Ram Chandra Kak: Difference between revisions

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{{cite web |title=No big fuss over the win |url=http://centreright.in/2011/05/no-big-fuss-over-the-win/#.UCiTV6HiaM8 |publisher=Center Right India |first=Varad |last=Varenya |date=17 May 2011 |access-date=13 August 2012}}
{{cite web |title=No big fuss over the win |url=http://centreright.in/2011/05/no-big-fuss-over-the-win/#.UCiTV6HiaM8 |publisher=Center Right India |first=Varad |last=Varenya |date=17 May 2011 |access-date=13 August 2012}}
</ref> He was also a pioneering [[archeology|archaeologist]] who excavated the major sites of antiquities in [[Kashmir Valley]] and wrote a definitive treatise on them.
</ref> One of the very few Kashmiri Pandits to ever hold that post, Kak had the intractable job of navigating the troubled waters of the [[Partition of India|transfer of power]] from British Raj to the independent dominions of [[Dominion of India|India]] and [[Dominion of Pakistan|Pakistan]]. He handled the activism of the state's political parties, the [[Jammu & Kashmir National Conference|National Conference]] and [[All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference|Muslim Conference]], and warded off pressure from the new dominions for the [[Instrument of Accession|accession]] of the state. He advised the Maharaja to stay independent for at least a year before making the final decision. His actions were highly unpopular with the state's activist Muslims, and he was dismissed from the post of prime minister shortly before the independence of India and Pakistan in August 1947.
 
Kak was also a pioneering [[archeology|archaeologist]] who excavated the major sites of antiquities in [[Kashmir Valley]] and wrote a definitive treatise on them.
 
== Early life ==
Ram Chandra Kak was the second among seven children (four sons and three daughters) of Keshav Lal Kak (b. 1873) —a money-lender and part time trader— and Bhageshwari Devi. He spent his early life in the Gurguri Mohalla of Srinagar.
 
Kak graduated from [[Sri Pratap College]] in 1913 and enrolled for a M. A., before being selected for training in archaeology. From 1914 to 1919, Kak trained under [[John Marshall (archaeologist)|John Marshall]] at various sites.


==Career==
==Career==
Kak served at various key positions in [[Maharaja]] [[Hari Singh]]'s administration. Beginning as the superintendent of archaeology,<ref name=stein>
Post training, Kak was appointed as the superintendent of the newly established Department of Archaeology, before being promoted to the Director.<ref name=stein>
{{cite web |title=Nilamatapurana – The Leiden Edition |url=http://www.siraurelstein.org.uk/nilamatapurana3.html |publisher=Kashmir Bhavan Center, Luton, UK |access-date=13 August 2012}}
{{cite web |title=Nilamatapurana – The Leiden Edition |url=http://www.siraurelstein.org.uk/nilamatapurana3.html |publisher=Kashmir Bhavan Center, Luton, UK |access-date=13 August 2012}}
</ref> he was appointed to the post of Chief Secretary in 1937. He was appointed as the Minister of Military Affairs in 1941 and held the role of "minister-in-waiting" for the Maharaja Hari Singh during 1942–1945. He served as the Prime Minister of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] from June 1945 until 11 August 1947, during the key transitional period when the British were preparing for departure from India.<ref name=himal>
</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Chanchani|first=Nachiket|date=2018-07-03|title=Folding and Faulting: The Formation of ‘Himalayan Art’|journal=South Asian Studies|volume=34|issue=2|pages=93–113|doi=10.1080/02666030.2018.1525864|issn=0266-6030}}</ref> He also served as the curator of [[SPS Museum]], and Librarian of Maharaja Hari Singh's private library.
{{cite news |title=Forgotten men of Kashmir |url=http://old.himalmag.com/component/content/article/66-forgotten-men-of-kashmir.html |newspaper=Himal South Asian |first=Rajesh |last=Ankit |date= February 2010}}
</ref>


=== 1946 ===
=== Political administration ===
In 1946, the [[Jammu & Kashmir National Conference|National Conference]] party began the [[Quit Kashmir movement]] against the Maharaja. Its leader [[Sheikh Abdullah]] was arrested on 15 May. [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] attempted to come to Kashmir as his defence counsel. Nehru's entry into the state was blocked by Kak. Nehru was arrested on 22 June and kept at the [[dak bungalow]] in Domel, close to [[Muzaffarabad]]. Nehru returned to Delhi after two days following a summon from [[Mahatma Gandhi|Gandhi]]. Later, Kak met the [[Indian National Congress]] leaders in India in July and Nehru was permitted to revisit Srinagar. He met Abdullah in jail.<ref>
He was appointed to the post of Chief Secretary in 1934, followed by Inspector General of Customs & Excise in 1935. In 1938, he was inducted as the "Political Advisor" to the Maharaja, and then as the Minister of Military Affairs in 1941. He held the role of "minister-in-waiting" for the Maharaja Hari Singh during 1942–1945. He served as the Prime Minister of [[Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] from June 1945 until 11 August 1947, during the key transitional period when the British were preparing for departure from India.<ref name="himal2">{{cite news|last=Ankit|first=Rajesh|date=February 2010|title=Forgotten men of Kashmir|newspaper=Himal South Asian|url=https://www.himalmag.com/forgotten-men-of-kashmir/}}</ref>
 
==== 1946 ====
In 1946, as the [[Jammu & Kashmir National Conference|National Conference]] (NC) began the Quit Kashmir movement against the Maharaja, Kak declared martial law and had all leaders arrested on 20 May.<ref>{{Citation|last=Khan|first=Nyla Ali|title=Press|date=2018|work=Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s Reflections on Kashmir|pages=129|editor-last=Khan|editor-first=Nyla Ali|place=Cham|publisher=Springer|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-319-50103-1_4|isbn=978-3-319-50103-1}}</ref> [[Sheikh Abdullah]] was soon sentenced to imprisonment for three years. [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] attempted to appear as his defence counsel but his entry to Srinagar was blocked by Kak on 21 July.{{Efn|Nehru was put to house-arrest at a dak bungalow in Domel, close to Muzaffarabad. He would return to Delhi after two days, following a summon from Gandhi.}} Kak remained defiant despite multiple Congress leaders requesting him to have Abdullah released.{{sfnp|Jha, Rival Versions of History|1996|p=14}}{{sfnp|Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak|2010|pp=36–37}}{{Efn|The rival party [[All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference|Muslim Conference]] did not support Abdullah's agitation and had branded it as a ploy to garner reputation, that was allegedly lost due to his pro-India stance. However, they offered support to the cause of Abdullah's release and would launch their "direct action program", piggybacking on it among many other issues.}}
 
