Letter from Maharaja Hari Singh to Lord Mountbatten on the eve of "Pak invasion" on J&K in 1947
Sham S. Misri
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 with 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
desperado’s 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 motor trucks, 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. In spite 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 civilized 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 has 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 honor 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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