accepted by Mountbatten on October 27, making the whole of J&K legally a part of India.
Something that must strike each one of us while reading this is that our nation was still under the control of a British official even after independence. And yes, we had a ‘ceremonial PM’ who was simply incapable of handling affairs
When Sardar Patel asked Nehru: “Jawaharlal, do you want Kashmir?”
Even after the Instrument of Accession was signed, Mountbatten kept delaying army deployment. Nehru, as we all know by now, was not strong enough to make a decision on this.
This is how Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw narrates receiving the orders in the meeting on October 27th to defend Kashmir:
“As usual, Nehru talked about the United Nations, Russia, Africa, and God almighty, everybody, until Sardar Patel lost his temper. He said, ‘Jawaharlal, do you want Kashmir, or do you want to give it away?’ He (Nehru) said, ‘Of course, I want Kashmir’ (emphasis in original). Then he (Patel) said, ‘Please give your orders.’ And before he could say anything, Sardar Patel turned to me and said, ‘You have got your orders’.”
Ceasefire: 1949
Of course, the Indian army rose to the occasion against great difficulties and managed to defend Kashmir. Our army was, in fact, in an advantageous position to clear the whole of Kashmir of Pakistani raiders. However, it was at that point that Nehru ordered the ceasefire.
Thanks to Sardar Patel, India still controls 2/3 of the region. And if he were the PM, the whole of Kashmir would have been a part of India. And I am certain that the Kashmiri Pandits would not have been driven out of Kashmir either.
Reference
- “The Shadow of the Great Game: The Untold Story of India’s Partition” by Narendra Singh Sarila
- “Nehru’s 97 Major Blunders” by Rajkumar Pauranik
- ‘Jawaharlal, do you want Kashmir, or do you want to give it away?’: Article in Rediff