Kak, in an unpublished note on the accession-disputes, claims to have been ill-disposed to these pleas because the Indian National Congress (INC) had lent its "great weight of authority" to Abdullah's misplaced agitation; INC is castigated for publishing "highly coloured, inaccurate and vituperative statements" and passing resolutions against the Maharaja's government.{{sfnp|Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak|2010|pp=36–37}}{{efn|However, Gandhi and Patel went on to convince Kak about allowing Nehru c. July — Nehru would eventually meet Abdullah in jail.<ref>
{{citation |chapter=Political Rumblings: Quit Kashmir Movement |chapter-url=http://www.koausa.org/storm/chapter4.html |first=Bal Raj |last=Madhok |author-link=Balraj Madhok |title=Kashmir: The Storm Centre of the World |publisher=A. Ghosh |location=Houston, Texas |year=1992 |isbn=9780961161491}}
{{citation |chapter=Political Rumblings: Quit Kashmir Movement |chapter-url=http://www.koausa.org/storm/chapter4.html |first=Bal Raj |last=Madhok |author-link=Balraj Madhok |title=Kashmir: The Storm Centre of the World |publisher=A. Ghosh |location=Houston, Texas |year=1992 |isbn=9780961161491}}
</ref><ref>
</ref><ref>
{{citation |last=Wani |first=Showkat Ahmad |title=Shaikh Mohammad Abdullah and his contribution to political development in Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=Aligarh Muslim University/Shodhganga |year=2013 |hdl=10603/166108 |at=Chapter 3, pp.&nbsp;85-86}}
{{citation |last=Wani |first=Showkat Ahmad |title=Shaikh Mohammad Abdullah and his contribution to political development in Jammu and Kashmir |publisher=Aligarh Muslim University/Shodhganga |year=2013 |hdl=10603/166108 |at=Chapter 3, pp.&nbsp;85-86}}
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</ref> They failed to make Kak agree about freeing Abdullah, though.}} These unfavorable views about INC would guide his (and Maharaja's) decision to not accede to India —rather than any fundamental objection to the accession itself—, next month.{{sfnp|Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak|2010|pp=36–37}}<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=NOORANI|first=A. G.|title=KAK AND SHEIKH|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/article30181714.ece|access-date=2021-10-19|website=Frontline|language=en}}</ref>


Kak was ill-disposed to the Indian National Congress because, in his view, it allied itself with Sheikh Abdullah and lent its "great weight of authority" to his agitation against the State government. After Abdullah's arrest in 1946, Congress leaders are said to have sent telegrams to Kak as well as the Maharaja demanding Abdullah's release. Kak held that "highly coloured, inaccurate and vituperative statements" were published by Congress, resolutions were passed against the Maharaja's government and commissions of enquiry appointed. Both Kak and the Maharaja decided against acceding to the India in 1946, even before partition had been decided.{{sfnp|Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak|2010|pp=36–37}}
In late July, Kak met with Sardar [[Vallabhbhai Patel]] —who was to become the home minister of the [[Interim Government of India]]— but discussions did not get very far. Patel advised that Sheikh Abdullah be released from prison and steps taken to improve relations between the ruler and the people much to the displeasure of Kak, who rejected Patel's authority and jurisdiction.{{efn|Kak asserted that the authority of the British Government, to advise the Maharaja, could not be inherited by the Interim Government.}} Patel took offence at what he called the "cold, official touch-me-not attitude" and rejected supporting any plan involving complete independence for Kashmir.{{sfn|Bhattacharjea, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah|2008|p=93–94}}


Kak tried to initiate a dialogue with Sardar [[Vallabhbhai Patel]], who was to become the home minister in [[Interim Government of India]]. However, the dialogue did not get very far since Patel advised that Sheikh Abdullah be released from prison and steps taken to improve relations between the ruler and the people. Kak dismissed the advice and rejected the capacity of the Interim Government to advise the Kashmir government. He believed that the authority of the British Government could not be inherited by the Interim Government. Patel took offence at what he called the "cold, official touch-me-not attitude" and asked him to let the "daylight to shine" on the Kashmir government. He in turn rejected the notion of complete independence for Kashmir. Kak's initiative having ended in failure, and the British Resident in Kashmir reported that Kashmir was likely to stay out of the Indian Union. Thus, on the eve of the [[Partition of India]], the relations between Kak and the Congress were frigid.{{sfn|Bhattacharjea, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah|2008|p=93–94}}
Kak's initiative having ended in failure, the British Resident in Kashmir reported in November that Kashmir was likely to stay out of the Indian Union. The cited reason was "antagonism [...] displayed by a Congress Central Government".{{sfn|Bhattacharjea, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah|2008|p=93–94}}


=== 1947 ===
==== 1947 ====
After the Partition of India was decided in June 1947, the decision on accession became imminent. [[Lord Mountbatten]] visited Kashmir in June for five days (19–23 June) and pressured the Maharaja as well as Kak to make a decision. As to which dominion to accede, Mountbatten said that it was the state government's decision but strongly hinted that Pakistan would be the right choice.<ref>{{harvp|Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak|2010|p=37}}: 'When asked by Kak, as to which Dominion he advised Kashmir to accede, Mountbatten said, "That is the entirely for you to decide. You must consider your geographical position, your political situation and the composition of your population and then decide". Kak rejoined, "That means that you advise us to accede to Pakistan."'</ref>
After the Partition of India was decided in June 1947, the decision on accession became imminent. [[Lord Mountbatten]] visited Kashmir in June (19–23 June) and coaxed the Maharaja as well as Kak to make a decision while guaranteeing the continuance of constitutional monarchy; on being asked by Kak about the "right choice", he implicitly hinted in favor of Pakistan.<ref>{{harvp|Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak|2010|p=37}}: 'When asked by Kak, as to which Dominion he advised Kashmir to accede, Mountbatten said, "That is the entirely for you to decide. You must consider your geographical position, your political situation and the composition of your population and then decide". Kak rejoined, "That means that you advise us to accede to Pakistan."'</ref><ref name=":0" /> However, accession to Pakistan did not appeal to them — Kak's final position was that "since Kashmir ''would'' not accede to Pakistan, it ''could'' not accede to India".<ref name=":0" />{{Efn|Kak did not trust the Hindu monarchy and his Pandit brethren to be well-treated in Pakistan. But, he was also aware about the perils of acceding a state to India that shared extensive land-borders with Pakistan and had over 70% of the population as Muslims. Additional factors included INC's opposition to princely elites and a potential loss of socioeconomic privilege in an egalitarian India.}} He advised the Maharaja that Kashmir should remain independent for at least a year, when the issue of accession could be considered.


