1
Summary
Post Independence India Class 01

Introduction and Revision of Modern History (05:00 PM)

A. INTEGRATION (05:07 PM)

  • Integration of Princely states= 
  • a) Integration of nation- a.1) Integration of state and territory 
  • b) Integration of people into the nation- 
  • 1) SPC (States People's Congress) or Praja Mandal was an organization set up by people of Princely states for their grievances, Democratic reforms, and for integration with India [* INC in British India and SPCs in Rest of India i.e. 565 Princely states]
  • 2) Initially main active centres were Hyderabad, Gujarat, and Mysore. 
  • 3) Relationship with INC/ People of the Princely states
  • 3.1) 1920, Nagpur Session- INC opened membership for people of states (* 565 Princely States) but they were not allowed any political activity in the name of INC
  • 3.1.1) Due to the absence of colonial rule in the domestic sphere as the ruler was Indian until 1929, the Goal of INC was Swaraj within British Raj, and in 565 princely states, there was a Raj of Indian rulers and not of British in the Domestic Sphere. Therefore, the demand for democracy was to be from the Indian ruler therefore no anti-British agenda was available
  • 3.1.2) States people were not trained in mass politics as no rich history of India like British India. 
  • 3.1.3) INC has no presence in 565 Princely states therefore in the case of repression by an Indian ruler, INC won't be able to protect people. 
  • 3.2) In 1927, AISPC (All India state peoples congress) was set up as an All India organization of people of states,
  • 3.3) In 1929, INC Lahore's session with Nehru as the president stated that the People of states can't be excluded from the Indian national movement but INC continued with the 1920 stand. 
  • 3.4) 1937-39- 28 months of INC rule in provinces under the GoI Act 1935 that brought Provincial Autonomy, ended dyarchy and brought fully responsible government in provinces. Therefore, the prestige of INC increased among the people of the states. Also, state people were motivated to set up Praja Mandals/SPCs, where they did not exist and membership of existing SPCs increased. 
  • If INC could extract democracy from the mighty British then why could they not from the Indian ruler?
  • 3.5) 1938, Haripura session,  with Netaji Bose as president- 1920 stand maintained but INC declared that Poorna Swaraj is the goal for the whole of India and 565 Princely states are an integral part of India. [* Poorna Swaraj goal for British India- 1929; Poorna Swaraj goal for British India+ 565 princely states/ Whole of India- 1938]. 
  • 3.6) 1939, Tripuri session with Netaji Bose as president- Finally change in INC policy as INC declared that people of states will be part of future movements of INC. 
  • 3.7) In the Ludhiana session of AISPC (in 1939) Nehru was appointed as president [* Will lead to better organizational linkages between INC and AISPC]. 
  • 3.8) QIM, 1942-45 was the first movement where people of states participated and demanded
  • 3.8.1) British to Quit India immediately
  • 3.8.2) Democracy from an Indian Ruler
  • 3.8.3) Integration of states with the rest of India. 
  • Therefore, they raised the slogan of United India, bringing states into INM and laying the foundation of the territorial integrity of India. People of state later played an important role in the integration of those princely states where Indian rulers refused to sign the Instrument of Accession. Examples- Hyderabad, Junagarh, Travancore, etc. 

B. TERRITORIAL INTEGRATION OF INDIA (06:01 PM)

STATUS AS ON 3rd JUNE 1947

  •  Status at the time of 3rd June Plan/Mountbatten Plan of 1947
    British India 565 Princely States

    Pondicherry, Chandranagar with French. 

    Goa, Daman & Diu, and Dadara & Nagar Haveli (With Portuguese)

     
  • Pondicherry- First Indo-china War 1946-54 led to the realization in France that decolonization can't be delayed anymore as the people of Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia won independence by defeating the French army supported by the US. Therefore, French possessions in India were handed over to India via negotiations in 1954. 
  • Goa- There was a movement for independence in Goa against the Portuguese but India did not intervene until 1961 when the people of Goa demanded help. In Operation Vijay, the Portuguese surrendered without a fight. 12th Constitutional Amendment Act 1962- Goa became a part of India. 

