Articles
Merger only after Liberation
Dt: 13/9/16
Merger only after Liberation
Dr T.H.Chowdary*
On the 17th of Sept 1948 the army of the Nizam of Hyderabad commanded by Gen. El Edroos surrendered to the Indian Army commanded by Major General Chaudhary after five days of battles. It is astounding that some people call the event not as surrender and liberation of the Nizam –ruled State of Hyderabad but just its merger. Some of the events narrated below bear out the evil intentions of the Nizam of Hyderabad backed by a murderous, roguish, power-drunk, Islamist, barbarian Razakars about 200,000 of them under the maniac leadership of Kasim Razvi, the chief of the Ittehadul Muslameen. While over 500 states including the big ones like Mysore, Baroda, Travancore and Indore signed the instrument of accession and after amicable talks and merged their territories with India, Junagadh and the Hyderabad both with Muslim rulers over 90% Hindu subjects, did not accede to India. Junagadh acceded to Pakistan but its ruler had to flee the state under the impact of a popular uprising. A referendum confirmed the merger of the State of Junagadh with the rest of India. J&K acceded to India at the last moment when much of its territory was overrun by Pakistan – supported and equipped soldiers, styled tribesmen. War between India and Pakistan ultimately ended with ceasefire in Jan 1948.
2. The Nizam of Hyderabad had the intention to become independent. He issued a firman (vetted by Jinnah) on June 11, 1947 that he was entitled to assume the status of an independent sovereign on Aug 15, 1947. He wanted a treaty with India and not accession to India. Islamist Razakars and an equally Islamist Prime Minister, Laik Ali tightened their grip on the Nizam. Md. Ali Jinnah, the creator of Pakistan encouraged the intransigence but stopped short of militarily or otherwise supporting the Nizam. He was content to receiving Rs.20 cr “loan ” which in effect was a donation to the Islamist Pakistan by the Islamist Nizam.
3. In the period 1946-’48 about 3000 villages in Nalgonda and Warangal (including Khammam) districts were “liberated” by the guerrilla armies of the Communist Party. There were battles between the armed Communists and Razakars. To cover up the indecision and irresolution a “standstill agreement” was signed between India and the Nizam’s government on 29 Nov 1947 and negotiations went on to reach a final settlement.
4. Lord Louis Mountbatten was the Governor General. He was wanting to make an exception in regard to the Nizam to have a treaty between Nizam and the Indian Government instead of accession and merger. Jawaharlal Nehru did not want any military conflict between the Nizam and India. Sardar Patel, the Home Minister and in charge of the States was determined not to have an independent Islamic state in the heart of India . But with the special solicitude of the British Governor General for the Nizam, and Nehru’s unrequited affection for Muslims Sardar Patel was biding his time for Mountbatten to demit his office in June 1948. Sri K M Munshi was sent as the Agent General of India to the Nizam’s state. There was trust and unity of purpose and views between Sardar Patel and Munshiji . The acquisition of arms and whipping up of Islamist jihadi spirit among Muslims especially the Razakars, were under keen observation by Munshi. He was reporting this to Sardar Patel.
5. The Nizam filed a complaint with the Security Council of the United Nations alleging armed aggression of India on his peaceful State, And this while he was acquiring arms and imparting training to the jihadi Razakars. A notorious smuggler, Sidney Cotton was bringing arms into the state. Nizam even wanted to buy Goa from Portugal so that importation of arms could be done openly. The Nizam went on changing his Prime Ministers one after another at the dictates of Kasim Razvi. Laik Ali who went to Pakistan and was a Member of Pakistan delegation to the United Nations was brought in as the Prime Minister . Laik Ali, Kasim Razvi and his Ittehad had overwhelmed the Nizam .
6. In Feb 1948 under Stalin’s and Rajni Palme Dutt’s (Indian origin Communist leader of Great Britain) the Communist party of India (CPI) characterised the Nehru government as a stooge of Anglo-American imperialism and took to arms to overthrow the Nehru government to establish dictatorship of the proletariat, the cherished ideology of communists everywhere. The CPI replaced the non-combative P.C Joshi by B.T.Ranadeve who toed the Stalinist line of overthrowing the Indian government by armed revolution. The communists thought that with 3000 villages liberated and ruled by them they would be able to defeat the Nizam’s army eventually and convert the Nizam’s territories as a Commune Republic and from there carry on a war to fell the Nehru government.
7. The Nizam lifted the ban on the Communist party in the state in May 1948. The communists then publicly declared that the Nizam state should not accede to capitalist India but be independent. Kasim Razvi and his Razakars became Comrades in arms in their opposition to accession to India for independence of the Nizam. The Communist party even instructed its cadres to resist the Indian army if it entered the Nizam’s dominions.
