OPERATION SINDOOR-2 TRUCE ACHIEVED-- BY SARASIJ MAJUMDER

OPERATION-- POLO
ANNEXATION OF HYDERABAD
SARASIJ MAJUMDER
During the partition of India in 1947, the princely states governed their realms on their own but they were still subject to the Subsidiary Alliance system that gave the British control over their external affairs.
With the Indian Independence Act 1947, the policy of subsidiary
alliances was abandoned and the princely states were given three options
to decide their future:
By 1948 most of the Princely States had acceded to India but
the state of Hyderabad had chosen to join neither Pakistan nor India.
Hyderabad was ruled by the Nizam, Mir Sir Osman Ali Khan,
Asaf Jah VII. This was a case opposite to KASHMIR. He reigned over a large and
MAJORITY Hindu population hoping to maintain his independence with an irregular
army largely recruited from the Muslim aristocracy, known as the RAZAKARS.
India was not letting a wealthy and powerful princely state be left to its own
devices inside INDIA.
Events within Hyderabad, such as the Telangana uprising and
militant Razakars gave way to fears of instability engulfing the region.
Therefore, the Government of India decided it would be prudent to undertake a
military operation to annex Hyderabad.
Events Preceding Operation Polo
The Nizam of Hyderabad initially approached the British
Government with the proposal to designate Hyderabad as a constitutional
monarchy within the Commonwealth of Nations. The proposal was
rejected by the last viceroy of India, Lord Louis Mountbatten.
Following these events, a skirmish between the Indian army
and the Hyderabadi forces at Kodad prompted Sardar Patel to go forward with the
MILITARY action against Hyderabad.
The date for the attack was fixed as 13 September, even
though General Sir Roy Bucher, the Indian chief of staff, had objected on
grounds that Hyderabad would be an additional front for the Indian army after
Kashmir.
Events during Operation Polo
It had become evidently clear that the Razakars along with
the Hyderabadi military were routed on all fronts with heavy casualties. At 5
pm on 17 September, the Nizam announced a ceasefire, thus ending the armed
action.
Aftermath of Operation Polo
The Indian military detained thousands of people during the
operation, including Razakars, militants, and communists.
General Jayanta Nath Chaudhuri led an armoured column
into Hyderabad at around 4 p.m. on 18 September and the Hyderabad army, led by
Major General El Edroos, surrendered.
This was largely done on the basis of local informants, (1)
who used this opportunity to settle past scores. The estimated number of people
detained was close to 18,000, which resulted in overcrowded jails and a
paralyzed criminal system.
The Nizam had abdicated upon the surrender of Hyderabad and
the princely state ceased to exist. Subsequently, the Nizam signed an
instrument of accession, joining India.
(1)- The local Hindus—who suffered in the hand of NIZAM’s
FOUZ, Razakars—settled the score by looting Muslims, who may, or may not be
associated with NIZAM’s crime.
Some of the NIZAM’s wealth also was looted.
It took a few days,
to bring law and order situation under
control in the newly acquired state .
While there are NO accounts of killings by the Razakaars,
particularly of Hindus, the Sunderlal Committee was formed in 1949 by former
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to look into alleged atrocities like rape,
murder and looting of Muslims committed by the Indian Army after Operation Polo. This was undertaken on the
basis of a MUSLIM delegation from Hyderabad, meeting Mr. Nehru, and briefed him
about Military atrocities.
The findings of the report (Pandit Sunderlal Committee
Report) were not made public until 2013 when it was accessed from the Nehru
Memorial Museum and Library in New Delhi.
The Committee concluded
that while Muslim villagers were disarmed by the Indian Army, Hindus were
often left with their weapons.
I may personally conclude
that, while Indian Army/ Police may not be much involved, but kept a blind eye
for some days, when Common Hindu people took revenge.
References:-
1.0 Operation Polo: The
Police Action Against Hyderabad, 1948--Sri
Nandan Prasad
Historical Section, Ministry
of Defence, Government of India; distributors: Manager of Publications,
Government of India, Delhi, 1972 - Hyderabad
(India : State) - 199 pages
On the integration of the
dominions of the Nizam of Hyderabad with the Indian Union in 1948.
2.0 Report of Sunderlal
Committee.
a comprehensive account of accession
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Delete