Contribution of Meherchand Mahajan in integration of Jammu & Kashmir
   25-Oct-2018

 
 
When we talk about unification of India, one name which is given credit for it is that of Sardar Patel, who certainly deserves this credit and prominence. However, there were a few people who also played a very important role in the integration of the princely states with India, especially those princely states which were controversial and difficult to integrate. Meherchand Mahajan was one such person, who played a very crucial role in the integration of Jammu & Kashmir with India.
 

 
 
Born on 23rd December 1889 in Tika Nagrota, Kangda, Mr Mahajan was the third Chief Justice of independent India. Prior to this he was the most famous lawyer of the undivided Punjab, later became a judge in the North Punjab High Court. He was also made the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. It was in May 1947, when the Maharaja of Kashmir, Hari Singh, sent the Maharani and Yuvraj Karn Singh to Mr. Mahajan, with the proposal to become the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. It is so believed that Sardar Patel advised the Maharaja to do so. Initially Mr. Mahajan did not show any interest in accepting this responsibility, but Prince Karan Singh insisted on it and also requested him to meet the Maharaja personally, thus Mr. Mahajan agreed. However, he was already a member of the Redcliff Commission, appointed to decide and draw the borders between India and Pakistan. The pro-Pakistan lobby wanted the entire district of Gurudaspur to be added to Pakistan side, but Mr. Mahajan was of the opinion that the Ravi river should be the border. About 4000 Sikhs had worked very hard to make the canal on Ravi river and they were emotionally attached to it. With his impressive and logical arguments, Mr. Mahajan convinced Mountbatten to handover Gurudaspur to India, this was very crucial because it was only Gurudaspur which connected the state of Jammu and Kashmir to India by road.
 

 
 
 
The greatest contribution of Meherchand Mahajan was to convince Maharaja Hari Singh to integrate Jammu and Kashmir in India. After being on the Redcliff Commission, Mr. Mahajan agreed to be the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. When he took over as the Prime Minister the condition of the state was quite bad. It was Guruji Golwalkar, who had asked Mr. Mahajan to talk to Maharaja Hari Singh to integrate with India and he had also arranged a meeting of Golwalkar ji with Maharaja Hari Singh. Golwalkar ji explained the reasons to Maharaja, which he agreed, but he did not want to hand over his state to Shaikh Abdullah and hence was hesitant to sigh the instrument of accession.
 

 
 
Later Meherchand Mahajan became the Chief Justice of India. Actually, just as Patel was instrumental in integration of India, similarly Mr Mahajan was instrumental in the integration of Jammu and Kashmir with India. Be it taking Gurudaspur on India’s side or despite all adversities convincing Maharaja to integrate with India, Mr. Mahajan did it all. India will be indebted to him for this significant contribution, which prevented drastic changes in the geography of India. Although it is unfortunate that Gilgit -Baltistan is still under control of Pakistan.