Accession to Pakistan did not appeal to the Maharaja. Kak's position was that "since Kashmir ''would'' not accede to Pakistan, it ''could'' not accede to India" (emphasis in the original). He advised the Maharaja that Kashmir should remain independent for at least a year, when the issue of accession could be considered. [[Mohammad Ali Jinnah|Jinnah]] told him that Kashmir could hope to get far better terms if it acceded immediately rather than later, but Kak's position was that the state's decision on non-accession was final. Jinnah is reported to have said that he did not mind the state not acceding to Pakistan as long as it did not accede to India.{{sfnp|Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak|2010|p=37}}<ref name="frontline" />
Kak met the leaders of INC and Muslim League in New Delhi in July.<ref name=":0" /> [[Mohammad Ali Jinnah|Jinnah]] told him that Kashmir could hope to get far better terms if it acceded immediately rather than later, but Kak stood by his earlier position.<ref name=":0" /> Jinnah did not mind as long as it did not accede to India.{{sfnp|Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak|2010|p=37}}<ref name=":0" /> Kak also met [[V. P. Menon]], the secretary in charge of princely states for India, and claim to have convinced him about Kashmir's reasons for not acceding; India was also apparently requested to help with the state's 'security arrangements'.<ref>{{harvp|Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak|2010|p=37}}: "They parted on the [understanding] that Menon would visit Kak soon after the transfer of power on 15 August to consider the future security arrangements - a meeting which never happened as Kak was removed from his post by Hari Singh on 11 August."</ref>{{Efn|Menon's visit to Kashmir was scheduled after 15 August - this would never materialize, as Kak was removed from service.}} In contrast, Menon held Kak's replies to be evasive and noted that "he could neither understand the man [Kak] nor fathom his game". General Henry Scott, the Chief of Staff of [[Jammu and Kashmir State Forces|State Forces]], in his last report opined that Kak favored independence but closer ties with Pakistan.<ref name="himal2" />{{Efn|He also credited Kak for maintaining friendly relations with both of the would-be dominions.}}


General Henry Scott, the Chief of Staff of State Forces,<ref name="himal" /> credits Kak for maintaining friendly relations with the would-be state of Pakistan and its dominant party the [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]]. During Kak's tenure, the West Pakistan states ([[Punjab, Pakistan|Punjab]] and [[North-West Frontier Province (1901–55)|North-West Frontier Province]]) are said to have stationed troops along the two main roads leading to the State and protected the traffic from raids.<ref name="HenryScott" /> According to the National Conference leader, [[Sheikh Abdullah]], Kak had good relations with the ruling circles in Pakistan. He says Kak had assessed that as a Muslim majority state, Kashmir was bound to accede to Pakistan and he had prepared a path for himself to serve in that eventuality.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dC1uAAAAMAAJ |title=Flames of the Chinar: an autobiography |last=Abdullah |first=Sheikh Mohammad |publisher=Viking |year=1993 |pages=91}}</ref>
On 1 August 1947, Gandhi visited Kashmir and pointed out to Kak how unpopular he was among the people and, in response, Kak had offered to resign.{{sfn|Bhattacharjea, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah|2008|p=99}}{{Efn|Gandhi reported back to Nehru that [[Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad]] had assured him of potential referendums turning in favor of India but ''iff'' Abdullah was released and Kak replaced.}} However, the Maharaja —who was increasingly against joining Pakistan due to a variety of reasons{{efn|Jha believes the primary cause to be riots manufactured by Muslim League in NFWP. About 2500 refugees (prim. Hindus and Sikhs) made to the Muzaffarabad province from Hazara in December 1946. Compounding factors were the rapid remodeling of Muslim Conference on Muslim League and introduction of communal discourse.}} and trying to repair relationships with INC— is believed to have already decided, a few weeks earlier, to dismiss Kak for being an impediment in the process, and declare general amnesty to political prisoners.<ref>{{harvnb|Jha, The Origins of a Dispute|2003|pp=44–45}}; {{harvnb|Jha, Rival Versions of History|1996|pp=41–43}}</ref>


However, Kak was inimical to the [[Indian National Congress]]. General Scott believes that the Congress leaders including [[Mahatma Gandhi]] "intrigued in the State" for the dismissal of Kak from premiership.<ref name="HenryScott">{{cite journal |journal=Epilogue |volume=4 |number=5 |title=Henry Scott: The forgotten soldier of Kashmir |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-yUy7QpJp7MC&pg=PA47 |date=May 2010 |author=Rakesh Ankit |page=47}}</ref> Indeed, during Gandhi's visit to Kashmir around 1 August 1947, Gandhi reportedly pointed out to Kak how unpopular he was among the people and, in response, Kak had offered to resign.{{sfn|Bhattacharjea, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah|2008|p=99}} However, the Maharaja is believed to have already decided, a few weeks earlier, to dismiss Kak and to declare a general amnesty to political prisoners. Scholar [[Prem Shankar Jha]] states that it represented the Maharaja's decision sometime at the beginning of July not to accede to Pakistan and so India was his only option if independence proved impossible. He believed Kak to be an impediment to repairing relations with the Indian National Congress.<ref>{{harvnb|Jha, The Origins of a Dispute|2003|pp=44–45}}; {{harvnb|Jha, Rival Versions of History|1996|pp=41–43}}</ref>
===== Dismissal =====
Kak was dismissed as Prime Minister on 11 August 1947 in open-court and put under house arrest; he was replaced with Janak Singh. All senior officials such as the Chief Secretary, the Chief of the Army Staff, the Inspector General of Police were also replaced by less experienced people from the Maharaja's own community, in what Kak would describe as the "decapitation" of State administration.{{sfnp|Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak|2010|p=37}} According to Scott, the Maharaja acted under influence of the Deputy Prime Minister M L. Batra, a Hindu [[swami]], and the Maharani's brother Nachint Chand, all of whom wanted Kashmir to join India at the earliest.<ref name="HenryScott">{{cite journal|author=Rakesh Ankit|date=May 2010|title=Henry Scott: The forgotten soldier of Kashmir|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-yUy7QpJp7MC&pg=PA47|journal=Epilogue|volume=4|page=47|number=5}}</ref> He returned to the Maharaja's service a few weeks later, though not as the prime minister.<ref>{{harvnb|Jha, The Origins of a Dispute|2003|p=46}}; {{harvnb|Jha, Rival Versions of History|1996|p=44}}</ref>


