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Annexation of Junagadh

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Location of Junagadh State in Saurashtra, among all the princely states shown in pink.

Junagadh was a princely state of British India, located in what is now Gujarat, outside but under the suzerainty of British India.

In the independence and partition of British India of 1947, the 552 princely states were given a choice to either join the new Dominion of India or the newly formed state of Pakistan.

The Nawab of Junagadh, Muhammad Mahabat Khanji III, a Muslim whose ancestors had ruled Junagadh and small principalities for some two hundred years, decided that Junagadh should become part of Pakistan, much to the displeasure of many of the people of the state, an overwhelming majority of whom were Hindus. The Nawab acceded to the Dominion of Pakistan on 15 September 1947, against the advice of Lord Mountbatten, arguing that Junagadh joined Pakistan by sea.[citation needed] The principality of Babariawad and Sheikh of Mangrol reacted by claiming independence from Junagadh and accession to India,[1] although the Sheikh of Mangrol withdrew his accession to India the very next day.[2][3] When Pakistan accepted the Nawab's Instrument of Accession on 16 September, the Government of India was outraged that Muhammad Ali Jinnah could accept the accession of Junagadh despite his argument that Hindus and Muslims could not live as one nation. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel believed that if Junagadh was permitted to go to Pakistan, it would exacerbate the communal tension already simmering in Gujarat.

The princely state was surrounded on all of its land borders by India, with an outlet onto the Arabian Sea. The unsettled conditions in Junagadh had led to a cessation of all trade with India and the food position became precarious. With the region in crisis, the Nawab, fearing for his life, felt forced to flee to Karachi with his family and his followers, and there he established a provisional government.

Vallabhbhai Patel offered Pakistan time to reverse its acceptance of the accession and to hold a plebiscite in Junagadh. Samaldas Gandhi formed a government-in-exile, the Aarzi Hukumat (in Urdu: Aarzi: Temporary, Hukumat: Government) of the people of Junagadh. Eventually, Patel ordered the forcible annexation of Junagadh's three principalities. Junagadh's state government, facing financial collapse and lacking forces with which to resist Indian force, invited the Government of India to take control. A plebiscite was conducted in December, in which approximately 99.95% of the people chose India over Pakistan.[4]

Scholars have observed that India annexed Junagadh through force [5][6][7][8] with scholars viewing the annexation as part of a wider program by the Indian state of forcing or bullying the rulers of princely states to accede.[9][10]

Background

After the announcement by the last Viceroy of India, Lord Mountbatten, on 3 June 1947, of the intention to partition British India, the British parliament passed the Indian Independence Act 1947 on 11 July 1947. As a result, the native states were left with these choices: to accede to either of the two new dominions, the Union of India or the Dominion of Pakistan.

The constitutional adviser to the Nawab of Junagadh, Nabi Baksh, and Junagadh's ministers gave the impression to Mountbatten that Junagadh intended to accede to India.[11] However, Muslim League politicians from Sindh soon joined Junagadh's executive council and under the influence of the Muslim League the Nawab decided to accede his state to Pakistan.[12][13][14]

The Indian Government made efforts to persuade Nawab Sahab of Junagadh to accede to India, but he remained firm. The Indian minister V. P. Menon came to request an accession to India, threatening consequences in case of denial. The Nawab however decided to accede to Pakistan, and an announcement to this effect was made in the gazette of Junagadh (Dastrural Amal Sarkar Junagadh) on 15 August 1947.[15][failed verification]

Instrument of accession

Mountbatten and Aynnangar both agreed that the issue of geographical contiguity had no legal standing and that Junagadh's accession to Pakistan was strictly and legally correct. But Sardar Patel demanded that the matter of the state's accession should be decided by its people instead of the ruler.[16] Nehru laid out India's position which was that India did not accept Junagadh's accession to Pakistan.[17]

Later at the United Nations Security Council, India's argument revolved around the wishes of the people which it accused the Nawab of ignoring. India's representative at the UNSC was also advised to avoid legalistic arguments about the Instrument of Accession because of the effect it could have on Kashmir.[18]