Integration of 565 Princely states- (06:19 PM)

  • Instrument of Accession  
  • Instrument of accession (IoA) had a legal basis in section 6 of the GoI Act 1935.
  • Also, Section 6(6) stated only the signature of the ruler was valid for the IoA to be valid.
  • Also, the Indian Independence Act of 1947, Stated that for GoI 1935 to be applied until the Constituent Assembly frames the Constitution of India 
  • IoA gave defence, Foreign affairs, and communications to the union government i.e. Princely states exceeded in 3 subjects while the rest subjects remained with the Ruler of Princely states. 
  • Merger Agreement (MA)
  • [* IoA= Sugar crystals in the water, Merger agreement means- When sugar crystals melt in water, it becomes part of India, It is political loss of identity ]
  • The merger agreement was signed alongside or after signing IoA and led to accession in all subjects. Therefore princely states became equal in all aspects to an Indian province. 
  • As per the cabinet mission plan 1946, Paramountcy was not to be transferred to any GoI of Independent India unless IoA signed and the same position in the Indian Independence Act 1947. Also, Paramountcy came to an end on the 15th of August.
  • Their net legal status was that it was legally possible for each princely state to be a fully independent country. 
  • However, the Mountbatten Plan, 3rd June plan 1947 promised that India be as large as possible. Therefore, unofficially, no right of independence to any Princely states
  • 13th June 1947
  • States department was set up. It had two branches, one for India and the other for Pakistan
  • Sardar Patel was a minister and V P Menon was secretary for the Indian branch of the states department. The role of the states department was to manage issues related to partition and relations and negotiations with 565 princely states. 

STRATEGY OF PATEL (06:52 PM)

  • He brought Mountbatten on board who gave a speech in Narendra Mandal 1920 to convince Princes to sign IoA with India.
  • Princes agreed and most of them signed within 3 weeks of 13th June as-  
  • a) Mountbatten was viewed as a friend since he came from the royal family and paramountcy was a personal relationship between British Monarch and an Indian prince. 
  • b) Mountbatten argued that IoA was only for acceding in 3 subjects which at present were also not with princes. Also, Britain won't be able to help after the lapse of paramountcy. 
  • Also persuasion by Britain
  • He gave the option to princes to accede only in 3 subjects and promised autonomy in other subjects. Otherwise, India won't be able to control people after the 15th of August. Therefore, gave an implied threat of anarchy if persuasion did not work. 
  • Problems 
  • Bhopal, Travancore, Manipur, and Jodhpur (* BhoTMaJo) along with Hyderabad, Junagarh, and J&K (* HJJ) did not sign IoA immediately. 
  • Bhopal, Travancore, Manipur, and Jodhpur signed before 15th August. 
  • Hyderabad, Junagarh, and J&K signed after 15th August. 
  • Pakistan was luring princes with a blank cheque of Autonomy and other privileges especially of border states so they sign IoA with Pakistan. 

BHOPAL (07:18 PM)

  • The majority of the population was Hindu that wanted to be part of secular India while Ruler Habibullah was Muslim and resisted signing IoA. 
  • Pressure by Patel and communists led to the signing of IoA. 

TRAVANCORE (07:21 PM)

  • Ruker was Maharaja Thirunal but the real power centre was Diwan C P Ramaswamy Aiyyar, who argued that Travancore would follow the American model of voluntary union and therefore won't sign IoA.
  • Since October 1946, under CPI there was a movement called Punnapra Vayalar movement with the method of Armed struggle and participation of workers and peasants. They were protesting for their class rights and for uniting with India. 
  • Now they gave the slogan- "Go Into the Arabian Sea with your American Model" and started protests. They were violently repressed.
  • June 1947- Negotiations by Patel failed and Travancore declared independence.
  • July 1947- Attack on the life of Aiyyar therefore fled away and Travancore signed IoA. 

MANIPUR (07:33 PM)

  • After long negotiations finally on 11th August 1947 Maharaja Bodhchandra signed IoA on assurance of Autonomy in subjects other than 3 subjects of IoA. 
  • First elections in Independent India in Manipur in June 1948 after public pressure for democracy led to a constitutional monarchy with a popular legislative assembly. 
  • Problems
  • Maharaja signed the merger agreement but without consulting the popular Legislative assembly
  • SPC was in favour of signing the merger agreement but other parties were not. This contributed to the separatist movement later. 