''[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]'' reported that Kak had enabled Pakistan's [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]] to confine the pro-India [[Jammu & Kashmir National Conference|National Conference]] but establish its own "operational bases" in various cities of the State. Pakistani "crusaders" from Punjab and the North-West Frontier Province were said to have entered the [[Kashmir Valley]] as tourists, carrying out propaganda as well as organising squads of "stabbers" and "fire-raisers". "Jinnah caps were visible everywhere".<ref>Report in [[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]], 23 October 1947. Quoted in {{citation |last=Mahajan |first=Mehr Chand |author-link=Mehr Chand Mahajan |title=Looking Back: The Autobiography of Mehr Chand Mahajan, Former Chief Justice of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AW5u9QSxCFwC |year=1963 |publisher=Asia Publishing House |ref={{sfnref|Mahajan, Looking Back|1963}} |pages=139–140}}</ref> The British Resident in Kashmir also confirmed similar information.<ref>{{harvnb|Jha, The Origins of a Dispute|2003|p=15}}; {{harvnb|Jha, Rival Versions of History|1996|p=15}}</ref>
On September 14, Singh informed Kak about mounting an official enquiry on 24 September; Kak [[Right to silence|declined to participate]].<ref name="Lila Bhan" /> On 16 September, Kak attempted to leave the state along with his family, having arranged a flight with help from Scott.<ref name=":2">Mahajan, Mehr Chand (1963), Looking Back: The Autobiography of Mehr Chand Mahajan, Former Chief Justice of India, Asia Publishing House, pp. 124–125</ref> But his departure was blocked by the Maharaja, and he was put under house arrest.<ref name=":2" /> With General Scott's support, his family was allowed to leave on 22 September.<ref name="Lila Bhan">{{citation |last=Rajan |first=Radha |chapter=Afterword by Lila Bhan |title=Jammu and Kashmir Dilemma of Accession: A Historical Analysis and Lesson : Prime Minister Pandit Ramchandra Kak's First-hand Account of the Tumultuous Events in 1946-47 |year=2018 |publisher=Voice of India |isbn=978-93-85485-10-7}}</ref>{{efn|A report in [[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]'','' published on 8 October, would report Kak to have had enabled [[All-India Muslim League|Muslim League]] in confining the pro-India [[Jammu & Kashmir National Conference|National Conference]] into pockets while establishing its own "operational bases" in strategic locations of the state. "Crusaders" infiltrated from Punjab and the North-West Frontier Province into the [[Kashmir Valley|valley]] as tourists and went about torturing non-Muslim subjects. Only with the removal of Kak, had the situations eased with Jinnah caps not visible everywhere, as before.<ref>Report in [[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]], 23 October 1947. Quoted in {{citation|last=Mahajan|first=Mehr Chand|title=Looking Back: The Autobiography of Mehr Chand Mahajan, Former Chief Justice of India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AW5u9QSxCFwC|pages=139–140|year=1963|publisher=Asia Publishing House|ref={{sfnref|Mahajan, Looking Back|1963}}|author-link=Mehr Chand Mahajan}}</ref> The British Resident in Kashmir also confirmed similar information.<ref>{{harvnb|Jha, The Origins of a Dispute|2003|p=15}}; {{harvnb|Jha, Rival Versions of History|1996|p=15}}</ref>{{Failed verification|date=October 2021}}}}


=== Dismissal ===
====== Trial ======
Kak was dismissed as Prime Minister on 11 August 1947 and put under house arrest. Scholar [[Prem Shankar Jha]] states that he returned to the Maharaja's service a few weeks later even though not as the prime minister.<ref>{{harvnb|Jha, The Origins of a Dispute|2003|p=46}}; {{harvnb|Jha, Rival Versions of History|1996|p=44}}</ref>
After the tribal invasion in October, the Maharaja had moved to Jammu and finally released Sheikh Adbdullah, who was appointed as the Head of Emergency Administration in Srinagar. Kak's detention was continued and he was moved to the Badami Bagh. Kak's wife, Margaret Kak, lobbied with the Mountbattens arguing for Kak's release and even [[Stafford Cripps]] in London raised it with Jawaharlal Nehru. Sheikh Abdullah's administration maintained that they had evidence that Kak was hobnobbing with the Pakistani raiders and agents.<ref>{{harvp|Tanwar, Jammu & Kashmir 1947–1953|2019|pp=105–107}}: [Quoting Jawaharlal Nehru]: "This house arrest was continued by the State Government after Sheikh Abdullah’s release and till recently when he was taken away from his house and put under closer confinement in a part of the Cantonment buildings in Srinagar. He is kept there now and I understand that he is living in comfort."</ref> In his autobiography, [[Sheikh Abdullah]] would praise Kak for maintaining good relations with the ruling circles in Pakistan — he noted that Kak had assessed that as a Muslim majority state, Kashmir was bound to accede to Pakistan and prepared to be in its service.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Abdullah|first=Sheikh Mohammad|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dC1uAAAAMAAJ|title=Flames of the Chinar: an autobiography|publisher=Viking|year=1993|pages=91}}</ref>


