KASHMIR-16

KASHMIR IN 1947

1.         The Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946 and Wavell’s ‘Breakdown Plan’ for the future of the sub-continent were both unsuccessful. This led the British to believe that ‘partition along communal lines was inevitable’. On 3 June 1947, the British government finally published a plan for the partition of the sub-continent and on 18 July, the Indian Independence Act was passed. It was also established that the existing princely states would have to have ‘a federal relationship’ or a ‘particular political arrangement’ with the respective governments that were to be formed.

The Issue of Accession

2.         Mainly due to the referendum held in the NWFP (which had wanted to accede to India), a weak case was made for a similar exercise to be carried out in Kashmir but Lord Mountbatten (Viceroy) did not give this suggestion any weightage. Instead, Mountbatten visited Srinagar on 18 June 1947 with the clearly stated mission to allow the Maharaja to independently and impartially decide the Dominion (India or Pakistan) which Kashmir wanted to join. However, the Maharaja evaded having any meaningful discussion with the Viceroy on the future of Kashmir. The Viceroy even suggested that the Maharaja should sign ‘standstill’ agreement with both India and Pakistan before arriving at any concrete conclusion on the future of Jammu and Kashmir. It is noted by an eminent historian that ‘ the trouble was that whereas the Congress said that the people of the states will decide the future, the Muslim League was continuing to stress that the rulers will decide’.

Partition 

3.         On 3 June 1947, the British unfolded the final plan for the partition of the sub-continent. This was done after the failure of the earlier cabinet mission plan of 1946 and the ‘breakdown Plan’ (by Lord Wavell). The British advised the rulers of the princely states to negotiate their future geographical boundaries and affiliations even though they would ‘technically and legally’ become  independent.  Only Hyderabad,   Junagadh and the state of Jammu and Kashmir held back from taking any decision, while the rest made their choice based on their geographical position. A backdrop to the events leading up to Independence was the intense lobbying among various parties in Jammu and Kashmir for their arrangement of the future of the state. The Radcliffe Award (based on recommendations of two Boundary commissions) was tasked with dividing the territories of Punjab and Bengal among India and Pakistan  based  on religious  majorities  (Hindus and  Muslims respectively). There were subjective clauses also which would govern the working of the commissions.

4.         The Radcliffe Award finalised that the three tehsils of Gurdaspur district namely Batala, Gurdaspur and Pathankot would go to India. The ‘salients’ of Ferozpur and Zira tehsils were also awarded to India. Personality clashes between Lord Mountbatten, Congress leaders and Jinnah gave dimension of intrigue and suspicion to the proceedings of this period. The Award of Gurdaspur district to India is significant because it provided for an important strategic communication link to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

5.         It is interesting to note that the state of Jammu and Kashmir was independent for the first time since 1589 (since Yaqub Shah Chak submitted to Akbar) for a period of seventy three days (from 15 August to 26 October 1947). On 12 August 1947, Hari Singh made a ‘standstill’ agreement with Pakistan, which provided for trade, travel and communication between the state and Pakistan. India did not sign any such agreement due to its desire to carefully analyse future events of the state before finalising any policy on the issue.

Pakistan’s Designs

6.         Communal tension flared up in the region of Poonch abetted by arms and other material support from the tribes of NWFP. The conflict led to an ‘organised revolt against the Dogras’. After independence, Pakistan openly supported the revolt in Poonch. In the meanwhile, Pakistan was also initiating various measures to ensure that Jammu and Kashmir accedes to that country. Hari Singh requested the Indian Government for the loan of an Indian Army Officer to replace the British Commander-in-Chief of the state forces and Brigadier Rajinder Singh was so appointed. On 29 September 1947, Sheikh Abdullah was released from prison and pledged his allegiance to the Maharaja.

7.         The Pakistani government now tried to use force to ensure that Jammu and Kashmir made a choice in their favour. A blockade of the border alongwith armed raids started and essential supplies for the state (from Pakistan) were held up at the border. Diplomatically, too, Pakistan was exerting its influence on the Maharaja. On 15 October 1947, the Maharaja appointed Mehr Chand Mahajan as his Prime Minister who promptly wrote to the Pakistani government ‘to stop the alleged armed infiltration in Pooch, blockade of the border and continuing propaganda against the Maharaja’.  The state made a request to the Indian Government for arms and ammunition to deal with the growing turmoil in the state.