prasad1
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“Give army, take accession and give whatever powers you want to give to the popular party (National Conference headed by Sheikh Abdullah), but the army must fly to Srinagar this evening, otherwise I will go and negotiate terms with Mr (Mohammad Ali) Jinnah (the Pakistan leader) as the city must be saved,” beseeched Jammu and Kashmir’s then Prime Minister Mehar Chand Mahajan to Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
It was October 26, 1947, and the meeting in Nehru’s residence would eventually decide the future of Jammu and Kashmir.
Angered by Mahajan’s threat, Nehru told the J&K PM, “Mahajan, Go away.”
As Mahajan got up to leave the room, Patel detained him and said in his ear, “Of course, Mahajan, you are not going to Pakistan.”
Mahajan’s threat to go to Lahore to sign deal with Jinnah hung in the air; then a piece of paper was passed to the Prime Minister.
“Sheikh Abdullah, who was staying in the Prime Minister’s house, was overhearing the talks. Sensing a critical moment, he sent in a slip of paper to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister read it and said that what I (Mahajan) was saying was also the view of Sheikh Sahib,” recollects Mahajan. “His (Nehru’s) attitude changed completely.”
Abdullah, who wanted to head a civilian government in the state, was also totally against Jinnah and opposed to the idea of Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan.
Mahajan’s recollections and the telling account of the accession of Kashmir to India comes from his autobiography ‘Looking Back’ that was first published in 1963 and is being republished now, 23 years after its last publication in 1995.
Then came the events of October 26.
The Supreme Commander Claude Auchinleck told Jinnah on October 26 that Kashmir had decided to accede to India, which therefore had the right to send troops at Maharaja’s request. Jinnah then cancelled his orders.
The next morning, the Indian army landed in Srinagar following the offer of accession as well as the Maharaja’s promise to consider handing over power to Sheikh Abdullah.
A few days later, as per the desire of Nehru, Sheikh Abdullah was sworn in as head of emergency administration and few months later as the Prime Minister of the state.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...of-pakistan/story-ob6o1p3BTQl9ZjUOjjJJoM.html
It was October 26, 1947, and the meeting in Nehru’s residence would eventually decide the future of Jammu and Kashmir.
Angered by Mahajan’s threat, Nehru told the J&K PM, “Mahajan, Go away.”
As Mahajan got up to leave the room, Patel detained him and said in his ear, “Of course, Mahajan, you are not going to Pakistan.”
Mahajan’s threat to go to Lahore to sign deal with Jinnah hung in the air; then a piece of paper was passed to the Prime Minister.
“Sheikh Abdullah, who was staying in the Prime Minister’s house, was overhearing the talks. Sensing a critical moment, he sent in a slip of paper to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister read it and said that what I (Mahajan) was saying was also the view of Sheikh Sahib,” recollects Mahajan. “His (Nehru’s) attitude changed completely.”
Abdullah, who wanted to head a civilian government in the state, was also totally against Jinnah and opposed to the idea of Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan.
Mahajan’s recollections and the telling account of the accession of Kashmir to India comes from his autobiography ‘Looking Back’ that was first published in 1963 and is being republished now, 23 years after its last publication in 1995.
Then came the events of October 26.
The Supreme Commander Claude Auchinleck told Jinnah on October 26 that Kashmir had decided to accede to India, which therefore had the right to send troops at Maharaja’s request. Jinnah then cancelled his orders.
The next morning, the Indian army landed in Srinagar following the offer of accession as well as the Maharaja’s promise to consider handing over power to Sheikh Abdullah.
A few days later, as per the desire of Nehru, Sheikh Abdullah was sworn in as head of emergency administration and few months later as the Prime Minister of the state.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...of-pakistan/story-ob6o1p3BTQl9ZjUOjjJJoM.html
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