By – Er. PrabhatKishore
Article 370 of Indian Constitution has been revoked by Parliament on 5th August 2019 and Jammu &Kashmir become fully integrated with the country having the benefits of all central laws as well as public welfare schemes. Technically, Jammu &Kashmir and Ladakhcame into existence as Union Territory on 31st October 2019, the birth anniversary of SardarVallabhBhaiPatel, the architect of present unified India, who actually was the choice of first PM. Due to Gandhi’s immoral intervention; he was illegally kept away from country’s leadership, paving the way for Kashmir, China border and various other problems in coming years.
If one goes through the happenings between 1946 to 1950, it is evident that Kashmir problem is nothing, but is a result of lack of vision, determination, decision, courage and involvement of a vested interest of ambitious politicians. Like Hyderabad & Junagarh, Maharaja of Kashmir Hon. Hari Singh has also not signed the instrument of accession uptothe fixed deadline, 15th August 1947. Maharaja has executed a standstill agreement with Pakistan and wanted to have similar link with India also, but Indian leadershad no interest.
Initially Sardar Patel was dealing the affairs tactfully. Jinnah adopted a policy of coercion& force and cut-off supply of food, petrol and other commodities. Military pressure was also applied through border raids. At Patel initiative, Planes were diverted to Delhi-Kashmir routes and communication equipments were installed between Amritsar & Jammu. Patel wrote the Maharaja on 21th Sept. 1947 that “Justice Mehar Chand Mahajan will convey you the gist of our conversation on all matters affecting the interest of Kashmir. I have promised him full support and co-operation.” Patel had virtually instructed Maharaja to appoint Mahajan as his PM.
Patel also send Guru Golwalkar, RSS chief, to Srinagar to brainwash Maharaja regarding futility of independent Kashmir and convey the message that Pakistan will never tolerate your independence and will engineer a revolt. Guruji assured Maharaja that SardarPatel would look after Kashmiri people. After Maharaja expressed his readiness to sign the instrument of accession,Guruji returned back to Delhi on Oct 19 and briefedSardar about the happenings.On 15th October 1947, Kashmir PM has complained to British PM regarding lack of supplies and border raids by Pakistan, but the Britishers had nothing to do.
In the valley, there were opposite views between the two national personalities. Seeing Sheikh Abdullah’s vision &ambitious approach, Patel has negative thinking about him; whereas Nehru has aversion for Maharaja &affinity for Abdullah. Actually, Maharaja has arrested Nehru in June 1946, when he was fighting for Abdullah during “Quit Kashmir” movement. Nehru’s sole aim was to reinstate Abdullah and dethrone Maharaja. Sheikh Abdullah was at loggerheads with Jinnah. He was against going to Pakistan due to his own personal reasons. He had ambition to become Prime Minister of Kashmir, but he was fully aware that Jinnah being the champion of Muslims he has no chance in Pakistan.
In 1947, Government of India got intelligence report that Pakistanis were preparing to enter Kashmir. Nehru pressurized that accession should be with co-operation of Abdullah and a letter was written to Mahajan, Kashmir PM, that as Abdullah is anxious to co-operate in handling with external danger, power should be shared with him without in any way jeopardizing Maharaja Position. As Maharaja Hari Singh has theoretically agreed for accession, there was no need of such hasty step. Before Mahajan received the letter, 5000-armed tribes’ men from Pak entered Kashmir, burnt Mujaffarabad, shot dead Lt. Col. Narayan Singh (in Command of the State forces), captured power house at Mahura and switched off Srinagar’s electricity. Brig. RajinderSingh, Chief of Staff of State, engaged raiders for two days at Uri, but he and his team were allegedly killed.Raiders were near Baramula, just 40 miles from Srinagar.
NWEP CM encouraged tribesmen to enter Kashmir and Pakistan General Akbar Khan openly acknowledged the Pak involvement. Jinnah told Mountbatten that if his conditions satisfied, whole thing would be called off. The British Commander of Gilgit Scout, Major Brown rebelled against Kashmir Government and handed over Gilgit to Pakistan.
