1-INTEGRATION OF 565 PRINCELY STATES WITH INDIA
In the first episode
of Pradhanmantri series of ABP news, it is focusing on the unfolded history of
independent India. It is dealing with the vital aspects, events, incidents,
happenings and as well as unhappenings during that period of time of India’s
struggle for independence. It is a wholesome story of making of a great nation
named and identified as India/Hindustan/Bharat. Before moving forward to write,
let’s go back to 3rd June 1947, it is an important date so far the
history our country is concern cause on this day what should be the geographic
status of India was decided. The temperature and spirit of enthusiasm worse up
in the premises of All India Radio, New Delhi, cause the then viceroy governor
general Lord Mountbatten would be coming and he was supposed to address the
newly emerged national named by India. In that evening he arrived with
Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Baldev Singh (leader of Sikhs) and Mohmmad Ali Jinha
(The leader who demanded on behalf of Muslims for a separate named by Pakistan).
After independence there will be two separate country named by India and
Pakistan, it was firstly announced by Lord Mountbatten. According to him it has
been impossible to obtain full agreement on any plan that would preserve the
unit of India. There can be no question of cohesion of any large area of which
one community as a majority to live against their will and wish under one
government in which another community as majority. The only alternative to
cohesion is Partition” it was a very emotional moment for Nehru. He was quite unhappy
with the partition but according to him it was one such possible solution to
the cause of the problem. The plan to divide Pakistan from India is popularly
known as Mountbatten Plan. But due to this plan lots of people suffered a lot.
There were plenty of people for whom it was like a heart-breaking moment cause
their feelings, memories and moments of happiness and sorrows with Pakistan
would be separated from them for all time to come. After the announcement one
big problem worse up, that is on 4th June 1947 Lord Mountbatten invited
a press conference for which he drilled and practiced till late in the night
for the press conference. Almost 300 journalist came into that press conference
to talk and enquiry about the future of India. In that press conference he
announced that earlier it was finalised that Britain would be leaving India by
1948 but herewith I am announcing that Britain will be leaving India by mid of
August 1947 and the date of transfer will be 15th of August 1947. It
was surprise and an amazing information that Lord Mountbatten has announced
that within 72 days’ partition will be done and independence will be given to
each of the country. The big question which worse up at that point of time that
actually how many countries are going to be release and independent from
British power, were it two or 565? Prior to the date of independence two
serious issue worse up before Mahatma Gnadhi, Sardar Patel and Nehru that how
to stop the communal riots and how to keep the sovereignty and integrity of a
beautiful nation called India. During the emergence of British in India there
were almost 565 separate kingdoms otherwise can be named as princely states and
the kings of the kingdoms were having their own police, territory, law &
order and even few kingdoms were having their own currency as well. But after
the emergence of Britishers in India all of them have accepted the terms and
conditions of Britishers which is known as Paramount Sea. When it was decided
that British will be leaving India, then the tenure of Paramount sea will be
coming to an end. And the kings and their kingdoms will be free and independent
to choose in which country (India or Pakistan) they will be merging their
territory or to stay independent for times come. with this it was good for
India that it will be getting independence but the problem was the geographic
status of India was in serious dilemma. And Pakistan’s leader Mohd. Ali Jinah
took advantage of that time cause Congress and the pioneers of India were not
in favour the decision of British government to release the princely states.
For Jinah the meaning of Paramount sea is all about to merge in any of the one
country India or Pakistan or to stay as a free and independent country like
India and Pakistan. At that point of time one person could help India, he was
happening to be Lord Mount Batten. He was a futuristic person and he was very
much concerned that how the future generation will be seeing him an individual
after dividing India and Pakistan and also freeing princely states. He also
thought that history will be treating him as one of culprit for this
devastating status of the present scenario of India and Pakistan. VP Menon was
the adviser to Mountbatten, he knew the painful status of Mountbatten during
that time and he discussed about this in his book titled as “The story of
integration of Indian States”. His opinion to Mountbatten was that you can help
the princely states to merge with India then the future generation will know
you as one of the pioneering person of the integration and making of a new
nation named by India. And for India’s good luck Lord Mountbatten took stand
for India. By that time VP Menon prepared the instrument of accession on which
the kings of princely dominion were about to sign. It was a contract to merge
the princely dominions with India, but the intention of the kings was something
different that they were dreaming about their states as an independent country.
In the meantime, on 11th of June 1947 Travancore in the south
announced that it will be a free and independent country after the British
rule. And on the very next day that is on 12th June 1947 Nizam of
Hyderabad declared that after British rule it will stand as a separate
independent entity. A separate ministry was made to deal with the problem and Sardar
Patel was appointed as the minister and VP Menon as secretary. After that on 5th
July 1947 Sardar Patel tried to communicate with the kings of princely
dominions over radio in All India Radio, New Delhi. On that day he talked about
the unity of India and he stressed that nobody can divide us cause our blood is
and aim is identical to each other. So it would be better to talk to each other
and to finalise everything, so I hereby invite all the kings of the princely
states to come to the constituent assembly to talk about the present issues.
Only forty days were remaining for the transfer of British power to the new
dominion India and still the big size princely states were not in a state to
sign the instrument of accession. So lot of pressure and the whole
responsibility was on Lord Mountbatten. And on 25th of July Lord
Mountbatten was supposed to talk to the hundreds of princely states kings. In
that particular meeting he talked about the advantages and disadvantages of
being merging with India and Pakistan before the kings of the princely states.
After that speech lot of the princely states they agreed to sign on the
instrument of accession. But it couldn’t able to put full stop on the integrity
issue of India of that time. Because still Hyderabad and Jodhpur like states
were not that interested to merge with India and the reason was about special
concession. The common masses of those princely states were in huge state of
confusion that if their kings will do something wrong then what about their
future. It was 6th of August 1947 when Maharaja Hanwant Singh (King
of Jodhpur) along with the king of Jaisalmer Maharaja Giridhar Singh went to
meet Mohd. Ali Jinha and each of them talked about their wishes and condition
before Jinha. But Jinha didn’t agree on their proposals. And on 9th
August 1947 Lord Mountbatten called Maharaja Hanwant Singh and suggested him to
meet Sardar Patel to solve all these issues and on next day Maharaja move
towards Delhi to meet Sardar Patel and after the discussion with Sardar Patel
Maharaja Hanwant Singh agreed to sign on the instrument of accession. On 11th
of August 1947 Jodhpur merged with India and still states like Hyderabad,
Junagadh, Bhopal and J&K were still not willing to sign the instrument of
accession. And the issue was still
prevailing in nature and it was putting threats over the issue of integrity in
India.
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