Letter from Maharaja
Hari Singh to Lord Mountbatten on the eve of Pak invasion
on J&K in 1947
My dear Lord Mountbatten,
I have to inform Your Excellency that a grave
emergency has arisen in my State and request the immediate assistance of
your Government. As Your Excellency is aware, the State of Jammu and Kashmir
has not acceded to either the Dominion of India or Pakistan. Geographically
my State is contiguous wit h both of them. Besides, my State has a common
boundary with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and with China. In
their external relations the Dominion of India and Pakistan cannot ignore
this fact. I wanted to take time to decide to which Dominion I should accede
or whether it is not in the best interests of both the Dominions and of
my State to stand independent, of course with friendly and cordial relations
with both. I accordingly approached the Dominions of India and Pakistan
to enter into standstill agreement with my State. The Pakistan Government
accepted this arrangement. The Dominion of India desired further discussion
with representatives of my Government. I could not arrange this in view
of the developments indicated below. In fact the Pakistan Government under
the standstill agreement is operating the post and telegraph system inside
the State. Though we have got a standstill agreement with the Pakistan
Government, the Government permitted a steady and increasing strangulation
of supplies like food, salt and petrol to my State.
Afridis, soldiers in plain clothes, and desperadoes
with modern weapons have been allowed to infiltrate into the State, at first
in the Poonch area, then from Sia1kot and finally in a mass in the area
adjoining-Hazara district on the Ramkote side. The result has been that
the limited number of troops at the disposal of the State had to be dispersed
and thus had to face the enemy at several points simultaneously, so that
it has become difficult to stop the wanton destruction of life ad property
and the looting of the Mahura power house, which supplies electric current
to the whole of Srinagar and which has been burnt. The number of women
who have been kidnapped and raped makes my heart bleed. The wild forces
thus let loose on the State are marching on with the aim of capturing Srinagar,
the summer capital of my government, as a first step to overrunning the
whole State.The mass infiltration of tribesman drawn from distant areas
of the North-West Frontier Province, coming regularly in motortrucks, using
the Manwehra-Mazaffarabad road and fully armed with up-to-date weapons,
cannot possibly be done without the knowledge of the Provincial Government
of the North-West Frontier Province and the Government of Pakistan. Inspite
of repeated appeals made by my Government no attempt has been made to check
these raiders or to stop them from coming into my State. In fact, both
radio and the Press of Pakistan have reported these occurrences. The Pakistan
radio even put out the story that a provisional government has been set
up in Kashmir. The people of my State, both Muslims and non-Muslims, generally
have taken no part at all.
With the conditions obtaining at present in my
State and the great emergency of the situation as it exists, I have no
option but to ask for help from the Indian Dominion. Naturally they cannot
send the help asked for by me without my State acceding to the Dominion
of India. I have accordingly decided to do so, and I attach the instrument
of accession for acceptance by your Government. The other alternative is
to leave my state and people to free booters. On this basis no civilised
government can exist or be maintained.
This alternative I will never allow to happen
so long as I am the ruler of the State and I have life to defend my country.
I may also inform your Excellency's Government that it is my intention
at once to set up an interim government and to ask Sheikh Abdullah to carry
the responsibilities in this emergency with my Prime Minister.
If my State is to be saved, immediate assistance
must be available at Srinagar. Mr. V.P. Menon is fully aware of the gravity
of the situation and will explain it to you, if further explanation is
needed.
In haste and with kindest regards,
Yours sincerely,
Hari Singh
October 26, 1947
Reply from Lord Mountbatten to Maharaja
Hari Singh
My dear Maharaja Sahib,
Your Highness' letter dated 26 October 1947 has
been delivered to me by Mr. V.P. Menon. In the circumstances mentioned
by Your Highness, my Government have decided to accept the accession of
Kashmir State to the Dominion of India. In consistence with their policy
that in the case of any State where the issue of accession has been the
subject of dispute, the question of accession should be decided in accordance
with the wishes of the people of the State, it is my Government's wish
that, as soon as law and order have been restored in Kashmir and its soil
cleared of the invader, the question of the State's accession should be
settled by a reference to the people.
Meanwhile, in response to Your Highness' appeal
for military aid, action has been taken today to send troops of the Indian
Army to Kashmir, to help your own forces to defend your territory and to
protect the lives, property, and honour of your people. My Government and
I note with satisfaction that Your Highness has decided to invite Sheikh
Abdullah to form an interim Government to work with your Prime Minister.
Mountbatten of Burma
October 27, 1947
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