Briefly discuss the events leading to the signing of the
Instrument of Accession?
Answers
Answer:
Kashmir was plagued with repeated invasions by the Pathan tribesmen after Indian independence in August 1947. Hence, Maharaja Hari Singh wrote to Lord Mountbatten seeking military help.
Mountbatten's reply is said to have sowed the seed of the Kashmir dispute.
Following Mountbatten's advice, the Indian government attempted a referendum, for the Kashmiri people to decide if they wanted to stay a part of India, Pakistan, or remain an independent state.
The referendum could not take place as the Pakistani government and a part of Kashmiri residents questioned the legality of India's accession to Kashmir.
Following this, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession at Amar Palace in Jammu on October 26.
Early in the morning on October 27, the Indian Army's first Sikh battalion was airdropped in Srinagar where they resisted the Pathan invasion and officially completed Kashmir's accession to India.