An experiment in Dyarchy and it's failure comtinues....

The first delegation to the Security Council was led by Sir Gopalaswamy Iyengar accompanied by Sheikh Abdulla. Sir Mohammad Zafrulla led the Pakistani delegation and with the help of lies and imaginary acts alleged to have been done by India, his brilliant advocacy stole a march over the Indian delegation. India agreed to a plebiscite in the State if certain conditions including evacaution of Kashmir by Pakistan and Pakistani citizens were fulfilled
within a certain time limit. The Indian delegation came more or less disappointed as Pakistan was not named an aggressor nor asked to evacuate Kashmir forthwith. When I saw Pandit Nehru after the return of the delegation to India, he also felt somewhat disappointed at what had happened.

Another meeting of the Security Council was to be held sometime in March or April, 1948. The proclamation for discussing the draft of which I had been called to Delhi in the end of February was intended to be issued before that meeting. Sir Gopalaswamy Iyengar had prepared a draft which the Prime Minister as well as Sardar Patel approved. I was not agreeable and I said that most likely the Maharaja would not agree either. Sardar Patel told me that there was no alternative for His Highness but to agree.

I now requested Sardar Patel to write to the Maharaja to relieve me before the proclamation was issued. He gave me a letter to the Maharaja and sent his Private Secretary, Mr. Shankar with me to Srinagar in order to persuade the Maharaja to agree to the terms of the proclamation. After a good deal of discussion the Maharaja agreed to all the conditions. But he insisted that he should continue to be the Commander-in-chief of the State Forces.

To this change Sardar Patel agreed for the time being. Sheikh Abdulla had remained behind. After the proclamation had been issued, he was invited to take over as Prime Minister about the 5th or 6th of March. I left the State after terminating my agreement of service with the Maharaja and without claiming any compensation.

To be continued.....