The Maharajah of the State of J&K, is generally maligned as a man who delayed the decision to accede to India and to have taken that decision only under duress, when the raiders had already reached Baramulla. It is a great falsehood allowed to be spread by the powers that be, right from those early times of the invasion. Even the above article gives a similar impression. The fact is that Maharajah Hari Singh had actually sent his then Prime Minister Meher Chand Mahajan to New Delhi with the letter requesting the Prime Minister of India to accept the State of J&K within the Union of India and discuss the terms of accession as early as on the 19th of Sepember 1947(more than a month before the invasion of his State by the Pakistani raiders), but Nehru rebuffed him, asking him to convey to his King to: "release Sheikh Abdullah from prison, hand over power to the people of Kashmir by instituting democratic process in his State and that he would discuss terms of accession with the popular leader elected by the people, meaning his friend Sheikh Abdullah." Also, Nehru and Mountbatten together delayed the decision on accession for good four days after the invasion, not the Maharajah.
I always wondered what if Nazi's colonized India instead of the Britisher's. What would have Gandhiji done? Forget about what Gandhi would have done, the question should be. Would Nazi's have given enough time for history to have witnessed or known the personality called Gandhi?
I have visited israel and am awed by the progress they have made not only in defending their peoples against enemies on all sides, but also the strides they have made in agriculture, technology and social development.
Israel is a lesson in survival despite all odds. Despite repeated attempts at elimination. Despite repeated humiliation.
Proof that if you choose to not forget the crimes against you, your enemies cannot dare to keep killing your peoples.
Seeing how they have turned the Negev desert into an oasis and an agricultiral dream, with water supply that equals the runoff from mumbai rooftops in 3 months, makes me hang my head in shame.
Varsha has said that India should follow Israel. Israel has agreed on a roadmap for a separate Palestine nation by 2005. Can India follow Israel for a similar roadmap on Kashmir?