On 23rd Oct. 1947 Maharaja wrote Patel that nearly whole military of a particular community has either deserted or refused to co-operate. On October 25, in the meeting of defence committee of Indian cabinet, Patelproposedfor helping Maharaja, but Nehru first reaction was “Maharaja must associate Abdullah with resistance”. On 26th Oct. in crucial meeting at Nehru’s residence, Mahajan as well as Abdullah pleaded the urgent need of Indian soldiers. Patel asked Mahajan to return Kashmir and to convey Maharaja that Indian army was on its way. On the same day Maharaja signed the Instrument of accession in Jammu and requested in writing for military help.
As per Nehru’s pressure, Maharaja agreed to install Abdullah as head of administration along with dejure Premier Mahajan. On 27th October 1947, over a hundred planes and a Sikh battalion were in Srinagar. Patel visited first time in Srinagar on 3rd November, studied the situation and ordered to drive back the enemies.
As per Hari Singh-Abdullah formula, Abdullah has to run valley and leave Jammu to Maharaja. But Abdullah started interfering Jammu. Patel went Srinagar to handle the issue, but Abdullah was rigid to be premier for the whole State. The leaning Nehru wrote to Maharaja “Sheikh should be the PM and should be asked to form the government. Mr. Mahajan can be one of the ministers and formally preside over the cabinet. You could be its constitutional head”.
This letter completely changed the whole scenario at a crucial juncture. Nehru was afraid of Patel that he would not allow Sheikh to do, whatever his ambition was. Viewing Abdullah as the key of Kashmir future, Nehru decided to manage Kashmir himself. To assist him N.G. Ayyangar, a former Dewanof Kashmir was inducted as Minister without portfolio in Indian cabinet. Nehru violated the democratic propriety by intruding into the domain of his own Home Minister Sardar Patel.
A rift between Patel and Nehru has beencreated and series of hot letters were exchanged, in which Patel offered even his resignation, to which Nehru wrote that as PM he must have a certain liberty of direction. On Mountbatten’s persuasion Nehru had agreed to refer the matter to UN and also obtained Gandhi’s reluctant consent. Patel strongly opposed the move, but Kashmir was now Nehru’s baby.Patel wanted whole Kashmir, even if it meant for war. In a private conversation, Patel said “JawaharRoyega”, which became true after 4 years when Abdullah was sacked and arrested on charge of conspiracy.
Indian army found that the only way to completely remove the raiders from Kashmir was to attack their bases and supplies in Pak. India warned that unless Pak denied assistant & base to invaders, she would be compelled to take action. Mountbatten confused Nehru that any such move would undermine his foreign policy and progressive social aspiration. In UNSC, Nehru’s representatives Abdullah and Ayyangar could not put issue strongly and outperformed by Pak’s Zafarullah Khan.
After Ambedkar’s refusal to draft Article 370 for special status to Kashmir, Abdullah approached Nehru; who ultimately directed Ayyangar, also a member of draft committee, to frame it.Onthis issue, not only Patel but Ambedkar and all leaders of constitutional assembly, except Maulana Azad &Ayyangar, were in opposition. They felt that limited application of Central laws to J&K would create lots of problems rather than solution. But the matter being Nehru’s childish insistence, no one interfere.
Dr. Karan Singh, son of Maharaja Hari Singh &lateronSadar-e-Riyasat of the State, recalled “while Pandit Nehru was dealing directly with Jammu & Kashmir, it was Sardar Patel who carried on the correspondence with my father which ultimate led to smooth political transition in J&K”.
Unhappy with Nehru’s handling of Kashmir, particularly the offer of a plebiscite, the reference to the UN, the ceasefire that left one-third part of the State in Pakistani hands, free hand to Sheikhand the removal of the Maharaja,Pateloccasionally dropped remarks on these issues. But henevertried to dismiss the decisions in absence of Nehru, even when he worked as acting PM. He chatted withRajaji in mid-Fifty, “Till Bapu’s death, I used to oppose and fight with him. But now I have given up. In view of Gandhi’s last wish any open criticism would look bad. But he would not remain silent if he found Nehru causing irreparable harm to the country”.Thus, the breakdown of Patel’s tactful action andNehru’s personal recalcitrance for Sheikh’s ambitionentrapped the Kashmir Policy and darkened its future since indefinite period. The Central Government’s initiatives to mainstream Kashmir with Indian Republic will lead a step forward tofulfillthe Patel’s vision of “Sashakt & Atmanirbhar Bharat”.
(Author is a technocrat and academician)