8. After a series of failed negotiations for a treaty between India and the Nizam, Mountbatten in the hope of successfully resolving the issue drafted an agreement which was neither accession nor independence but in between with considerable freedom to the Nizam. As the time for his departure in June 1948 was approaching, accompanied by Pt. Nehru and a number of Ministers he took his agreement to Sardar Patel who was on a sick bed in Dehra Dun. Sardar Patel rejected this agreement. Mountbatten was disappointed. He told the Sardar that he was heartbroken. The Sardar questioned whether this agreement meant so much to him, Mountbatten said “yes”. Then Sardar Patel signed his approval to the agreement. To the bad luck of Mountbatten and Nehru, this much flaunted agreement with Sardar Patel’s signature was presented to the Nizam, he rejected it. Mountbatten went away heartbroken. Then the decks were clear for Sardar Patel to deal with Nizam and Razakars . Sardar Patel decided upon use of force. Nehru violently disagreed from Sardar Patel. The wise Indian Governor General, Rajaji called Pt. Nehru and Sardar Patel together to resolve the difference. Nehru’s resistance to the military action suddenly ended when a telegram from the British High Commission protesting against the rape of some British Nuns in Secunderabad by Razakars was shown to him by Rajaji. But the British Commander of the Indian army Gen . Bucher pleaded with Nehru who directed him to talk to Sardar Patel about postponing military action since Pakistan was in mourning over the death of Md Ali Jinnah. Patel firmly told him to obey the orders and march the Indian Army into Hyderabad. Bucher was talking on telephone to his counterpart a Briton at the head of the Pakistan Army. This conversation was tapped when confronted Bucher said he was talking pleasantries but when the tape was played he offered to resign to avoid the dismissal for disloyalty. Indian forces began their march as ordered by Sardar Patel on 13 Sept in three directions. Nizams’ much vaunted army and Allah ho Akbar’s shouting Razakars were easily beaten by the Indian Army. Gen El Edroos surrendered his armed forces to gen. Chaudhary on 17 September 1948. The Nizam signed the instrument of accession
9. While the facts are as above . Is it not a shameful act to say that Hyderabad was not liberated but peacefully merged with India? We the people of Telangana are immensely indebted to Sardar Patel and K M Munshi. We can show our gratitude for the liberation and merger of Telangana with Bharat by at the minimum installing the statues of Sardar Patel and K M Munshi side by side in the Cantonment area for any Chief Minister of Hyderabad will dare to erect their statues anywhere in Hyderabad for fear of the MIM . The location could be at the junction of the S P Road and M.G.Road where there is an old house for an MES officer. That could be demolished and the space converted into a park and the statues can be installed there.
The Rant of the Razakars and the Nizam’s silence
· Kasim Razvi met with Sardar Patel in Delhi. He said, “ you do not know the Muslims of Hyderabad . We shall sacrifice everything for our independence. We shall fight and die to the last man for Hyderabad’s independence”. Sardar Patel’s reply was, “ how can I stop you from committing suicide if you want to”.
· In March 1948 Hyderabad celebrated “the weapons week”. Kasim Razvi ranted “Hyderabad is an Islamic state. The Indian Union is trying to wipe out this Muslim rule from the Deccan. Remember that there are 4.5 cr of Muslims in the Indian dominion looking to us to raise the banner of this Islamic state..... when once the Indian Union makes any aggression on us, remember the 4.5 cr of Muslims in India will raise the manner of revolt . ...they will be our fifth columnists ... A Hindu who is a kafir, a worshipper of stone and monkey, who drinks cow’s urine and eats cow dung in the name of religion and who is a barbarian in every sense of the world’s rulers ! What an ambition and what a day dream”.
· In another speech on 3, May 1948 he said, “ Muslims have always created a new geography for themselves. Very soon the boundaries of Hyderabad will expand far beyond Delhi and Asafia flag will fly over Delhi. Yes, I am seeing the Nizam marching towards Delhi.
· In another speech on June 12, 1948 he said, “...the Muslims have ruled over you Hindus for 900 years .... if we had wish, we could have exterminated you”.
· “ If the Indian Union ventures to enter Hyderabad, the invader will see that burning everywhere of the bodies of 1,65,000 (Hindus) . We Muslims will not spare others when we ourselves are not allowed to exist.
· In March 1948 Sri K M Munshi India’s Agent General in Hyderabad met with Mr Laik Ali the Nizam’s Prime Minister . Before the meeting ended Laik Ali told Munshiji , “ the Nizam is willing to be a martyr ; two lakhs of Muslims are willing to offer their lives for Hyderabad’s independence ......”
END ( 1752 words)