“Maharaja wanted to remain independent”
Dr Bharti Gupta
When I embarked on my journey to explore the historical facts about Jammu and Kashmir, I inevitably encountered the valorous legacy of the Dogra rulers, who expanded the boundaries of Bharat up-to the Trans-Himalayas-a feat unmatched by their contemporaries. I also learned about their courage in securing Kashmir from the British East India Company through the Treaty of Amritsar on March 16, 1846, in exchange for a payment of 7.5 million rupees to the company..
Had the Treaty of Amritsar between Maharaja Gulab Singh and the East India Company not materialized, Kashmir might have remained under British control which they had gained just seven days before under the Treaty of Lahore on March 9, 1846.If that had occurred, Kashmir might have become a part of Pakistan following the partition of Bharat in 1947, as the British government had a strategic interest in aligning Kashmir with Pakistan, a creation of their own design born out of the geopolitical complexities of the ‘Great Game’ which refers to the strategic contest between the British Empire, particularly British India, and the Russian Empire in Central Asia during the 19th and early 20th centuries. During this timeboth the British and Russian Empires were expanding their territorial and imperial interests in Central Asia, which included present-day Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and other regions as these were strategically significant because of their proximity to India, known as the “jewel in the crown” of the British Empire and for the access and control on trade routes of the time.
However, Kashmir never came under the direct rule of the Britishers for a significant period owing to Maharaja Gulab Singh in 1846 and later toMaharaja Hari Singh in 1947, who made visionary decisions by safeguarding Jammu & Kashmir from becoming part of Pakistan while bearing all filth of the manufactured narrative that Maharaja wanted to remain independent. This propagandized narrative has been so much in circulation that anyone not peeping deep into the circumstantial historical facts of the time would believe the vindictive narrative created by those who were actually desirous of ruling Kashmir by fomenting the communal sentiments and betraying religious harmony. In order to camouflage their own power aspirations, the opportunist lobby crafted a narrative that could busy the minds of the gullible people by not letting see the people of Jammu and Kashmir the farsighted vision and sincerity of their Maharaja.
Consider what might have transpired if Maharaja had not opted for independence during the tumultuous partition of India, following the announcement of independence under the Mountbatten Plan.It was the time when communal riots were on the hilt, with violence erupting as early as February-March 1947due to the highly politically surcharged transformative events taking place at that time. Reports of communal hatred and widespread killings had already emerged.Amid this grim backdrop, imagine the predicament of a just and caring leader who ruled a state with a Muslim majority and a Hindu minority. There are many testimonials that prove to the core his integrity to what he said on the day of his coronation – “Justice is my Religion”. Maharaja could foresee the potential consequences of choosing sides. His apprehensions were justified, given that he had already faced a conspiracy fueled by communal tension and its aftermath in 1931, upon his return from the Round Table Conference in Britain which he attended as the chairperson of the conglomerate of Indian Kings and princes in 1930. There, to the dislike of the Britishers, he boldly expressed his opinion in favour of the independence of India. Could such a courageous and just leader make the decision to go to any of the parted sides of Bharat given the imminent risk of mass violence and atrocities happening elsewhere? Maharaja’s decision to remain independent was a testament to his sense of responsibility and his commitment to protecting his people from the horrors of communal violence. His boldness in making this decision saved countless lives.
Those who floated the vindictive narrative and who have the propensity to believe such a narrative have normalized the partition to the extent that they could not relate empathetically even to the mass bloodshed that has happened nowhere else in the colonized world. Looking back at the circumstantial situation of the time, the service which should have developed an attitude of gratitude towards Maharaja Hari Singh had been disoriented by creating the narrative that he wanted to remain independent to create a false impression of the Maharaja being power-hungry.