Menon's reaction

At Menon's suggestion Samaldas Gandhi, nephew of Mahatma Gandhi, formed a provisional government of Junagadh in Bombay. This provisional government received the sponsorship of the All India States Peoples' Conference's Praja Mandal movement and had the support of the Bombay-based 'Gujarat States Organisation', which the Maharaja of Lunawada headed.[19][20][21]

Provisional government (Aarzee Hukumat)

India allowed the provisional government to take control over outlying areas of Junagadh.[22][20] However, India later at the UNSC denied ever having supported the provisional government.[23][24] Pakistan objected to India's indifference to the actions of Junagadh's provisional government.[25] Nehru wrote to Pakistan that the provisional government was "a spontaneous expression of popular resentment" to the state's accession to Pakistan by Junagadh's local population. However, India did not reveal Menon's role in establishing Junagadh's provisional government.[26]

To force the Nawab of Junagadh to change his decision, India thrust a blockade upon the state.[23][27] India later denied ever having blocked Junagadh's supplies.[24] Bhutto wrote to the Indian government to request assistance to bring an end to the disorder in the state.[28]

Invasion by Indian forces

Columns of Indian tanks and other vehicles carrying Indian soldiers entered Junagadh state, led by Brigadier Gurdial Singh, commander of the Kathiawar defence force. The states of Nawanagar, Bhavnagar and Porbander agreed to the request to place their State forces under the command of Gurdial Singh. All these forces were suitably deployed, their movements and manoeuvres creating a steadying effect all over Kathiawar. The Army Commander had strict orders not to violate Junagadh territory in any way. At 6 p.m. on 9 November, Captain Harvey Johnson and Chief Secretary Gheewala, a civil servant of the Junagadh State, formally handed over the charge of the State to the Indian Government.[29]

On the same day, Nehru sent a telegram to Liaquat Ali Khan about the Indian take-over of Junagadh. Nehru wrote:

In view of special circumstances pointed out by Junagadh Dewan that is the Prime Minister of Junagadh – our Regional Commissioner at Rajkot has taken temporarily charge of Junagadh administration. This has been done to avoid disorder and resulting chaos. We have, however, no desire to continue this arrangement and wish to find a speedy solution in accordance with the wishes of the people of Junagadh. We have pointed out to you previously that final decision should be made by means of referendum or plebiscite. We would be glad to discuss this question and allied matters affecting Junagadh with representatives of your Government at the earliest possible moment convenient to you. We propose to invite Nawab of Junagadh to send his representatives to this conference.[30]

The Government of Pakistan protested, saying that the accession of the state to Pakistan was already accepted. In reply to the above telegram, the Prime Minister of Pakistan wrote:

Your telegram informing that your Government had taken charge of Junagadh was received by me on November 10, 1947. Your action in taking over State Administration and sending Indian troops to state without any authority from Pakistan Government and indeed without our knowledge, is a clear violation of Pakistan territory and breach of International law.[31] Indian Government’s activities on accession of Junagadh to Pakistan have all been directed to force the State to renounce accession and all kinds of weapons have been used by you to achieve this end. We consider your action in taking charge of Junagadh Administration and sending Indian troops to occupy Junagadh to be a direct act of hostility against Pakistan Dominion. We demand that you should immediately withdraw your forces, and relinquish charge of administration to the rightful ruler and stop people of Union of India from invading Junagadh and committing acts of violence.[citation needed]

This was the followed by a Press Statement made by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. It was communicated to Prime Minister of India on 16 November 1947 and read as follows:

In spite of the gravest provocation, we have refrained from any action which should result in armed conflict. We could with full justification and legal right could have sent our forces to Junagadh but at no time since the accession of state, was a single soldier sent by us to Junagadh and our advice throughout to the State Authorities was to exercise the greatest restraint. Manavadar, another State which had acceded to Pakistan and Mangrol and Babariawad have also been occupied by Indian troops.[citation needed]

On the afternoon of November 9, Indian Army officer Brigadier Gurdial Singh entered Junagadh with Junagarh State's Captain Harvey Jones piloting their convoy. the state’s soldiers were disarmed and reins taken over. Sardar Patel landed 4 days later on 13 November and addresssed a large public gathering to celebrate the victory.[29]

