Story of India’s Independence
On 6 August 1947 (10 Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi), Mohammed Ali Jinnah, who had sought a separate country for Muslims to divide India, held a meeting with the princes of some princely states. In which Jinnah got the greed of many facilities on meeting in Pakistan so that the princely states can be found in Pakistan. Jodhpur Maharaja, Nawab of Bhopal and Jaisalmer Maharaj Kumar attended this meeting. Jinnah signed the three on a blank paper and said that you write down all your conditions and what facilities they need so that they can join Pakistan. Due to confusion, these princes took some time to think.
The face of what we call Hindustan today could have been in many pieces, this is the story of becoming Hindustan. To know India, before Independence, on June 3, 1947, how would the shape of independent India be, it was to be decided on that day.
On 3 June 1947, there was an uproar in Delhi’s All India Radio. It was learned that the Viceroy of India, Governor General Lewis Mountbatten was about to arrive in the evening, Louis Mountbatten had accompanied him, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Baldev Singh, the leader of the Sikhs, and Mohammad Ali Jinnah, who had sought a separate country for the Muslims from India.
Viceroy Governor General Lewis Mountbatten told journalists that it was impossible to reach any agreement that could preserve the unity of India and there was no question that the majority of the population of an area should be left to the government in which they interfered No Partition is the only way to avoid these conditions. After independence, two countries will become Hindustan and Pakistan, the first announcement was made by Viceroy Lewis Mount Congress. Jawaharlal Nehru announced it in radio. It was a very emotional moment for Nehru.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru while conveying the name of the nation on All India Radio said that I am not happy while partitioning India. Yes, I have no doubt that this is the only way. The proposal of any part of India to remain separate voluntarily will be given to all of us. Still I have reached this determination. This current decision is also correct from the point of view. The united India for which we have been fighting and working.
The plan to create two countries of India is called Mountbatten Plan. This plan was going to upset many people who could not see India growing on the path of shattering India. But the day after the partition was announced, there was a big twist in this story.
On 4 June 1947, the conference was convened by Louis Mountbatten in the Parliament House of the then Legislative Assembly Morarji. This press conference was going to be so important that it can be gauged that Voice Roy Mountbatten had been doing the Mock drill of the press conference till late night on 3 June. 300 journalists from around the world gathered to question Mountbatten about India’s future.
4 June 1947 Mountbatten told journalists that I believed in the seriousness of this that the transfer of power would be completed in 1947 just as it would have been in June 1948. Britain can transfer power to India by August 1947. I have already taken a steamer ticket of 15 August 1947. So the transfer date is also the same.
This thing was also surprising because the first British were to leave India by June 1948. Now Mountbatten had announced that in just 72 days there will be partition and independence too. The independence was scheduled to come late in the day, but on 15 August 1947, with the independence of the country, a big question arose and freedom was meaningless without finding the answer. The question was how many countries were becoming independent. 2 or 565!
Independence of this country a few days ago, two biggest problems stood before Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel. First, how to prevent communal violence and second how to prevent the beautiful face of India from deteriorating.
In a way, we kept hearing this. The British tied India in one sutra. But where did the talk of 565 different countries come from. The British India we are talking about. There were about 565 princely states, including small, medium and big. They were ruled by the British indirectly. These kings had their own army, their police and their own laws and some even had their own currency. These princely states had acceded to the British throne. It was called Paramountcy. Now the British were going. This Paramountcy will also end. All men will be free to decide their own future.
The British ruled the princely states but changed their tone before moving to Britain. Princely states that want to remain independent can remain independent. As a result, we were getting independence but the country was disintegrating.
Mohammed Ali Jinnah, who sought Muslims as a separate country after partitioning India, was taking full advantage of it. During the conversation between Mohammad Jinnah and journalists, the journalists raised their questions and said that not all the Congress and Nehru are in favor of the independence of the princely states. Mohammad Ali Jinnah replied that Nehru had a bad habit of daydreaming. For us, lap paramountcy has a direct meaning. If the Nawab and the king themselves decide that they want to meet in Pakistan or live in India or as an independent country. Britain’s agreement was only with him and not with India. Jinnah was trying to revolt in the princely states of India. His aim was that India should always be weak.
