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

About the end of February, I was invited on telephone by the Prime Minister’s Secretary to come to Delhi. I went there. Prime Minister Nehru. Mr. Bajpai and Sir Gopalaswamy Iyengar proposed that the Maharaja should issue a declaration appointing Sheikh Abdulla as his Prime Minister, leaving me with the dignified, but empty, title of Dewan. It was thought that such a declaration would strengthen the hands of India in the Security Council where the matter of accession of Kashmir was pending. At the suggestion of Lord Mountabatten, India had lodged a complaint against Pakistan in the Security Council in the naive belief that the Council would stop such open and blatant aggression.

The Maharaja was consulted. I was not in favour of making a complaint to the Security Council. The leader of the National Conference and the Maharaja also held the same view.

An attack by India on Pakistan territory could have brought them to their senses. But this would have meant one Dominion making war on another and therefore could not be thought of.

Though we were not in favour of making any reference to the Security Council, His Highness agreed to such a reference being made as External Affairs formed a subject on which the State had acceded to India. The complaint was eventually made and redress sought. The Pakistan Government took advantage of this reference and made a number of counter-complaints and laid charges of various kinds against India. The question of Hyderabad, Junagadh and various other matters were sought to be opened up.

To be continued.....