Immediately after the take-over of the state, all rebel Muslim officials of the state were put behind bars.[32][page needed] They included Ismail Abrehani, a senior minister in the Junagadh government, who had taken the instrument of Accession to Jinnah for his signature. Abrehani refused to leave Junagadh, even when he was offered in jail the option of going to Pakistan, saying that despite its occupation Junagadh was part of Pakistan according to international law and he preferred to remain. He stayed and later died in Junagadh.[32][page needed]

Reports arrived of widespread murder, rape and looting of Muslims in Junagadh following the arrival of Indian troops.[33] Many Muslims from Junagadh began migrating to Pakistan.[34]

After India assumed administration in Junagadh, India's Ministry of Law stated that the accession of Junagadh to Pakistan had not been invalidated by plebiscite and that Junagadh had not yet acceded to India. But India went ahead with the referendum because it believed the result would be in its favour.[35]

Plebiscite

On 24 September, legal adviser Monckton told Mountbatten that Pakistan's consent would be needed for any plebiscite India wished to conduct in Junagadh because of the Nawab's accession to Pakistan.[36]

Nehru had shifted from his earlier position of allowing a plebiscite under the UN and now said that it was unnecessary for a plebiscite to be held under the UN though it could send one or two observers if it wished to do so. However, India also made it clear that it would not under any circumstances postpone the plebiscite so as to allow the UN or Pakistan to send observers.[37]

A plebiscite was held on 20 February 1948, in which all but 91 out of 190,870 who voted (from an electorate of 201,457) voted to join India, i.e. 99.95% of the population voted to join India.[38]

Douglas Brown of the Daily Telegraph as well as Pakistani newspaper Dawn expressed concerns about the propriety of the plebiscite's arrangement. On 26 February, Pakistan termed India's proceeding with the plebiscite a 'discourtesy to Pakistan and the Security Council'.[39]

In the plebiscite India polled 222,184 votes and Pakistan 130 out of a total population of 720,000 of Junagadh and its feudatories.[39]

Only 15 percent (21,606) of Junagadh's Muslim population voted while 30 percent (179,851) of the non-Muslim population voted. The total number of voters on electoral rolls was 200, 569 and less than 10,000 Muslims voted for India.[39]

In Manvadar, 276 out of 520 Muslims voted for India, in Bantwa 19 out of 39 and 79 out of 231 in Sardargarh. In Bantwa and Babariawad the number of voters who cast their votes in India's favour was less than the number of non-Muslim voters there, which meant that even some non-Muslims did not vote for India.[39]

According to scholar Rakesh Ankit India took liberties with facts and laws as it acted as the "judge, jury and executioner" of the entire situation.[40]

Later arrangements

Junagadh became part of the Indian Saurashtra State until 1 November 1956, when Saurashtra became part of Bombay State. Bombay State was split into the linguistic states of Gujarat and Maharashtra in 1960, and Junagadh is now one of the modern districts of Saurasthra in Gujarat.

The Kashmir conflict eclipsed the matter of Junagadh at the United Nations Security Council,[41] where Pakistan's complaint against India over Junagadh is still pending.[42][43]

