It is frequently non realized that among the causes of Kashmir job – inclusion of plebiscite in the Instrument of Accession. mention of Kashmir to UN. holding Indian offense when it was poised to drive out the encroachers from Kashmir. Article 370 has played no less a portion in forestalling J & A ; K from going an built-in portion of the Indian Union. Not many people are cognizant as how and why this Article was formulated and included in the Indian Constitution despite sedate scruples of Sardar Patel and so a big figure of the members of Congress Working Committee and Constituent Assembly.
Article 370 was worked out in late 1947 between Sheikh Abdullah. who had by so been appointed Prime Minister of J & A ; K by the Maharaja and Nehru. who kept the Kashmir portfolio with himself and kept Sardar Patel. the place curate. off from his legitimate map. Hence Nehru is answerable to all Acts of the Apostless of committee and skip. effects of which we are enduring boulder clay day of the month every bit far as J & A ; K is concerned.
“Why should a province of the Indian Union have a particular position? It conveys a incorrect signal non merely to Kashmiris but besides to the separationists. Pakistan and so the international community that J & A ; K is still to go built-in portion of India. the Oklahoman Article 370 is done off is better. ”
While it was Mountbatten who persuaded Nehru to take the J & A ; K issue to the UN. it was Sheikh Abdullah. who. driven by his aspiration to be swayer of an independent Kashmir and his hate for the Maharaja. persuaded Nehru to give particular position to J & A ; K. Among his grounds were – business of one tierce of J & A ; K by Pakistan. mention to the UN and plebiscite. The most baleful facet of proposed Article 370 was the proviso that any alterations could be brought about in it merely by the concurrency of J & A ; K assembly. Nehru’s promise that Article 370 was a impermanent proviso and will acquire eroded over a period of clip has turned out to be a Chimera. The first thing that Sheikh Abdullah got done was to get rid of familial monarchy and redesignate him as Sadar-e-Riyasat who was to be elected by the Assembly. The accession of J & A ; K State into Indian Union was approved by J & A ; K Assembly merely in 1956.
Dramatis Personal
Jawahar Lal Nehru The fine-looking Harrow educated blue blood who gave up a life of luxury to fall in the freedom motion. Babu’s choose inheritor and favorite of the multitudes. he had a fatal defect. He cared for personalities instead than issues and establishments. be it choice of Lord Mountbatten as the first Governor General of free India. retaining a senior British officer as the Commander-in-Chief of India Army or endorsing Sheikh Abdullah to the hilt – his picks were unfortunate. Finally the Chinese aggression of 1962 shattered his image of a universe solon.
Sardar Patel The Iron Man of India — silent. strong and matter-of-fact with a complete clasp on Congress party organisation — justly credited with making a incorporate India by incorporating 565 princely provinces in it — he would hold included Kashmir besides in it if allowed to make so by Nehru. The lone smudge on him was the innuendo that he failed to protect his darling Bapu. The slur merely hastened his terminal in Dec 1950.
Nehrus promise that Article 370 was a impermanent proviso and will acquire eroded over a period of clip has turned out to be a Chimera.
Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Charismatic Kashmiri leader who ne’er let travel of his dream of governing an independent Kashmir even while masquerading as a secularist — designer of Article 370 along with Nehru. He must portion with Nehru the grave effects. Lion of Kashmir brought Nehru under his enchantment from 1938 onwards to the extent that in May 1947 when he was arrested by the Maharaja for sedition. Nehru represented Sheikh as his attorney and was even arrested in Jun 1947 by the Maharaja while seeking to come in J & A ; K. Finally Nehru had to eat the low pie by collaring Sheikh Abdullah for sedition on 9 Aug 1953.
Maharaja Hari Singh The Maharaja saw an chance at the terminal of British Raj to maintain Kashmir as the Switzerland of the East. Trying to reiterate history when his ascendants – Maharaja Gulab Singh and Ranbir Singh gained fine-looking dividends by maintaining distant during the Sikh War and Great Mutiny. Hari Singh tried to subscribe a standstill Agreement with India and Pak at the clip of independency. Pakistan signed. India declined. Maharaja died a alone adult male. forced to renounce and expatriate from his darling land.
The Drama Unfolds
Having finalized the text of Article 370 with Sheikh Abdullah. Nehru brought in Gopalaswamy Ayyangar. IAS. as a curate without portfolio to assist him cover with Kashmir portfolio and plead the instance of Article 370 in the Constituent Assembly. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar had been premier curate of Kashmir for six old ages with Maharaja Hari Singh. When Sardar Patel expressed his scruples. this is what Nehru had to state on Dec 27. 1947.
“Gopalaswamy Ayyangar has been particularly asked to assist in Kashmir affairs. Both for this ground and because of his confidant cognition and experience of Kashmir. he had to be given full latitude. I truly do non cognize where the States Ministry ( Sardar Patel’s ministry ) comes into the image except that it should be kept informed for the stairss taken. All this was done at my case and I do non suggest to renounce my maps in respect to affairs for which I consider myself responsible. May I say that the mode of attack to Gopalaswamy was barely in maintaining with the courtesy due to a co-worker. ”
It speaks volumes of Patels trueness to a co-worker that despite his ain and others scruples. he managed to convert the members of Constituent Assembly and Congress Party Executive. But to V Shankar he said “Jawaharlal Royega” .
The Sardar thereupon resigned and the affair fell in Gandhiji’s lap to convey the two co-workers together. During this period. V Shankar. IAS was the personal secretary to Patel and had maintained a record of all events. It is clear from these records that Nehru finalized the bill of exchange of Article 370 alongwith Sheikh Abdullah without even informing Patel. Thereafter it fell to Gopalaswamy Ayyangar to acquire the bill of exchange passed in the Constituent Assembly treatments. The proposal was torn to pieces by the Constituent Assembly and besides Congress Party Executive.
Nehru. who was abroad at the clip. swallowed his pride and peal up Patel and requested him to acquire the Article 370 approved It speaks volumes of Patel’s trueness to a co-worker that despite his ain and others scruples. he managed to convert the members of Constituent Assembly and Congress Party Executive. But to V Shankar he said “Jawaharlal Royega” . V Shankar. in his record has described the meeting of the Congress Executive Committee “The meeting was one of the stormiest I have of all time witnessed excluding the party meeting which discussed the proposition associating to Rajaji going the first President of Indian Republic. The sentiment in resistance to Gopalaswamy’s expression was forcefully and even militantly expressed and the issue even brought in the sovereignty of the Constituent Assembly to pull up the Fundamental law without being tied down to the apron-strings of the Kashmir State Constituent Assembly. In such a state of affairs even Maulana Azad was shouted down.
The Party was in tumult. The Sardar had to plead that because of the international complications. a probationary attack entirely could be made go forthing the inquiry of concluding relationship to be worked out harmonizing to the exigencies of the state of affairs and common feelings and assurance that would hold been by so created. Once the Sardar had taken charge. all resistance to the bill of exchange was silenced” And how Nehru responded to this great act of trueness on portion of Sardar? On 24 July 1952. after Sardar was no more. Nehru made a elaborate statement on Kashmir in the Parliament on slow integrating of Kashmir into India Union and mentioned that “Sardar Patel was all the clip covering with these affairs. ” Even Gopalaswami Ayyangar was dismayed at this blazing prevarication and mentioned to V Shankar “It is an sick return to the Sardar for the munificence he had shown in accepting Panditji’s point of position against his better judgement
