Standstill agreement (India)
A standstill agreement was an agreement signed between the newly independent
Prior to independence
The draft of the standstill agreement was formulated soon after 3 June 1947 by the
The standstill agreement was separate from the Instrument of Accession, later formulated by the States Department of the future dominion of India, which was a legal document that involved a surrender of sovereignty to the extent specified in the Instrument.[1][a]
Both the draft agreements were presented to the Chamber of Princes on 25 July. A States Negotiating Committee was formed to discuss both the agreements, consisting of ten rulers and twelve ministers. After discussion, the Committee finalised both the draft agreements on 31 July.[4]
Some native rulers of the
The state of Junagadh executed Instrument of Accession as well as Standstill agreement with Pakistan on 15 August. It was accepted by Pakistan on 13 September.[6] Junagadh was the only state that declared accession to Pakistan by 15 August.[7]
The state of Jammu and Kashmir, which was contiguous to both India and Pakistan, decided to remain independent. It offered to sign standstill agreements with both of the dominions. Pakistan immediately accepted, but India asked for further discussions.
The Khanate of Kalat, at the western periphery of Pakistan, also decided to remain independent. It signed a standstill agreement with Pakistan.
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir at the far north of the Indian subcontinent had contiguous borders with both India and Pakistan, and was theoretically in a position to accede to either of them. However, by July 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh had decided to accede to neither and remain independent. Ostensibly, he assessed that the State's Muslims would be unhappy with accession to India, and the Hindus and Sikhs would become vulnerable if he joined Pakistan.[8][9] However, on 11 August, the Maharaja dismissed his prime minister Ram Chandra Kak, who had advocated independence. This action was interpreted by observers as a tilt towards accession to India.[10][9]
The new prime minister, Major Janak Singh, sent telegrams to both India and Pakistan on 12 August expressing the State's intention to sign standstill agreements with them.[b] The Government of Pakistan replied telegraphically on 14 August confirming that the status quo would be maintained.[c] According to Christopher Birdwood, no formal agreement was ever signed. However, the Government of Pakistan later interpreted this telegraphic agreement as giving it the status of the former British Indian government in its relations with the state.[12] The Government of India welcomed the State's intention and requested a ministerial representative to be sent to Delhi for negotiating the agreement, but this was apparently not followed up by the State.[d] Years later, the state's political leader Sheikh Abdullah offered the explanation that the Government of India did not consider that any agreement would be valid unless it had the approval of people's representatives.[12]
The telegraphic agreement bound the Government of Pakistan to continue the existing administrative arrangements with regard to communications, supplies and postal and telegraphic services.[14] The State's postal and telegraphic services, which were formerly part of the Punjab provincial services based in Lahore, were taken over by Pakistan. On 15 August, when Pakistan became independent, Pakistani flags were hoisted on most of the post offices until the Maharaja's government ordered them to be taken down.[15]
Hyderabad State
The
Soon the Nizam came under pressure from
The new delegation secured only trivial amendments to the earlier draft of the agreement.
Significantly, the agreement did not provide for the Dominion of India to station Indian forces in the state, whereas British India had maintained various cantonments, particularly in Secunderabad, as part of its "subsidiary alliance" with state. Over the course of the next 6 months, the Indian troops were withdrawn from the state.[24]
According to
Hyderabad was accused of violating clauses of the agreement: in external affairs, by carrying out intrigues with Pakistan, to which it secretly loaned 15 million pounds; in defence, by building up a large semi-private army; in communications, by interfering with the traffic at the borders and the through traffic of Indian railways.[27] India was also accused of violating the agreement by imposing an economic blockade. It turned out that the state of Bombay was interfering with supplies to Hyderabad without the knowledge of Delhi. The Government promised to take up the matter with the provincial governments, but scholar Lucien Benichou states that it was never done. India also delayed arms shipments to Hyderabad from India, which was later claimed to be a breach of the standstill agreement.[28]
More seriously, the Ittehad promoted vast armed bands of razakars who threatened communal peace inside the state as well as along the border. After multiple rounds of negotiations, the government of India delivered an ultimatum on 31 August 1948, demanding a ban on the razakars and the stationing of Indian troops in the state to keep law and order. When these were denied, India invaded the state on 13 September sending in troops via three access routes. The Nizam after four days had agreed to Indian demands.[29]
Subsequently, he signed the Instrument of Accession in November 1948.[30]
Notes
- ^ The States Department of the dominion of Pakistan diid not support the concept of accession. Jinhah declared that he would guarantee independence of the pricely states that adhered to Pakistan.[3]
- ^ Text of Jammu and Kashmir's telegram: "Jammu and Kashmir Government would welcome Standstill Agreement with India (Pakistan) on all matters on which these exist at present moment with outgoing British Government. It is suggested that existing arrangements should continue pending settlement of details and formal execution of fresh agreement."[11]
- ^ Text of Pakistan's telegram: "Your telegram of 12th. The Government of Pakistan agree to have a Standstill Agreement with the Government of Jammu and Kashmir for the continuance of the existing arrangements pending settlement of details and formal execution."[11]
- ^ Text of India's telegram: "Government of India would be glad if you or some other minister duly authorized in this behalf could fly to Delhi for negotiating Standstill Agreement between Kashmir Government and India Dominion. Early action desirable to maintain intact the existing arrangements."[11][13]
References
- ^ a b Hodson, The Great Divide (1969), p. 370.