According to Kak, his dismissal was followed by a "decapitation" of the State administration. All senior officials such as the Chief Secretary, the Chief of the Army Staff, the Inspector General of Police were also replaced by less experienced people . According to Henry Lawrence Scott, the Maharaja came under the influence of the Deputy Prime Minister M L. Batra, the Maharani's brother Nachint Chand, all of whom wanted Kashmir to join India and whose intrigues were responsible for the dismissal and public humiliation of Kak.<ref name=HenryScott/>
Kak was tied to hay-ropes and paraded through the streets, as NC aligned Kashmiris heckled him.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ramchandra Kak: Kashmir’ s unsung hero – KashmirWatch|url=https://kashmirwatch.com/ramchandra-kak-kashmir-s-unsung-hero/|access-date=2021-10-19|language=en-US}}</ref> In April 1948, he was tried for three criminal offenses — he was acquitted on two counts but convicted of the third, and jailed.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal|date=January 1960|editor-last=Mehra|editor-first=S. P.|title=Former Premier's Claim|journal=Civic Affairs: Monthly Journal of Local Govt. and Public Administration in India|location=Kanpur|volume=7|issue=6|page=52}}</ref> He was pardoned (and released), arguably under pressure from Delhi, but on the condition that he may never enter Kashmir without permission of the state.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /> Kak retired from public life, and migrated to [[Kasauli]].<ref name=":2" />


An official enquiry was initiated against Kak in late September before the release of Sheikh Abdullah from prison. Kak attempted to leave the state along with his family. But his departure was blocked and he was put under house arrest. With General Scott's support, his family was allowed to leave.<ref name="Lila Bhan">{{citation |last=Rajan |first=Radha |chapter=Afterword by Lila Bhan |title=Jammu and Kashmir Dilemma of Accession: A Historical Analysis and Lesson : Prime Minister Pandit Ramchandra Kak's First-hand Account of the Tumultuous Events in 1946-47 |year=2018 |publisher=Voice of India |isbn=978-93-85485-10-7}}</ref>
On 3 December 1959, the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court —[[Syed Murtaza Fazl Ali|Syed Murtaza Fazl Ali—]] voided the externment order but rejected his petition to be paid due pension (with arrears) since termination, amounting to Rs. 91466.<ref name=":3" /> The court held that the Government had exercised reasonable discretion in withholding pensions from someone, convicted of an offense involving [[moral turpitude]].<ref name=":3" /> Kak returned back to Kashmir, and alternated between Srinagar and Kasauli.


After the tribal invasion in October, Sheikh Adbdullah was appointed as the Head of Emergency Administration in Srinagar, while the Maharaja had moved to Jammu. Kak's detention was continued and he was moved to the Badami Bagh. Kak's wife, Margaret Kak, lobbied with the Mountbattens arguing for Kak's release and even [[Stafford Cripps]] in London raised it with Jawaharlal Nehru. Sheikh Abdullah's administration maintained that they had evidence that Kak was hobnobbing with the Pakistani raiders and agents.<ref>{{harvp|Tanwar, Jammu & Kashmir 1947–1953|2019|pp=105–107}}: [Quoting Jawaharlal Nehru]: "This house arrest was continued by the State Government after Sheikh Abdullah’s release and till recently when he was taken away from his house and put under closer confinement in a part of the Cantonment buildings in Srinagar. He is kept there now and I understand that he is living in comfort."</ref>
== Personal life ==
Ram Chandra Kak married Janaki Devi (b. 1894) in 1901. They had five sons —Shailendra, Narendra, Brijendra, Surendra, and Khemendra— and a daughter, who died in infancy. They adopted Kak's grand-niece Lila. Devi died in 1928, from [[tuberculosis]].


Under pressure from Delhi, Kak was released and externed from the state in late 1948. Afterwards, Kak retired from public life.
In 1935, Kak married Margaret Mary. Khemendra, a pilot for the [[Royal Indian Air Force]], died in 1945 of a air-crash near [[Risalpur]]; this affected Kak considerably.


==Academic and historian==
==Academics==
Ram Chandra Kak was believed to be in possession of the [[Sharada script]] copy of the [[Nilamata Purana]].<ref name=stein /> Kak's pioneering book ''Ancient monuments of Kashmir'' was published in 1933 and  [[Francis Younghusband]] wrote the foreword to the book.<ref name=kecss>{{cite book |title=Kashmiri Scholars contributions to knowledge and World Peace |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=It1LePnN2LsC&q=ram+chandra+kak+kashmiri+pandit&pg=PA36 |publisher=A.P.H. Publishing House |first1=Saligram |last1=Bhatt |first2=J. N. |last2=Kaul |year=2008 |isbn=9788131304020}}</ref>
Ram Chandra Kak was in possession of the two complete [[Sharada script]] copies of the [[Nilamata Purana]], when a critical edition was being prepared by K. de Vreese.<ref name=stein />  
 
Kak wrote a treatise on Kashmiri archaeology titled ''Ancient monuments of Kashmir'' in 1933; [[Francis Younghusband]] wrote the foreword to the book.<ref name="kecss">{{cite book |title=Kashmiri Scholars contributions to knowledge and World Peace |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=It1LePnN2LsC&q=ram+chandra+kak+kashmiri+pandit&pg=PA36 |publisher=A.P.H. Publishing House |first1=Saligram |last1=Bhatt |first2=J. N. |last2=Kaul |year=2008 |isbn=9788131304020}}</ref> The book focused on the destruction of temples by Muslim rulers to such an extent, that he was compelled by the publisher to expunge certain "irrelevant" passages lest communal harmony was affected{{Efn|One of the deleted passages depicted [[Sikandar Shah Miri]] as a blood-thirsty Muslim whose ‘perpetual cry’ was to ‘slay, burn, destroy’ Hindus, and Hindu shrines. He was compared to [[Charles IX of France|Charles IX]], responsible for the [[St. Bartholomew's Day massacre]].}}; a chapter on political history of Kashmir portrayed the centuries of Islamic rule as "one of unmitigated plunder, barbarism, and iconoclasm."<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Kabir|first=Ananya Jahanara|title=Territory of Desire : Representing the Valley of Kashmir|publisher=University of Minnesota Press|year=2009|isbn=9780816653560|pages=92-93}}</ref> Historian [[Mridu Rai]] notes his work to fit into the usual scheme of the State Archaeological Department in privileging Hindus over the Muslims by various direct and indirect means; [[Ananya Jahanara Kabir]] reiterates such observations.<ref name=":1" />{{Efn|The book had three photographs of Kashmir scenery, six of Islamicate sites, and sixty two of pre-Islamic heritage.}}


