How Guruji saved Kashmir for India

By Sarthak Shankar

The role of Shri Guruji and the RSS in the accession of Kashmir into India is a suppressed story in the annals of official history. At the time of Partition, when all the princely states within India were acceding to the Union of India, the Maharaja of Kashmir remained undecided. He was advised by Lord Mountbatten, who presided over the division of our country, to join Pakistan. He told the Maharaja that the revenues from the natural resources in the state, like forest produce along the Jhelum river, would go out of the hands of the state if it acceded to India.

The Maharaja himself was hesitating to join India because of the proximity between Sheikh Abdullah and Jawaharlal Nehru. The Maharaja hated the former and had banished him from the kingdom. Added to this, the Maharaja'sPrime Minister Ramachandra Kak had an English wife and he was advocating the state remaining independent.

Sardar Patel replaced Kak with Shri Meher Chand Mahajan, who was a nationalist. But still, the Sardar was unable to reach the Kashmir king'smind and conscience. It is then that he sought the help of Shri Guruji, whom the king held in high esteem. Shri Guruji was on tour then and a flash message was sent to him.

First Shri Guruji sent Rai Bahadur Dewan Badrinath to persuade the king. However, it did not have the desired result. So Shri Guruji went to Srinagar. He landed there on October 17, 1947. Already present there were Shri Jagdish Abrol, the J&K Pracharak and Shri Balraj Madhok, Pracharak in the Kashmir Valley. Shri Abaji Thatte, Shri Madhav Rao Muley and barrister Narinderjit Singh, who was the Sanghchalak of UP and the son-in-law of the Dewan of Maharaja, Shri Vasant Rao Oak accompanied Shri Guruji.

Shri Guruji met the Maharaja and Maharani on October 18th morning. He was welcomed with a shawl. The then Yuvaraj Karan Singh was present to receive Shri Guruji. He was in plaster, as he had a broken thigh.

Shri Guruji also told the Maharaja that for the good of his subjects, he should choose India. The Maharaja appealed for direct help from the Sangh. The Maharaja did not give a commitment to Shri Guruji then and there.

The Maharaja explained his position to Shri Guruji, who tried to allay his fears. Shri Guruji assured him that though Kashmir was more accessible from the newly-formed Pakistan, the road and rail connection would be developed with India once the accession became formal. Shri Guruji also told the Maharaja that for the good of his subjects, he should choose India. The Maharaja appealed for direct help from the Sangh. The Maharaja did not give a commitment to Shri Guruji then and there. Shri Guruji advised the Maharaja to send the Crown Prince to Jammu while he himself remained in Srinagar.

Then Shri Guruji instructed the Sangh workers that they should be in constant touch with the Maharaja and give him the confidence that they were with him. Shri Guruji was also optimistic that the Maharaja would ultimately join India. He addressed a gathering of 500 Swayamsevaks at the DAV School at Magalmal Bagh near Lal Chowk that evening. Prominent Hindus of the Valley also attended the meeting. Shri Guruji did not speak about the Kashmir accession issue there. He spoke on Hindutva and nationalism.

Shri Abrol, Shri Madhok, Dr Mangal Sen, Shri Purushottam Lal Bakshi and Shr Harish Bhanot maintained contact with the Maharaja and his men. Shri Madhok and Shri Bhanot met the Maharaja on October 20 and gave him information collected from across the border, on the impending attack by Pakistani tribals.

The tribal Pakistani attack started on October 21 and the Maharaja signed the accession treaty with India on October 26, following which the Indian forces repelled the Pakistanis. The task of pushing them back well into the borders of Pakistan was unfinished as Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru gave a call for ceasefire.

There is no doubt that the meeting between Shri Guruji and the Maharaja was of crucial importance in deciding the future of Kashmir, a historic fact that the Congress-communist sponsored history does not acknowledge.