Congress’ ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ a sham: Nehru humiliated Sardar Patel for military action on pro-Pakistan Hyderabad Nizam

From Kanyakumari to Kashmir, is India’s geography that Congress scion Rahul Gandhi proposes to cover under the aegis of his ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, though without any reference to Sardar Patel, India’s real unifier. But, there is a double-jeopardy at play here. While the idea of the yatra is to cash-in on and renew his Nehru-Gandhi legacy, implying that BJP-RSS are the dividers of India, Rahul Gandhi has forgotten that his great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru was one of the major stumbling blocks in the path of ‘Bharat Jodo’. It was not Nehru, but the indomitable ‘Iron Man’, Sardar Patel, who brought India together, bending to his will all the erstwhile independent principalities that dreamt of becoming independent dominions at the lapse of British paramountcy. The worst of the lot was Nizam of Hyderabad, a consummate opportunist and fundamentalist. He was constantly consulting Jinnah from across the border during negotiations with India and unleashed the Islamist jihadi ‘razakars’ to wreak havoc on hapless Hyderabad Hindus. Among the many things he wanted, joining Pakistan was one, revealed by VP Menon’s accounts from back then.

While the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty has always been loath to acknowledge Sardar’s contribution in its attempts to create a historical monologue in its favour, Rahul Gandhi did not even make a passing mention of the Sardar as he gears up to ‘measure’ India. First, Nehru demeaned Sardar, Rahul only continues to The account of Nehru’s humiliation of Sardar Patel on the question of integration of Hyderabad with India is preserved in a book by Dr KM Munshi, titled ‘Pilgrimage to India’. Munshi was the Regent-General appointed in Hyderabad by India to smoothen the accession and the involved negotiations. According to Munshi’s account of a meeting—held just a day before the military action that ultimately worsted the Nizam, the blood-thirsty razakars and ultimately paved the way for Hyderabad’s integration with the Indian Union—Nehru “ubraided” Sardar for his stand and strategy for Hyderabad. Sardar was the architect of the military action. Along with Sardar, Nehru had humiliated and reduced Patel’s closest confidantes too, who together with the ‘Iron Man’ and his iron will would deliver Hyderabad to India. This excerpt from Munshi’s book is a tell-all tale of Nehru’s misbehavior. “Jawaharlal Nehru was averse to the line followed by Sardar,” writes Munshi. “Sardar and VP Menon were dealing with the situation through me to secure the accession of the State on the same terms as the accession of other States.” “At one stage,” says Munshi, “it was suggested to Sardar that I should be replaced by someone else at Hyderabad. Sardar would not think of it.” “More than once I was disgusted at being distrusted by my Prime Minister, having had to provide independent corroboration every time I reported an atrocity on the part of the Ittehad (razakars). I would have thrown up the job but for Sardar’s confidence in me,” Munshi continues. Sardar’s close associate observes about the situation prevailing between Hyderabad and India: “As the Hyderabad situation was inexorably moving towards a climax, due to the intransigence of the Nizam and his advisers, Sardar considered it advisable to let the Nizam’s Government know clearly that the patience of the Government of India was fast getting exhausted. Accordingly a communication to that effect was sent from the States Ministry by VP Menon.” It is here that things went south with Nehru. “When Jawaharlal Nehru came to hear of this, he was extremely upset. A day before our army was scheduled to march into Hyderabad he called a special meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet, excluding the three Chiefs of Staff, Munshi writes. Those who attended the meeting, held in the Prime Minister’s room, were Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Maulana Azad, the then Defence and Finance Ministers, the State Secretary VP Menon and the Defence Secretary HM Patel. “The discussion had scarcely begun when Jawaharlal Nehru flew into a rage and upbraided Sardar for his action and attitude towards Hyderabad. He also directed his wrath against VP Menon. He concluded his outburst with the remark that in future he would himself attend to all matters relating to Hyderabad,” Munsi says in his book. The author remembered the “vehemence” of Nehru’s attack which he says,” shocked everyone present”. All along Nehru’s attack on him “Sardar sat still without uttering a word,” writes Munshi. “He then rose and left the meeting accompanied by V.P. Menon. The meeting dispersed without transacting any business.” As to what Sardar Patel had achieved with the integration of Hyderabad and worsting its vicious Nizam, Munshi observes: “The most ambitious of Indian Princes was the Nizam of Hyderabad who declared on 12 June, 1947, that “the departure of the paramount power in the near future will mean that I shall become entitled to resume the status of an independent sovereign…The Nizam had set his heart on becoming a ‘Third Dominion’ of the British Commonwealth.” Of Nehru, Munshi, one of the men who made Hyderabad’s accession to India possible, has this to say in the book: “More than once I was disgusted at being distrusted by my Prime Minister, having had to provide independent corroboration every time I reported an atrocity on the part of the Ittehad. I would have thrown up the job but for Sardar’s confidence in me.” Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.