The situation in the country was bad and under these circumstances the only person who could help India was Lord Lewis Mountbatten. In fact, Viceroy Lord Lewis Mountbatten was concerned about how the next generation would see him. Even before the declaration of partition, there were fighting around the country, 5000 people were killed in Kolkata city alone. Mountbatten felt that history would hold him responsible for the bloodshed. VP Menon, then an advisor to the Viceroy, knew of Mountbatten’s suffering, referring to the incident in his book Story of the Indian States, that he told Mountbatten that he could heal the wounds of Partition. If they help in mixing these princely states in India. Generations coming to India will see him as a person connecting India. I think Mountbatten got emotional.
Mountbatten’s advisor VP Menon told Mountbatten that Sir, we have not even announced the transfer of power. But more than 8000 people have died in the riots. If we did not try to stop it, will the coming generations hold us responsible for all this. So far only Punjab and Bengal have rights. Spread it to other states, what shall we do?
Mountbatten said VP Menon that you say that I should take the responsibility of joining 565 princely states in India. I do not think that Sardar Patel, Nehru or any other Indian leader will be ready for this role of mine. Manon said that as much as I know these leaders, they will not object to any of your roles. These people can really do anything to keep India one. Sir, if you succeed in bringing these kings under the dominion of the Union of India, then the future of our India will be strong and our India will always remember you for this role. Mountbatten said VP Menon, “Okay, I have to consider this.”
Soon Viceroy Mountbatten gave his consent. On the other hand, Jawaharlal Nehru met Sardar Patel in his interim cabinet with the consent of Viceroy Mountbatten to mediate between the Government of India and the princely states. Viceroy Mountbatten stood in favor of Hindustan.
Viceroy Governor General of India Lewis Mountbatten stood in favor of Hindustan, which made the Indian side heavy, but the same person who had persuaded Mountbatten who persuaded him VP Menon (Viceroy’s Advisor) sat in awe of him. On 25 June 1947 (1 Aurangzeb Road, New Delhi), he met Patel (Home Minister) and asked him to resign from his post keeping his side and Patel said that the country is getting free and you are talking about retiring. You want to retire and become independent. VP Menon replied that he had been working for 30 years, never thought that I would be able to breathe in independent India, but this dream is fulfilled, then thought that I should take retirement now anyway you know that I Worked with the British throughout his life. Patel (Home Minister) said that Menon’s job was the strength of thousands of government job Hindustanis like you, now this country cannot run without the help of you people, this is not the time to get tired or retire out of the way. Menon said, Sir, will you be able to trust hundred percent.
Patel responded by saying that in the same situation as the British came to India, they are leaving India and leaving India a broken beggar. There are so many King-Maharajas from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Menon said that this is about 565–564. Patel said what are his intentions Hundreds of them are dreaming to become independent countries, they want Britishers, they want the slavery of Britain, but they accept their slavery, but do not allow such people to become destiny of India and remember one thing, Menon, the country became independent on 15 August 1947 But we have to do the work of tying the thread from Kashmir to Kanyakumari together.
Tying from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in one thread was the biggest choice. There were 565 king-states and most of them were dreaming of making their princely state an independent country, they were afraid of the democracy of India. Those kings felt that all the independence would be lost, under the supervision of Sardar Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru and Mountbatten, VP Menon prepared the papers for the merger of the princely states. King Maharaja was first asked to sign these.
It was said to sign the Instrument of Accession, which was a contract to include princely states in India. But the King Maharaja had different intentions, he was dreaming of his own independence, the part of the far south, which was named Travancore. On 11 June 1947 Travancore declared itself to be an independent sovereignty country and the major news of the newspapers was that Travancore became independent. On 12 June 1947, Hyderabad revolted the bell of protest, a day after the revolt of the prosperous Travancore. On June 12, 1947, Hyderabad announced to make its princely state an independent country after August 15, the separation of Hyderabad meant that the whole of South India lost ties with North India. The dream of a united independent India was shattering, considering the seriousness of the situation, a separate ministry was formed for the princely matters.