See also

References

  1. ^ Raghavan, War and Peace in Modern India 2010, pp. 35, 38.
  2. ^ Bangash 2015, p. 113.
  3. ^ Raghavan, War and Peace in Modern India (2010, p. 38); Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 377)
  4. ^ Gandhi, Rajmohan (1991). Patel: A Life. India: Navajivan. p. 438. ASIN B0006EYQ0A.
  5. ^ Sumit Ganguly; Larry Diamond; Marc F. Plattner (13 August 2007). The State of India's Democracy. JHU Press. pp. 52–. ISBN 978-0-8018-8791-8.
  6. ^ Lorne J. Kavic (1967). India's Quest for Security: Defence Policies, 1947-1965. University of California Press. pp. 32–. GGKEY:FN05HYT73UF.
  7. ^ Stephen P. Cohen (28 May 2013). Shooting for a Century: The India-Pakistan Conundrum. Brookings Institution Press. pp. 4–. ISBN 978-0-8157-2187-1.
  8. ^ Francis Pike (28 February 2011). Empires at War: A Short History of Modern Asia Since World War II. I.B.Tauris. pp. 347–. ISBN 978-0-85773-029-9.
  9. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016)
  10. ^ Ian Talbot (28 January 2016). A History of Modern South Asia: Politics, States, Diasporas. Yale University Press. pp. 136–. ISBN 978-0-300-21659-2. Accession was made more difficult in cases like Hyderabad, Junagadh...Patel and V.P. Menon bullied rulers to accede
  11. ^ {{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nyk6oA2nOlgC&pg=PA206&dq%7Ctitle=Aspects of India's International Relations, 1700 to 2000: South Asia and the World|last=Banerji|first=Arun|publisher=Pearson Education India|year=2007|isbn=|location=|pages=206|chapter=Border|quote=The decision on Junagadh's accession to Pakistan was announced on 15 August.
  12. ^ Banerji, Arun (2007). "Borders". Aspects of India's International Relations, 1700 to 2000: South Asia and the World. Pearson Education India. p. 207.
  13. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 374)
  14. ^ Bangash 2015, p. 108.
  15. ^ Yagnik, Shaping of Modern Gujarat 2005, p. 222.
  16. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 381): While Ayyangar and Mountbatten concurred that Junagadh's geographical contiguity could not have 'any standing in law', that is, it was 'strictly and legally correct' for it to have joined Pakistan, Patel retorted by arguing that people of a state should decide and not its ruler.
  17. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 383)
  18. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 401): Ayyangar reminded to Vellodi on 24 February the need 'as far as possible to avoid being drawn into legalistic arguments as regards validity of Junagadh's accession to Pakistan' for its impact on Kashmir.
  19. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 381)
  20. ^ a b McLeod, John (1996). Junagadh. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 613. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  21. ^ Bangash 2015, p. 112: "The second tactic was the Arzi Hukumat (provisional government), which was set up under the leadership of Samaldas Gandhi, a nephew of Mahatma Gandhi, under the auspices of the Government of India in Bombay."
  22. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 384): Finally, New Delhi agreed to the provisional government taking over administration in the outlying pockets of the state.
  23. ^ a b Bangash 2015, p. 112.
  24. ^ a b Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 401): It continued to claim that New Delhi had given 'no support at all to the so-called provisional government' and even denied stopping supplies to Junagadh.
  25. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 386): In response, Karachi protested against New Delhi's 'indifference' to the provisional government of Junagadh and its activities.
  26. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 384-385)
  27. ^ Mcleod, John. Junagadh. p. 614. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  28. ^ Bangash 2015, p. 117.
  29. ^ a b Patel wanted Hyderabad for India, not Kashmir – but Junagadh was the wild card that changed the game. Scroll.in.
  30. ^ Nehru, Jawaharlal (1949), Independence and after: a collection of the more important speeches, from September 1946 to May 1949, Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India
  31. ^ Bangash 2015, p. 118.
  32. ^ a b Yagnik, Shaping of Modern Gujarat 2005.
  33. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 397)
  34. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 396)
  35. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 395): A note by Ministry of Law made it clear that Junagadh's accession to Pakistan had not been nullified by referendum and the state had not acceded to India yet. However, New Delhi went ahead because 'it was almost likely that the referendum will be in our favour'.
  36. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 380): So far so good, but Monckton had also informed Mountbatten that as Junagadh had signed an instrument of accession to Pakistan...Pakistan's recognition of any plebiscite that India may conduct had to be obtained.
  37. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 401)
  38. ^ Noorani, A. G. (13 October 2001), "Of Jinnah and Junagadh", Frontline
  39. ^ a b c d Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 402)
  40. ^ Ankit, The accession of Junagadh (2016, p. 403)
  41. ^ Lesley G. Terris (8 December 2016). Mediation of International Conflicts: A Rational Model. Taylor & Francis. pp. 138–. ISBN 978-1-315-46776-4.
  42. ^ Aparna Pande (16 March 2011). Explaining Pakistan's Foreign Policy: Escaping India. Taylor & Francis. pp. 31–. ISBN 978-1-136-81893-6.
  43. ^ McLeod, John (2006). Junagadh. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 613. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)

Bibliography

  • Bangash, Yaqoob Khan (2015), A Princely Affair: The Accession and Integration of the Princely States of Pakistan, 1947-1955, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780199066490
  • Yagnik, Achyut (2005), Shaping of Modern Gujarat, Penguin UK, ISBN 8184751850

Further reading

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