On October 26, the anniversary of Kashmir’s accession to India 75 years earlier, Union law minister Kiren Rijiju cited five mistakes made by Jawaharlal Nehru as the reason Kashmir continues to be a haven for terrorism and a point of contention between India and its largest neighbors, continuing to, in his words, bleed India. He specifically claimed the following:
In order to join India like other princely realms, Maharaja Hari Singh approached Congress in July 1947. Nehru declines, claiming he wants more, a demand that was absent from all instruments.
Pakistani raiders entered the Kashmir area on October 20, 1947. Nehru continues to dither and reject Kashmir’s plea to join India.
On October 21, Nehru formally writes to Maharaja Hari Singh’s prime minister, stating that it would not be advisable for Kashmir to join India at that time. This is despite the quick advance of Pakistani forces in Kashmir.
Pakistani forces encircle Srinagar on October 26. Once more, Maharaja Hari Singh implores people to join India. With an excessive delay in his responses, Nehru is still haggling and hesitating.
On October 27, Kashmir was officially incorporated into India after Sheikh Abdullah complied with Nehru’s request.
News Mania Desk