==Books==
==Books==
Line 68: Line 82:
* {{cite book |title=Ancient Monuments of Kashmir, With a Foreword By Sir Francis Younghusband, and an Introduction By A. Foucher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=szt4QwAACAAJ |year=1933 |publisher=India Society}}
* {{cite book |title=Ancient Monuments of Kashmir, With a Foreword By Sir Francis Younghusband, and an Introduction By A. Foucher |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=szt4QwAACAAJ |year=1933 |publisher=India Society}}
* {{cite book |title=Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of Kashmir |others=Publ. under the authority of the Kashmir Durbar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QFm6twAACAAJ |year=1971 |publisher=Archaeological Survey of Kashmir, [Repr.] Sagar Publ}}
* {{cite book |title=Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of Kashmir |others=Publ. under the authority of the Kashmir Durbar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QFm6twAACAAJ |year=1971 |publisher=Archaeological Survey of Kashmir, [Repr.] Sagar Publ}}
== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 21:23, 7 November 2021

Ram Chandra Kak
RC Kak.jpg
Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir
In office
June 1945 – 11 August 1947
Preceded bySir Benegal Narsing Rau
Succeeded byJanak Singh
Personal details
Born5 June 1893
Died10 February 1983

Ram Chandra Kak (5 June 1893 – 10 February 1983) was the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir during 1945–1947.[1][2] One of the very few Kashmiri Pandits to ever hold that post, Kak had the intractable job of navigating the troubled waters of the transfer of power from British Raj to the independent dominions of India and Pakistan. He handled the activism of the state's political parties, the National Conference and Muslim Conference, and warded off pressure from the new dominions for the accession of the state. He advised the Maharaja to stay independent for at least a year before making the final decision. His actions were highly unpopular with the state's activist Muslims, and he was dismissed from the post of prime minister shortly before the independence of India and Pakistan in August 1947.

Kak was also a pioneering archaeologist who excavated the major sites of antiquities in Kashmir Valley and wrote a definitive treatise on them.

Early life

Ram Chandra Kak was the second among seven children (four sons and three daughters) of Keshav Lal Kak (b. 1873) —a money-lender and part time trader— and Bhageshwari Devi. He spent his early life in the Gurguri Mohalla of Srinagar.

Kak graduated from Sri Pratap College in 1913 and enrolled for a M. A., before being selected for training in archaeology. From 1914 to 1919, Kak trained under John Marshall at various sites.

Career

Post training, Kak was appointed as the superintendent of the newly established Department of Archaeology, before being promoted to the Director.[3][4] He also served as the curator of SPS Museum, and Librarian of Maharaja Hari Singh's private library.

Political administration

He was appointed to the post of Chief Secretary in 1934, followed by Inspector General of Customs & Excise in 1935. In 1938, he was inducted as the "Political Advisor" to the Maharaja, and then as the Minister of Military Affairs in 1941. He held the role of "minister-in-waiting" for the Maharaja Hari Singh during 1942–1945. He served as the Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from June 1945 until 11 August 1947, during the key transitional period when the British were preparing for departure from India.[5]

1946

In 1946, as the National Conference (NC) began the Quit Kashmir movement against the Maharaja, Kak declared martial law and had all leaders arrested on 20 May.[6] Sheikh Abdullah was soon sentenced to imprisonment for three years. Jawaharlal Nehru attempted to appear as his defence counsel but his entry to Srinagar was blocked by Kak on 21 July.[lower-alpha 1] Kak remained defiant despite multiple Congress leaders requesting him to have Abdullah released.[7][8][lower-alpha 2]

Kak, in an unpublished note on the accession-disputes, claims to have been ill-disposed to these pleas because the Indian National Congress (INC) had lent its "great weight of authority" to Abdullah's misplaced agitation; INC is castigated for publishing "highly coloured, inaccurate and vituperative statements" and passing resolutions against the Maharaja's government.[8][lower-alpha 3] These unfavorable views about INC would guide his (and Maharaja's) decision to not accede to India —rather than any fundamental objection to the accession itself—, next month.[8][11]

In late July, Kak met with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel —who was to become the home minister of the Interim Government of India— but discussions did not get very far. Patel advised that Sheikh Abdullah be released from prison and steps taken to improve relations between the ruler and the people much to the displeasure of Kak, who rejected Patel's authority and jurisdiction.[lower-alpha 4] Patel took offence at what he called the "cold, official touch-me-not attitude" and rejected supporting any plan involving complete independence for Kashmir.[12]

Kak's initiative having ended in failure, the British Resident in Kashmir reported in November that Kashmir was likely to stay out of the Indian Union. The cited reason was "antagonism [...] displayed by a Congress Central Government".[12]

1947

After the Partition of India was decided in June 1947, the decision on accession became imminent. Lord Mountbatten visited Kashmir in June (19–23 June) and coaxed the Maharaja as well as Kak to make a decision while guaranteeing the continuance of constitutional monarchy; on being asked by Kak about the "right choice", he implicitly hinted in favor of Pakistan.[13][11] However, accession to Pakistan did not appeal to them — Kak's final position was that "since Kashmir would not accede to Pakistan, it could not accede to India".[11][lower-alpha 5] He advised the Maharaja that Kashmir should remain independent for at least a year, when the issue of accession could be considered.

