Was Maharaja Hari Singh dithering in deciding whether to join India, Pakistan or stay independent in 1947?
The way Quit Kashmir call was initiated and projected by National Conference leadership surely cultivated bitterness in the mind of the prince of J&K. In a way NC demanded that with the retreat of the British from India, the prince should also hand over the government to the people of J&K like the British crown was to hand over to Congress for India Dominion. And to add to this some of the then Congress leaders in a way supported Quit Kashmir call given by Sheikh Abdallah.
Acting upon their advice Maharaja Hari Singh appointed Sheikh Abdullah as the Prime Minister of J&K immediately on acceding to India Dominion. Hari Singh could have taken such attitude of Congress leadership as an irritant and he had all reasons for that. More so there were leaders like that of J&K Muslim Conference to oppose National Conference. This could have delayed Maharajas decision.
Such like indications do emerge from the contents of Hari Singhs letter of 26th Oct 1947 addressed to Lord Mountbatten ,GGOI. The letter says “I may Inform your Excellency´s Government that it is my intention to at once set up an interim government & ask Sheikh Abdullah to carry the responsibilities in this emergency with my Prime Minister. Otherwise what was there so pleasing for GOI in Hari Singh asking Sheikh Abdullah to carry the responsibilities in that emergency with his Prime Minister since .
Mountbatten in his letter of 27th Oct 1947 addressed to Hari Singh had said :: My Government and l note with satisfaction that your Highness has decided to invite Sheikh Abdullah to form an interim Government to work with your Prime Minister.
Where the final boundaries of New Dominion of Pakistan were not finally settled by 15th August?
As per Section – 4 Schedule II of Indian Independence Act of July 1947 the districts provisionally included in THE NEW PROVINCE OF WEST PUNJAB.{ West Pakistan } were (i) from the Lahore Division : the districts of Gujranwala, Gurdaspur, Lahore, Sheikhupura and Sialkot. ; (ii) from Rawalpindi Division : the districts of Attock, Gujrat, Jhelum, Mianwali, Rawalpindi , Shahpur and (iii) from the Multan Division : the districts of Dera Ghazi Khan, Jhang,- Lyalipur, Montgomery, Multan and Muzaffargarh. A crude / rough border line for Pakistan had been drawn up by Lord Wavell Viceroy of India prior to his replacement with Lord Louis Mountbatten in February 1947.As per provisional borders of upcoming West Pakistan , the Princely state of Hari Singh was to in a way have no immediate working surface road link with Indian Punjab.
In June 1947, the British Government had appointed Sir Cyril Radcliffe as Chairman of the Boundary Commission for Bengal and Boundary Commission for Punjab. The Commission was advised to “demarcate the boundaries of the two parts of the Punjab on the basis of contiguous majority Muslim areas and non Muslim areas ; some other undefined factors that could be kept in view like “natural boundaries, communications, watercourses , irrigation systems, as well as socio-political consideration. Each commission had 2 representatives each from Indian National Congress and Muslim League. Radcliffe reached India in 2nd week of July 1947 { May be 8 July } .
Radcliffe wanted more time but was prevailed upon by Mountbatten for accepting to finish the task by 14/15 August. But the final Radcliffe Award keeping Gurdaspur District except for the sub-division of Shakargarh out of West Pakistan was announced after 15th August 1947. It was only after this that a direct regular working link with India dominion was available to J&K. The Radcliffe Line became the border between India and Pakistan around 17 August 1947.Although there was no condition for doing accession only before 15th Aug, still it was not done immediately even after 17th August by Hari Singh since by then the local environments for Hari Singh had not remained even as congenial as they were before 14th august 1947.
Daya Sagar
Jammu
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