| ஒத்திசைவு | प्रत्याह्वय | resonance |

Of course, Prof Guha is famous for being a prolific fake history peddler and a lot can be written about this.

However fellas, this post is restricted to his latest rumour mongering involving Junagadh and Sardar Patel.

Hmm… In charitable moments, and to give credit where it is due – I would say that poor Professor Guha is giving a run for his money to the other fake mythologist – Devdutta Pattanaik. Oh my.

Source: https://twitter.com/Ram_Guha/status/1009617828155031554

Let us look at this pearl of wisdom in some detail, the rumours it is seeking to spread and actually what had happened… Just to put things in perspective.

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The innuendos and dastardly hints that Prof Guha has been kind of enough to provide us with his illustriously liberal tweet are

A. That Patel acted without prior knowledge of the PM then (Jawaharlal Nehru), in ordering for a Plebiscite

B. Because Patel did it, India was forced to agree to the Plebiscite for Kashmir in 1948

C. Nehru was faultless and Patel was to be blamed for the current situation in Kashmir

D. Patel somehow sought to leverage the Muslim-Hindu ‘divide’ and now the reversal situation is happening or happened in Kashmir so India is pushed to a corner

Now, there is a lot of background to this Junagadh accession. The geography, history, demographics, religions, enclaves, treaties, king collecting dogs when the population suffered, Jinnah’s rhetoric, local mass movements, Junagadh army action, Pak sabre-rattling, Indian police contingents & personalities (Including MK Gandhi’s nephew, Mountbatten, VP Menon, (later day PM of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali) Bhutto’s father, Brit Army fellows, incorruptible Morarjibhai) etc etc…

Of course, due to his constant dithering, doubts, appeasement approaches and his insistence on having a ‘good image’ internationally in addition to being reverential to the Brits (+working against the sane and balanced counsels of Sardar Patel) Nehru created more problems than solving them.

So, Junagadh was NO exception.

But, the idea of this post is to bust the lies peddled by the likes of Professor Ramachandra Guha. So let me restrict myself to his disinformation. Thanks!

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Let us look at everyone of them in detail.

Point A:

The following note was written by Jawaharlal Nehru personally during the night – the night before an imporant committee meeting, as he was bothered about the issue, apparently.

“…wherever there is a dispute in regard to any territory, the matter should be decided by a referendum or plebiscite of the people concerned. We shall accept the result of this referendum whatever it may be.”

(Note on Junagadh by Nehru, 29 September, 1947, F200/246, Mountbatten Papers)

Again, Nehru writes to Liaquat Ali Khan about the need to negotiate or to do a referendum. Al these are very well documented!

“…The only basis on which friendly negotiations can start and be fruitful is reversion, in Junagadh, Babariawad and Mangrol to the status quo preceding the accession of Junagadh to Pakistan. The alternative to negotiation is a referendum or plebiscite by the people of Junagadh.”

(Nehru(PM of India) to Liaquat (PM of Pakistan), 5 October, 1947, F200/90B, Mountbatten Papers).

After a lot of happenings, escalations and more dithering by Nehru – finally, the plebiscite happened on 20th February, 1948. Of course the rest is history and

Though Prof Guha would not want to look at the dates, as he is suffering from selective amnesia and ‘partial’ blindness – please note that Nehru recorded and communicated his thoughts some FIVE MONTHS before the plebiscite.

Of course, the liars and scumbags like our ‘liberal’ historians couldn’t care less. Thanks!

Point B:

Far from the innuendoes of the learned Prof Guha – Nehru was always open to the idea of Plebiscite anywhere, at least that’s how it appears from whatever he has said!

“…wherever there is a dispute in regard to any territory, the matter should be decided by a referendum or plebiscite of the people concerned. We shall accept the result of this referendum whatever it may be.”

(Provisional Defense Committee Meeting, 30 September, 1947 + Nehru’s note for cabinet ministers, 30 September 1947, F200/90A, Mountbatten Papers)

In short and to clarify the above ‘forward looking’ statements, Nehru was prepared for a referendum in Kashmir and Hyderabad, as well as in Junagadh.

It is also true that Mountbatten was actively batting for this ‘right to self determination or accession or non-accession’ (my words) of various principalities in a cynical way all through – and may be influenced by him or by his own dreamy ‘socialist’ nature (or may be a combination of both) Nehru had also been making noises to this effect.

“It is and always has been our view that where there is a dispute plebiscite or referendum should be held, in any State or states…”

(Nehru to Liaquat, 26 October 1947, Jinnah Papers, Vol 8: p 368)

Anyway, do you think, my dear reader of this blog, did Patel somehow force the hands of the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru into some difficult situation in Kashmir?

Point C:

Plebiscite?? Of course there were riders for conducting the Plebiscite like ‘certain conditions and circumstances,’ ‘when situation permitted,’ ‘following the restoration of law and order,’ ‘when normalcy returns’ etc etc; since Pakistan did not allow for any such thing as normalcy, of course it did not happen in Kashmir because…

22 Oct 1947: About 5000 Pak sponsored tribesman invaded Muzaffarpur and Domel – in Kashmir.

26 Oct 1947: Instrument of Accession (to India) signed by Raja Harisingh of Kashmir.

Can ‘o worms started from then on. With Mountbatten and his lady Edwina too meddling in the affairs, Kashmir ‘issue’ went to UN, via Nehru etc etc and the rest is a sad geography and a lot of history.

But you should remember that Junagadh Plebiscite happened on 20th February, 1948. It happened after all that mayhem started in Kashmir. Thanks!

Point D:

The narrative of the intellectual cowards and rumour mongers of the likes of Prof Guha – always comes before the actual data. They keep narrating their spins wherever and whenever possible and eventually ‘establish’ their aversions as facts.

And – clueless, ignorant and illiterate followers of these despicable icons, keep peddling the same lies as if they were all gospel truths.

Anyway, sorry learned Professor Guha, Patel was NOT responsible for the fiascoes around the accession and takeover of the princely states.

But he was effective, to the point and direct in his actions. He did not use the cards of the religious divide.

Left to himself and given a free hand and support, the Kashmir ‘problem’ would not have existed or nurtured carefully…

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Notes & References:

• Anyone interested in probing further into the Mountbatten archives –  can browse thru these documents & verify the facts, by formally applying to the Southampton archives/collection at: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/archives/cataloguedatabases/mb/applicintro.page
• Jinnah papers – http://quaideazam.online/books-category/jinnah-papers-english/
• Ayesha Dalal’s books – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayesha_Jalal
• …