Page 7 - seniors today August issue
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One such state was Jammu & Kashmir which representative to be deputed to visit New Delhi
failed to take a decision as Maharaja Hari Singh and finalise this agreement. Very strangely no
could not make up his mind. In June 1947 it was one was deputed from Srinagar to go to Delhi.
Lord Mountbatten who travelled to Srinagar However the Pakistan Government agreed
and attempted to persuade the Maharaja to telegraphically to the standstill agreement with
decide between one of the two dominions before the State of Jammu & Kashmir. The Indian
15 Aug 1947. Mahatma Gandhi too travelled to government continued all services and supplies
Srinagar two weeks before that date in another to the state even when there was no standstill
attempt to enable the Maharaja to make up agreement signed or accepted; however, the
his mind. I have been told that the Viceroy Pakistan Government which had accepted
had conveyed to the Maharaja that the Indian the agreement, started to restrict the supply
Government would not mind if it acceded to of essential commodities and in some cases to
Pakistan but felt that the only trouble that stop it completely in a bid to “strangulate the
could have been raised was by non – accession state”, creating untold hardships for the people.
and this was the very course followed by the It must be remembered that the main road to
Maharaja. Barrister Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the Kashmir valley was through what is now
President of the Muslim League, subsequently Pakistan. By starving the state for essential
the creator of Pakistan and later its Governor supplies, Pakistan had hoped to be able to coerce
General, had clearly accepted the absolute right the Maharaja to accede to Pakistan. Along with
of the ruler of a state to decide on choosing one this strangulation they started to make armed
of the two dominions. In June, 1947 he had said incursions all along the Jammu border. New
“Constitutionally and legally, the states will be Delhi and particularly Mr Nehru feared that
independent sovereign states on the termination the strategy of Pakistan was to inflict sporadic
of paramountcy and they will be free to decide incursions till winters when a big attack would
for themselves to adopt any course they like. take place. This prophecy proved correct as
It is open to them to join the Hindustan or by making small but determined forays into
Pakistan Constituent Assembly or to remain the J&K state territory, Pakistan managed
independent. I am clearly of the opinion that the to disperse the limited state forces to penny
Cabinet Mission’s memorandum of 12 May ’46 packets so that at no one place would they be
does not in any way limit them in this choice.” able to hold back a full frontal attack. The state
In August ’47 he spoke at a Muslim League was mostly starved of petrol which was most
meeting about the rulers of the Indian states, essential for transportation.
saying, “They are free to join either of the two
dominions or remain independent. The Muslim Pakistan’s Persuasion
League recognises the right of each state to its Pakistan deftly moved on two counts,
own destiny.” governmental and political, to “persuade”
the Maharaja to accede to it. Apart from the
The Standstill Agreement Maharaja the other obstacle in their paths was
The Indian Independence Act 1947 had Sheikh Abdullah. In early October, the Muslim
provided that a state could conclude a “standstill League sent two emissaries to meet Sheikh
agreement” with either of the dominions or Saheb and persuade him to align with Pakistan.
both. Taking advantage of that, the Prime The two were Sheikh Sadiq Hassan (President
Minister of Jammu & Kashmir at that time, of the Punjab Provincial Muslim League) and
M.C Mahajan, sent on 12 August ’47 two an intellectual, Dr Mohammad Din Taseer (who
telegrams, one to Karachi and another to New was the Principal of my alma mater, the Sri
Delhi, requesting for continuance of existing Pratap College in Srinagar, and so well known
arrangements under this agreement. In reply in Kashmir circles). There was a long meeting
the Indian Government desired an authorised where they hoped to win over Sheikh Saheb
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