According to the well-established historical facts tribal invaders backed by Pakistan’s military entered Kashmir with the intention of capturing the Maharaja and taking control of Kashmir when Mountbatten, hands in glove with Pakistan failed in all his diplomatic efforts to convince the Maharaja to join Pakistan. Another fact, that is usually not given attention is that Maharaja Hari Singh had already been appealing to India for accession. He sent his deputy prime minister,B. N Batra with his expression of interest for accession in July 1947 that is even before the so-called tribal attack. However, no formal agreement was reached out of the meetingwith Nehrufor nonchalant reasons which raise serious doubt on the integrity of those at the helm of affairs leading the country as mass leaders. On October 26, 1947, accepting all the conditions set prior to succession in complacency, the Maharaja signed the Instrument of Accession, officially integrating Jammu and Kashmir into India.
It is imperative to recognize the humility and concern for his people that led Maharaja to endure the harsh treatment meted out by Nehru and his favorites. We must acknowledge his service, which, despite facing immense challenges and propagandized narratives, led to a better choice. Today, should we not give regard to the person on his Birth anniversary who made decisions of not only remaining independent but also signing an instrument of accession with a country that is emerging as a world leader? He made the right choices, sparing us from a destiny that our neighbours in Pakistan might envy today.
History has many facts that we mostly do not tread upon. A little digging help connect the factual dots. Mehr Chand Mahajan, the then P.M of Jammu & Kashmir writes in his book -Looking Back at page no. 155 – ” I requested the Prime Minister of India to give me in his own handwriting the conditions on which the Maharaja had been given military help at such a critical juncture. Pandit wrote out briefly those terms. The first one was that His Highness should accede to India with regard to these subjects- defense, external affairs, and transport. This he had already done. The second was that the internal administration of the state should be democratized and a new constitution be framed along the lines of the model already set out for the state of Mysore. The third condition was that Sheikh Abdullah should be taken in the administration and made responsible for it along with the Prime Minister”. “I showed these terms to the Maharaja who accepted them”, and “Sheikh Abdulla returned to Srinagar after the military operation had started”.
These quoted words should nudge a reader to delve deep and have inquisitive queries why ever the Shiekh Abdullah should have been taken in the administration in place of Maharaja? And where was he at the time of military operations? These queries lead to further revelations which usually do not come to the surface in the backdrop of the overly popularized clouded perception that was intentionally crafted against Maharaja to comfortably replace the power positions.
Furthermore,queries emerge when one goes deeper down into history, if Sheikh Abdullah had been so capable and suitable than Maharaja to be replaced by him then why he was put in jail by Nehru in August 1953? And later under the Kashmir Conspiracy Case trial.
It is strange to observe how easily we get swayed by the vindictive narrative without contextualizing the facts around the Praja Parishad movement of 1952, in the backdrop of which the close buddy was put to jail by none other than Nehru who in 1946 against the advice of other congress leaders tried to come to J&K to plead the case for this close aide in the court undergoing trial on sedition charges for launching Quit Kashmir Movement of 1946 against the Dogra Hindu Maharaja.
Going through the Kashmir Conspiracy Case reveals the identity of the real opportunists of the time. Under the Kashmir Conspiracy Case- Who was carrying out extensive anti-India propaganda in favor of Pakistan for most of the time up to 1972. Who later signed the Kashmir Accord in 1975 and changed theso-far-maintained stance in favor of Pakistan?
Today on Maharaja’s birth anniversary may we remind ourselves about the top-notch personality whowas known to have worn military attire during the 1947, Jammu and Kashmir crisis. His decision to don a military uniform was intended to demonstrate his commitment to leading the state’s defence forces during a critical period in the region’s history. He did not run away from the responsibilities he was shouldering. It was his sense of responsibility only that made him issue an army order to Brigadier Rajendra Singh which says ” Brig. Rajendra Singh is commanded to hold the enemy at Uri at all cost and to the last man”. He was compelled to leave the state after accession under the all-set plot to deprive him of his royal rights by the power opportunists. To these humiliations he spent the rest of his life in complacence in Mumbai far from the state crafted by his royal ancestry, maybe he had the satisfaction of saving the people of Jammu & Kashmir from the devastation which could have happened had he decided to join any of the dominions and had he not decided to sign accession with India.
(The author is Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism and Travel Management, Central University of Jammu)
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