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Pak Invasion of Kashmir continues………
On 24th October, the Deputy Prime Minister left Srinagar for Delhi carrying a letter of accession to India-from the Maharaja and a personal letter to Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and another to Sardar Patel asking for military help in men, arms and ammunition. I also wrote to both requesting them to save the State from Pakis- tan’s unprovoked aggression.
After assuming office on 15th October, I had sent Col. Baldev Singh Pathani a and our military adviser, Col.Kashmir Singh, to Poonch and Kotli to help our small military force there, and to inspire confidence in the citizens.
Col. Baldev Singh remained at Kotli to give heart to the citizens at great personal risk while Col. Kashmir Singh returned to Srinagar to apprise the Maharaja about the military situation in Poonch and in Kotli. After consult- ing the Officer Commanding, Srinagar Forces, the Governor of Srinagar and the Inspector General of Police, we decided in the afternoon of 25th that the raiders should be given a receding battle. Every effort was to be made to secure that our depleted forces suffer- ed as few casualties as possible. An all-out effort was to be made to check the advance of the raiders to the town of Srinagar. The Maharaja instructed me to fly to Delhi if I could secure a plane. There had been some loose talk of invoking help from Kabul. Some had even suggested surrendering to Pakistan if Indian help was not available in time. All of us however were agreed that we should do our best to save Srinagar .
To be continued……….