JODHPUR (07:38 PM)

  • It was important as a shared border with Pakistan. 
  • The pressure applied by Patel on the young King led to the signing of IoA. 
  • Therefore Bhopal, Travancore, Manipur, and Jodhpur signed IoA before 15th August 1947. 

HYDERABAD (07:40 PM)

  • Geography- It was on the Indian mainland and it was the largest princely state. 
  • The majority population was Hindu which wanted integration with secular India while ruler Nizam, Mir Osman Ali was Muslim. 
  • The real ruler was Kasim Rizvi, an advisor to Nizam who along with MIM (Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen), a political party opposed signing IoA
  • Kasim Rizvi was an anti-Hindu radical, desperate for independence, and gave a threat to the security of Hindus. 
  • The rule of Nizam was unjust and unpopular and Muslims who were 25% of the population dominated the administration. 
  • On 12th June 1947, Hyderabad declared independence. 
  • Patel offered local autonomy and Nizam was promised special status for Hyderabad and 20,000 personnel troops but he rejected it. 
  • But now people's movement began under communists and the SPC of Hyderabad with participation from peasants, workers, women, and students from Telangana. 
  • In response unleashed violence by Razakars, his private army. 
  • Now negotiations led to the signing of a standstill agreement between GoI and Hyderabad (November 1947). 
  • However, Violence by Razakars continued, and finally in Operation Polo/ Caterpillar, in September 1948, Indian Army entered Hyderabad. 
  • Kasim Rizvi was imprisoned until 1957 and then sent to Pakistan.
  • MIM (Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen) was banned. Also, Nizam was made governor and Hyderabad merged with India. 

JAMMU & KASHMIR (07:53 PM)

  • Important players
  • Maharaja Hari Singh wanted independent status. 
  • Shiek Abdulla was anti-monarchy, Pro-democracy, Anti-Pakistan, and Pro-socialism, and had good relations with Nehru. 
  • India and Pakistan- Both wanted J&K. 
  • Muslims were in majority and they were poor ryots and faced economic oppression by Zamindars who were a minority Hindus. 
  • Therefore supported Land reforms and other socialists' demands of Sheik Abdulla. 
  • Sheik Abdulla started "Kashmir Choro Aandolan" against the monarchy.
  • Hari Singh offered a standstill agreement to India and Pakistan. 
  • Pakistan signed but India did not and this made Pakistan anxious. 
  • Hari Singh wanted a Standstill agreement for the uninterrupted movement of people and goods in and out of J&K. 
  • Anxious Pakistan now tried to force J&K into signing IoA by applying an economic blockade. Then in October 1947, Pashtuns invaded Kashmir. Hari Singh requested Military help from India. But India gave conditions of signing IoA and making Sheik Abdulla head of administration. 
  • Both demands were accepted and now the Indian army entered J&K but before the Pakistan army could be pushed out completely, Mountbatten convinced Nehru to take the issue to the UN. 
  • Therefore, in July 1949, a ceasefire was signed between India and Pakistan under a UNSC resolution. Therefore ceasefire line in 1949 and PoK came into existence. 
  • A UN mission was set up to monitor the ceasefire. 
  • Then a UNSC resolution in 1951 decided in favour of a plebiscite but with condition that Pakistan withdraws with PoK. Till now, no plebiscite since Pakistan never withdrew. 
  • In 1951, the Constituent Assembly of J&K met and drafted the constitution of J&K by 1956. 
  • In 1954, the Constituent Assembly of J&K ratified IoA with India. [* Therefore people accepted joining India]. 
  • However, from 1948 onwards, US and Britain sided with Pakistan in UNSC as Pakistan joined the capitalist bloc during the cold war while India followed a policy of Non-Alignment (NAM). Therefore, India is against any third-party intervention in bilateral disputes. 

The Topic for the next class:- Junagarh, Partition and its aftermath, State reorganization.