Kak met the leaders of INC and Muslim League in New Delhi in July.[11] Jinnah told him that Kashmir could hope to get far better terms if it acceded immediately rather than later, but Kak stood by his earlier position.[11] Jinnah did not mind as long as it did not accede to India.[14][11] Kak also met V. P. Menon, the secretary in charge of princely states for India, and claim to have convinced him about Kashmir's reasons for not acceding; India was also apparently requested to help with the state's 'security arrangements'.[15][lower-alpha 6] In contrast, Menon held Kak's replies to be evasive and noted that "he could neither understand the man [Kak] nor fathom his game". General Henry Scott, the Chief of Staff of State Forces, in his last report opined that Kak favored independence but closer ties with Pakistan.[5][lower-alpha 7]

On 1 August 1947, Gandhi visited Kashmir and pointed out to Kak how unpopular he was among the people and, in response, Kak had offered to resign.[16][lower-alpha 8] However, the Maharaja —who was increasingly against joining Pakistan due to a variety of reasons[lower-alpha 9] and trying to repair relationships with INC— is believed to have already decided, a few weeks earlier, to dismiss Kak for being an impediment in the process, and declare general amnesty to political prisoners.[17]

Dismissal

Kak was dismissed as Prime Minister on 11 August 1947 in open-court and put under house arrest; he was replaced with Janak Singh. All senior officials such as the Chief Secretary, the Chief of the Army Staff, the Inspector General of Police were also replaced by less experienced people from the Maharaja's own community, in what Kak would describe as the "decapitation" of State administration.[14] According to Scott, the Maharaja acted under influence of the Deputy Prime Minister M L. Batra, a Hindu swami, and the Maharani's brother Nachint Chand, all of whom wanted Kashmir to join India at the earliest.[18] He returned to the Maharaja's service a few weeks later, though not as the prime minister.[19]

On September 14, Singh informed Kak about mounting an official enquiry on 24 September; Kak declined to participate.[20] On 16 September, Kak attempted to leave the state along with his family, having arranged a flight with help from Scott.[21] But his departure was blocked by the Maharaja, and he was put under house arrest.[21] With General Scott's support, his family was allowed to leave on 22 September.[20][lower-alpha 10]

Trial

After the tribal invasion in October, the Maharaja had moved to Jammu and finally released Sheikh Adbdullah, who was appointed as the Head of Emergency Administration in Srinagar. Kak's detention was continued and he was moved to the Badami Bagh. Kak's wife, Margaret Kak, lobbied with the Mountbattens arguing for Kak's release and even Stafford Cripps in London raised it with Jawaharlal Nehru. Sheikh Abdullah's administration maintained that they had evidence that Kak was hobnobbing with the Pakistani raiders and agents.[24] In his autobiography, Sheikh Abdullah would praise Kak for maintaining good relations with the ruling circles in Pakistan — he noted that Kak had assessed that as a Muslim majority state, Kashmir was bound to accede to Pakistan and prepared to be in its service.[25]

Kak was tied to hay-ropes and paraded through the streets, as NC aligned Kashmiris heckled him.[26] In April 1948, he was tried for three criminal offenses — he was acquitted on two counts but convicted of the third, and jailed.[27] He was pardoned (and released), arguably under pressure from Delhi, but on the condition that he may never enter Kashmir without permission of the state.[21][27] Kak retired from public life, and migrated to Kasauli.[21]

On 3 December 1959, the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court —Syed Murtaza Fazl Ali— voided the externment order but rejected his petition to be paid due pension (with arrears) since termination, amounting to Rs. 91466.[27] The court held that the Government had exercised reasonable discretion in withholding pensions from someone, convicted of an offense involving moral turpitude.[27] Kak returned back to Kashmir, and alternated between Srinagar and Kasauli.

Personal life

Ram Chandra Kak married Janaki Devi (b. 1894) in 1901. They had five sons —Shailendra, Narendra, Brijendra, Surendra, and Khemendra— and a daughter, who died in infancy. They adopted Kak's grand-niece Lila. Devi died in 1928, from tuberculosis.

In 1935, Kak married Margaret Mary. Khemendra, a pilot for the Royal Indian Air Force, died in 1945 of a air-crash near Risalpur; this affected Kak considerably.

Academics

Ram Chandra Kak was in possession of the two complete Sharada script copies of the Nilamata Purana, when a critical edition was being prepared by K. de Vreese.[3]

Kak wrote a treatise on Kashmiri archaeology titled Ancient monuments of Kashmir in 1933; Francis Younghusband wrote the foreword to the book.[28] The book focused on the destruction of temples by Muslim rulers to such an extent, that he was compelled by the publisher to expunge certain "irrelevant" passages lest communal harmony was affected[lower-alpha 11]; a chapter on political history of Kashmir portrayed the centuries of Islamic rule as "one of unmitigated plunder, barbarism, and iconoclasm."[29] Historian Mridu Rai notes his work to fit into the usual scheme of the State Archaeological Department in privileging Hindus over the Muslims by various direct and indirect means; Ananya Jahanara Kabir reiterates such observations.[29][lower-alpha 12]

Books

  • Handbook of the archaeological and numismatic sections of the Sri Pratap Singh Museum, Srinagar. Government Press. 1923.
  • Ancient Monuments of Kashmir, With a Foreword By Sir Francis Younghusband, and an Introduction By A. Foucher. India Society. 1933.
  • Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of Kashmir. Publ. under the authority of the Kashmir Durbar. Archaeological Survey of Kashmir, [Repr.] Sagar Publ. 1971.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

Notes

  1. ↑ Nehru was put to house-arrest at a dak bungalow in Domel, close to Muzaffarabad. He would return to Delhi after two days, following a summon from Gandhi.
  2. ↑ The rival party Muslim Conference did not support Abdullah's agitation and had branded it as a ploy to garner reputation, that was allegedly lost due to his pro-India stance. However, they offered support to the cause of Abdullah's release and would launch their "direct action program", piggybacking on it among many other issues.
  3. ↑ However, Gandhi and Patel went on to convince Kak about allowing Nehru c. July — Nehru would eventually meet Abdullah in jail.[9][10] They failed to make Kak agree about freeing Abdullah, though.
  4. ↑ Kak asserted that the authority of the British Government, to advise the Maharaja, could not be inherited by the Interim Government.
  5. ↑ Kak did not trust the Hindu monarchy and his Pandit brethren to be well-treated in Pakistan. But, he was also aware about the perils of acceding a state to India that shared extensive land-borders with Pakistan and had over 70% of the population as Muslims. Additional factors included INC's opposition to princely elites and a potential loss of socioeconomic privilege in an egalitarian India.
  6. ↑ Menon's visit to Kashmir was scheduled after 15 August - this would never materialize, as Kak was removed from service.
  7. ↑ He also credited Kak for maintaining friendly relations with both of the would-be dominions.
  8. ↑ Gandhi reported back to Nehru that Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad had assured him of potential referendums turning in favor of India but iff Abdullah was released and Kak replaced.
  9. ↑ Jha believes the primary cause to be riots manufactured by Muslim League in NFWP. About 2500 refugees (prim. Hindus and Sikhs) made to the Muzaffarabad province from Hazara in December 1946. Compounding factors were the rapid remodeling of Muslim Conference on Muslim League and introduction of communal discourse.
  10. ↑ A report in The Tribune, published on 8 October, would report Kak to have had enabled Muslim League in confining the pro-India National Conference into pockets while establishing its own "operational bases" in strategic locations of the state. "Crusaders" infiltrated from Punjab and the North-West Frontier Province into the valley as tourists and went about torturing non-Muslim subjects. Only with the removal of Kak, had the situations eased with Jinnah caps not visible everywhere, as before.[22] The British Resident in Kashmir also confirmed similar information.[23][failed verification]
  11. ↑ One of the deleted passages depicted Sikandar Shah Miri as a blood-thirsty Muslim whose ‘perpetual cry’ was to ‘slay, burn, destroy’ Hindus, and Hindu shrines. He was compared to Charles IX, responsible for the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre.
  12. ↑ The book had three photographs of Kashmir scenery, six of Islamicate sites, and sixty two of pre-Islamic heritage.

