Right Word | How Nehru delayed accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India

On 26 October, the nation would be commemorating the “Accession Day” to celebrate a historical event, i.e. the unconditional and complete merger of Jammu and Kashmir in India. In a significant step in 2020, the Narendra Modi government had declared 26 October, the day the Instrument of Accession (IOA) was signed by Maharaja Hari Singh in 1947, as a public holiday in the union territory. This was the first time since independence that the ‘Accession Day’ has been declared a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir. However, as we celebrate the ‘Accession Day’, it also time to review some of the events preceding the signing of IOA that challenge the popular narrative that it was Maharaja Hari Singh who delayed signing the IOA as he was toying with the idea of an independent Kashmir. The historical facts point out that it was the then Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who caused this delay that allowed Pakistan to launch brutal attack on Jammu-Kashmir through its regular soldiers as well as the tribal militia. The fact of the matter is that Maharaja Hari Singh was a patriot and his intentions were never in doubt. The only stumbling block for signing of IOA was Nehru’s insistence on installing Sheikh Abdullah at the helm of Jammu-Kashmir administration which wasn’t acceptable to Maharaja Hari Singh. While Nehru was not ready to budge, it was Maharaja Hari Singh who finally compromised due to his patriotism and allowed Nehru to have his say to ensure that Jammu-Kashmir is not snatched away by Pakistan through military action. The Pakistani army and tribal militia were near Srinagar when Maharaja Hari Singh accepted handing over the reins of Jammu-Kashmir to Sheikh Abdullah, the controversial founder and leader of National Conference, and a ‘buddy’ of Nehru. Nehru, Maharaja and Sheikh Former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Jagmohan has given a detailed and authentic account of the developments that became the root cause of Nehru’s ego tussle with Maharaja Hari Singh resulting in delay in signing of IOA. In his seminal work on Jammu and Kashmir (My Frozen Turbulence in Kashmir, 19th Edition, pp74), he wrote, “On May 10(1946), the National Conference under the leadership of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, launched the ‘Quit Kashmir’ movement. In his speech on 17 May, 1946, Sheikh Abdullah said, ‘The tyranny of the Dogras has lacerated our souls. It is time for action. You must fight and enter the field of ‘Jihad’ as soldiers. Every man, woman and child will shout ‘Quit Kashmir’. The Kashmiri nation has expressed its will. I ask for a plebiscite on this question.’ On May 20, he was arrested. The other prominent leaders of the National Conference were also detained.” Ironically, Nehru went all out to defend Sheikh Abdullah who was calling for a ‘jihad’ against Hindu Dogras. He not only demanded immediate release of Sheikh Abdullah but himself proceeded to Kashmir to make arrangements for Sheikh’s defence. Maharaja Hari Singh prohibited Nehru’s entry into the state as this would have further added fuel to the fire that would have threatened the existence of Hindus in the state. Nehru defied the order and he was arrested. Jagmohan observed, “This event… permanently impaired the relations between Maharaja Hari Singh and Nehru. As subsequent events showed, Nehru was never able to get over this hostility towards the Maharaja, and Sheikh Abdullah exploited it to the hilt.” As mentioned above, every time Maharaja Hari Singh showed an inclination to sign the IOA before and after 15 August, 1947, Nehru stalled it as he wanted Sheikh Abdullah to be installed as the de facto ruler of Jammu and Kashmir replacing Maharaja Hari Singh. Had Nehru not insisted on this condition, the IOA would have been signed much earlier saving thousands of Hindus and Sikhs from the brutalities of the invading tribal militia and Pakistani army regulars. Maharaja Hari Singh: A patriot Maharaja Hari Singh was a true patriot and he never wanted Jammu and Kashmir to accede to Pakistan even as he faced intense pressure from all quarters with no support from Nehru from August 1947 to October 1947. Justice Mehr Chand Mahajan who was the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir when the IOA was signed recalled in his autobiography, Looking Back, “Prior to my taking over as Prime Minister, Mr (Mohammad Ali) Jinnah had on three occasions made attempts to come to Srinagar and stay there, ostensibly for reasons of health.” “He had sent his military secretary, a Britisher, twice with a personal letter to Maharaja with the request that as advised by his physicians he should be allowed to visit the valley. He was willing to come as a private citizen and to make his own arrangement for his stay.” “The Maharaja suspected that the object of his visit to Srinagar was to coerce him so as to secure Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan, to take possession of the state and to celebrate Id there as the Governor General of Pakistan, including Kashmir. The Maharaja sent a polite refusal to all his respects emphasizing the fact that he being the Governor General of Pakistan could only visit the state if due arrangements could be made for his stay there by the state government according to his status as head of a neighbouring state, and if proper security arrangements were possible. This, the Maharaja said, he was not able to do in the circumstances that had arisen.” Incidentally, it wasn’t only Jiinah, even Lord Louis Mountbatten, the first Governor-General of independent India, who was a British stooge, wanted Jammu-Kashmir to accede to Pakistan. Alan Campbell-Johnson, the then press attaché to Lord Mountbatten, wrote in Mission With Mountbatten, about how Maharaja Hari Singh also thwarted efforts of Lord Mountbatten to convince him to join Pakistan. “On June 19, 1947, Mountbatten visited Jammu-Kashmir and stayed there for four days. He tried to persuade the Maharaja to accede to Pakistan. They had some meetings that took place during their various car drives together,” said Campbell-Johnson. “Mountbatten on these occasions urged if Jammu-Kashmir went to Pakistan this would not be regarded as an unfriendly act by the Government of India. However, Maharaja suggested for a personal meeting which was fixed on the last day of the visit… but when the time came, the Maharaja sent a message that he was in bed with colic and would be unable to attend the meeting.” This is how Maharaja Hari Singh nipped in the bud overtures made to him to go with Pakistan. In October 1947, Pakistan broke a standstill agreement (signed by Jammu and Kashmir with both India and Pakistan on 12 August, 1947) and its Army and tribal militia invaded the state and started killing innocent civilians. The continuous appeals of Maharaja Hari Singh to Pakistan and Britain went in vain, as the state did not get any respite from the bloodbath due to invasion. Maharaja Hari Singh didn’t want Jammu and Kashmir to go with Pakistan, so he was left with no other option but to accept the conditions put forth by Nehru. He released Sheikh from jail and made him the emergency administrator. Thereafter, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession in favour of India on 26 October, 1947. The writer, an author and columnist has written several books. He tweets @ArunAnandLive. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.