- ^ Hodson, The Great Divide (1969), p. 370; Menon, The Story of Integration of the Indian States (1956), p. 62
- ^ Hodson, The Great Divide (1969), p. 368.
- ^ Hodson, The Great Divide (1969), p. 370; Menon, The Story of Integration of the Indian States (1956), p. 75
- ^ Menon, The Story of Integration of the Indian States (1956), p. 78.
- ^ a b Menon, The Story of Integration of the Indian States (1956), p. 82.
- ^ Behera, Demystifying Kashmir (2007), pp. 12–13.
- ^ Ankit, Rakesh (April 2010), "Pandit Ramchandra Kak: The Forgotten Premier of Kashmir", Epilogue, 4 (4), Epilogue -Jammu Kashmir: 36–39
- ^ a b Rakesh Ankit (May 2010). "Henry Scott: The forgotten soldier of Kashmir". Epilogue. 4 (5): 44–49. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
- ^ Raghavan, War and Peace in Modern India 2010, p. 106.
- ^ ISBN 978-93-82573-16-6, archivedfrom the original on 9 February 2022, retrieved 9 February 2022
- ^ a b Birdwood, Two Nations and Kashmir 1956, p. 45.
- ^ Bhandari, Solving Kashmir 2006, p. 328.
- ^ Birdwood, Two Nations and Kashmir 1956, p. 46.
- ^ Schofield, Kashmir in Conflict 2003, pp. 40–41.
- ^ Menon, The Story of Integration of the Indian States (1956), p. 222.
- ^ a b Menon, The Story of Integration of the Indian States (1956), p. 225.
- ^ Menon, The Story of Integration of the Indian States (1956), p. 226; Hyder, October Coup (2012), Chapter: The Beginning of the End
- ^ Menon, The Story of Integration of the Indian States (1956), pp. 225–227.
- ^ Hyder, October Coup (2012), Chapter: The Beginning of the End.
- ^ Hodson, The Great Divide (1969), p. 480; Hyder, October Coup (2012), Chapter: The Beginning of the End
- ^ Hodson, The Great Divide (1969), p. 480.
- ^ Menon, The Story of Integration of the Indian States (1956), p. 229.
- ^ Menon, The Story of Integration of the Indian States (1956), pp. 231–232.
- ^ Kamat, Border incidents, internal disorder and the nizam's claim (2007), p. 216.
- ^ Menon, The Story of Integration of the Indian States (1956), p. 231.
- ^ Hodson, The Great Divide (1969), pp. 480–481.
- ^ Hodson, The Great Divide (1969), pp. 480–481; Raghavan, War and Peace in Modern India (2010), p. 77; Benichou, From Autocracy to Integration (2000), pp. 213–215
- ^ Raghavan, War and Peace in Modern India (2010), p. 98.
- ^ Chandra, Mukherjee & Mukherjee, India since Independence (2008), p. 96.
Bibliography
- Behera, Navnita Chadha (2007), Demystifying Kashmir, Pearson Education India, ISBN 978-8131708460
- Benichou, Lucien D. (2000) [University of Western Australia, 1985], From Autocracy to Integration: Political Developments in Hyderabad State, 1938-1948, Orient Blackswan, ISBN 978-81-250-1847-6
- Bhandari, Mohan C. (2006), Solving Kashmir, Lancer Publishers, ISBN 978-81-7062-125-6
- Birdwood, Lord (1956), Two Nations and Kashmir, R. Hale – via archive.org
- ISBN 978-0-14-310409-4
- Hodson, H. V. (1969), The Great Divide: Britain, India, Pakistan, London: Hutchinson, ISBN 9780090971503
- Hyder, Mohammed (2012), October Coup, A Memoir of the Struggle for Hyderabad, Roli Books, ISBN 978-8174368508
- Kamat, Manjiri N. (2007), "Border incidents, internal disorder and the nizam's claim for an independent Hyderabad", in Waltraud Ernst; Biswamoy Pati (eds.), India's Princely States: People, Princes and Colonialism, Routledge, pp. 212–224, ISBN 978-1-134-11988-2
- Menon, V. P. (1956), The Story of Integration of the Indian States, Orient Longman
- Raghavan, Srinath (2010), War and Peace in Modern India, Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN 978-1-137-00737-7
- ISBN 1860648983