References

  1. ↑ Noorani, A.G. (30 January 2010). "Myths & Reality". 27. Frontline. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ↑ Varenya, Varad (17 May 2011). "No big fuss over the win". Center Right India. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Nilamatapurana – The Leiden Edition". Kashmir Bhavan Center, Luton, UK. Retrieved 13 August 2012.
  4. ↑ Chanchani, Nachiket (3 July 2018). "Folding and Faulting: The Formation of 'Himalayan Art'". South Asian Studies. 34 (2): 93–113. doi:10.1080/02666030.2018.1525864. ISSN 0266-6030.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ankit, Rajesh (February 2010). "Forgotten men of Kashmir". Himal South Asian.
  6. ↑ Khan, Nyla Ali (2018), Khan, Nyla Ali (ed.), "Press", Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah’s Reflections on Kashmir, Cham: Springer, p. 129, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-50103-1_4, ISBN 978-3-319-50103-1
  7. ↑ Jha, Rival Versions of History (1996), p. 14.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak (2010), pp. 36–37.
  9. ↑ Madhok, Bal Raj (1992), "Political Rumblings: Quit Kashmir Movement", Kashmir: The Storm Centre of the World, Houston, Texas: A. Ghosh, ISBN 9780961161491
  10. ↑ Wani, Showkat Ahmad (2013), Shaikh Mohammad Abdullah and his contribution to political development in Jammu and Kashmir, Aligarh Muslim University/Shodhganga, Chapter 3, pp. 85-86, hdl:10603/166108
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 NOORANI, A. G. "KAK AND SHEIKH". Frontline. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Bhattacharjea, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah 2008, p. 93–94.
  13. ↑ Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak (2010), p. 37: 'When asked by Kak, as to which Dominion he advised Kashmir to accede, Mountbatten said, "That is the entirely for you to decide. You must consider your geographical position, your political situation and the composition of your population and then decide". Kak rejoined, "That means that you advise us to accede to Pakistan."'
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak (2010), p. 37.
  15. ↑ Ankit, Pandit Ramchandra Kak (2010), p. 37: "They parted on the [understanding] that Menon would visit Kak soon after the transfer of power on 15 August to consider the future security arrangements - a meeting which never happened as Kak was removed from his post by Hari Singh on 11 August."
  16. ↑ Bhattacharjea, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah 2008, p. 99.
  17. ↑ Jha, The Origins of a Dispute 2003, pp. 44–45; Jha, Rival Versions of History 1996, pp. 41–43
  18. ↑ Rakesh Ankit (May 2010). "Henry Scott: The forgotten soldier of Kashmir". Epilogue. 4 (5): 47.
  19. ↑ Jha, The Origins of a Dispute 2003, p. 46; Jha, Rival Versions of History 1996, p. 44
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Rajan, Radha (2018), "Afterword by Lila Bhan", Jammu and Kashmir Dilemma of Accession: A Historical Analysis and Lesson : Prime Minister Pandit Ramchandra Kak's First-hand Account of the Tumultuous Events in 1946-47, Voice of India, ISBN 978-93-85485-10-7
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Mahajan, Mehr Chand (1963), Looking Back: The Autobiography of Mehr Chand Mahajan, Former Chief Justice of India, Asia Publishing House, pp. 124–125
  22. ↑ Report in The Tribune, 23 October 1947. Quoted in Mahajan, Mehr Chand (1963), Looking Back: The Autobiography of Mehr Chand Mahajan, Former Chief Justice of India, Asia Publishing House, pp. 139–140
  23. ↑ Jha, The Origins of a Dispute 2003, p. 15; Jha, Rival Versions of History 1996, p. 15
  24. ↑ Tanwar, Jammu & Kashmir 1947–1953 (2019), pp. 105–107: [Quoting Jawaharlal Nehru]: "This house arrest was continued by the State Government after Sheikh Abdullah’s release and till recently when he was taken away from his house and put under closer confinement in a part of the Cantonment buildings in Srinagar. He is kept there now and I understand that he is living in comfort."
  25. ↑ Abdullah, Sheikh Mohammad (1993). Flames of the Chinar: an autobiography. Viking. p. 91.
  26. ↑ "Ramchandra Kak: Kashmir' s unsung hero – KashmirWatch". Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 Mehra, S. P., ed. (January 1960). "Former Premier's Claim". Civic Affairs: Monthly Journal of Local Govt. and Public Administration in India. Kanpur. 7 (6): 52.
  28. ↑ Bhatt, Saligram; Kaul, J. N. (2008). Kashmiri Scholars contributions to knowledge and World Peace. A.P.H. Publishing House. ISBN 9788131304020.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Kabir, Ananya Jahanara (2009). Territory of Desire : Representing the Valley of Kashmir. University of Minnesota Press. pp. 92–93. ISBN 9780816653560.

Bibliography

External links


Political offices
Preceded by
Sir Benegal Narsing Rau 		Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir
1945–1947 		Succeeded by
Janak Singh
Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ram_Chandra_Kak&oldid=299609"