1949-Amalgamation of States’ Post Offices
Continued..

JAMMU AND KASHMIR came into existence as a separate State only in 1846. Prior to this, Kashmir was ruled by Buddhist and Hindu dynasties till 14th Century. Then a Muslim dynasty ruled till 1587, when it became a part of Moghul Empire. In 1819, Kashmir was conquered by Maharajah Ranjit Singh, the great Sikh ruler.

Jammu was ruled by a Dogra Chief of Rajput descent, named Ranjit Deo. After his death in 1780, Jammu was converted into a dependency by Maharajah Ranjit Singh. He conferred the principality of Jammu on Gulab Sing, a great grand nephew of Ranjit Deo, 1818.

After the death of Ranjit Singh in 1839, the sikh power started fading away. After 1st sikh war, the East India Company demanded Rupees 1 crore as indemnity from sikhs. As they did not had means to pay, they ceded all hill territories including Jammu and Kashmir to E. I. Company. As the British Government was not interested in having J & K, Gulab Singh offered to pay the war indemnity amount, if he was declared independent ruler of Jammu and Kashmir. The treaty of Amritsar dated 16th March 1846 marked the commencement of the history of Jammu and Kashmir as a political entity. Lt. General Maharajah Sir Hari Singh was the ruler of J & K, since 23rd September 1925.

The problem of Kashmir started, when 3rd June 1947 plan was announced, and the Maharajah could not make up his mind, which side to go. Lord Mountbatten assured the Maharajah that there would be no trouble ensue, if he would make up his mind to accede to one Dominion or the other before 15th August 1947, because the Dominion, to which he would accede, would take J & K firmly under its protection as part of its territory. Lord Mountbatten told Maharajah that even if he acceded to Pakistan, India would not take it amiss because he had a firm assurance on this point from Sardar Patel himself. It appeared that the Maharajah was quite incapable of making up his mind. Actually he was in a Micawberish frame of mind, hoping for the best while doing nothing.

The Government of J & K started negotiating Stand Still Agreements with both India and Pakistan. Pakistan signed a Stand Still Agreement. But the relation between J & K and Pakistan were far from cordial. Military pressure was applied by Pakistan inform of hit and run border raids, in an effort to coerce J & K into acceding to Pakistan. On 18th October 1947 J & K sent a protest to Lord Mountbatten and Prime Minister of Pakistan.

The all - out invasion of Kashmir started 22nd October 1947. The raiders consisted of Frontier tribesman and Soldiers of Pakistan Army. Muslims of J & K Army deserted and joined the raiders. They moved from Abbottabad to capture Garhi Domel, Muzaffarabad. The raiders then marched towards Baramula. Along the road leading to Srinagar. The raiders continued to advance and on 24th October, they captured Mahura Power House and announced to reach Srinagar on 26th October.

A letter dated 7th June 1950, posted from FAZILKA, addressed to Govt. High School, Pallandri, a place which comes under Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The addess of the said letter shows “AZAD KASHMIR Government - Via Rawalpindi, Pakistan”. It couldnot go beyond Amritsar, which servs as an Exchange Office in between India and Pakistan.	The said letter was opened at Amritsar-DLO and was returned to the sender in an Ambulance Cover dated 13th June 1950 with a remark in manuscript - “SERVICE SUSPENDED”.

On the evening of 24th October Government of India received a desperate appeal for help from the Maharajah. Mr. V. P. Menon with Army and Air Force Officers flew to Srinagar to study the situation. Stillness of a graveyard was seen all around. There were practically no State Force left as all deserted. The Maharajah was completely unnerved and helpless, because it was a certainty that raiders would loot and kill in the Palace. The Maharajah was advised to leave for Jammu with all his valuables.

A meeting of the Defence Committee was called in Delhi on 26th October. Lord Mountbatten said that Indian troops should move to save Kashmir only after accession of J & K to India. When Maharajah was asked, he was ready to accede at once. He signed the instrument of accession. Thus J & K accede to India on 26th October 1947. Now the question was to save Srinagar from the raiders. In the early hours of the morning of 27th October, over a hundred civilian aircraft and RIAF planes were mobilized to fly troops, equipments and supplies to Srinagar. The enthusiasm with which the airforce personnel, civilian and military worked that morning was phenomenal. Never in the history of warfare has there been an operation like the airlift of Indian troops to Srinagar on 27th October and on subsequent days, an operation put through with no previous thought.

At 10.30 AM of 27th October the Indian Army landed in Srinagar, and found that the enemy was still at Baramula. By 8th November the Indian Army occupied Baramula. They found that Baramula had been stripped by the tribesmen of its wealth and its women. Out of normal population of 14000, only 1000 were left.

The planners of this tragic holocaust are entitled to commendation for the originality of the plan and the swiftness with which it was executed. Where they failed was in their ignorance of the fundamental characteristics of the raiders. They did not take into account, their love of loot and licence, which kept them in Baramula for days, days which to them proved fatal.
The Indian Army went ahead with its efforts to dislodge the raiders. By 11th November, the army reached the heights of Uri, the tribesmen were in such a hurry to withdraw that they gave up Tangmarg and Gulmarg without firing a shot. On 31st December, India appealed to United Nations Organization.

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