Kashmir: Myths of accession and aggression.

Byline: Amjed Jaaved

India's view of disputed Kashmir is based on myths. Examples include 'Pakistan's aggression through Army regulars and tribal forces', 'Maharaja Hari Singh duly signed the treaty of accession with the Indian Dominion on October 26, 1947', and so on. As for the 'accession instrument' argument, curious readers may refer to Alastair Lamb's 'Incomplete Partition, Kashmir - A disputed legacy 1846-1990', and 'Birth of a Tragedy'; besides, Bhasin's 'India and Pakistan: Neighbours at Odds' ( Bloomsbury, New Delhi, 2018), a 10-volume documentary study of India-Pakistan Relations 1947-2007. It contains 3649 official documents, accessed from the archives of India's external affairs ministry. 'Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru' is another useful resource book.

On the question of who the 'aggressor' was, the factual position is that India marched its troops into Kashmir without Maharajah's permission - a blatant act of aggression. Historian Alastair Lamb, in his book, 'Incomplete Partition (Chapter VI: The Accession Crisis) points out that Mountbatten wanted India to not intervene militarily without first getting the 'instrument of accession' from Maharajah [prince] Hari Singh. Not doing so would amount to 'intervening in the internal affairs of what was to all intents and purposes an independent State in the throes of civil conflict'. But India did not heed his advice. Lamb says, 'the timing of the alleged Instrument of Accession undoubtedly affected its legitimacy'. He adds, 'If in fact it took place after the Indian intervention, then it could well be argued that it was either done under Indian duress or to regularise an Indian fait accompli.'

Lamb concludes: 'According to Wolpert, VP Menon returned to Delhi from Srinagar on the morning of October 26 with no signed Instrument of Accession. Only after the Indian troops had started landing at Srinagar airfield on the morning of October 27 did VP Menon and MC Mahajan set out from Delhi from Jammu. The Instrument of Accession, according to Wolpert, was only signed by Maharajah Sir Hari Singh [if signed at all] after Indian troops had assumed control of the Jammu and Kashmir State's summer capital, Srinagar.

Lamb regards the so-called Instrument of Accession, 'signed' by the maharajah of Kashmir on October 26, 1947, as fraudulent. He argues that the maharajah was travelling by road to Jammu (a distance of over 350 km). How could he sign the instrument while being on the run for safety...

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