Author’s Views: Narrating the events leading to the appointment of Mohammed Ali Jinnah as the Governor General of Pakistan, the author says that on 4th July 1947 Liaquat Ali Khan, conveyed, in a letter to Mountbatten ‘formally to recommend to the king the appointment of Mohammed Ali Jinnah as the governor-general of Pakistan. He also, in that letter expressed the hope that Mountbatten would remain as Governor-general of India. The reader is urged to go through the analysis of the author in the succeeding paras in pages 461 –463.
Comments: Probably it was neither megalomania on his part nor having a constitutional head placed in an impossible situation, the reason for Mr. Jinnah to assume the appointment of Governor General of Pakistan (rather than conceding it to Mountbatten immediately on getting independence). As the subsequent events would show, it appears to have been a calculated master strategic stroke . Kashmir, the Princely State, the third letter in the acronym of “Pakistan” has not decided to join them. The Maharaja of J and K was thinking of making it a neutral country in the lines of Switzerland. It was also feared that there was a possibility that he might accede to India, as J&K was geographically contiguous to both India and Pakistan.
By August 1947 (and even earlier) India was already grappling with the influx of refugees, food shortages and lack of most of the essential services. The Armed forces were getting reorganized. This was the most opportune time to invade Kashmir by proxy backed by regular forces. The planning and preparation for that probably had already been finalized in their drawing boards. It commenced in October 1947 barely within two months of Jinnah assuming office of the Governor General. Had Mountbatten taken over as the Governor General of Pakistan, in his capacity of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces he would have got wind of it and could not have permitted employment of regular forces to take part in the invasion of Kashmir.
He might have even sounded India in advance. (He remained in India till June 1948). Lt.Gen. Sinha , in an article in Deccan Chronicle narrates the events leading to the dismissal of Sir. Robert. Sir. Robert McGregor McDonald Lochart, who took over as Army Chief of India on 15 august 1947, "was informed by his British counterpart in Pakistan of the preperations being made for the invasion of Kashmir . He failed to apprise the Government nor did he take any action in the matter. Pakistan's invasion of Kashmir in October 1947 cought us totally unprepared. The Indian Army miraculously managed to retrieve the situation."
It was probably this fore planning which is the more likely reason for getting rid of Mountbatten from Pakistan on their getting independence. If there was any cunning plan that was this (cf Page 455). As far as the knowledge of the commentator, this reasoning for assuming the of the appointment of Governor General of Pakistan on its independence by Mr. Jinnah has not been recorded anywhere. As the learned author puts it (Page 525) “ Only the Supreme God knows all.”
He might have even sounded India in advance. (He remained in India till June 1948). Lt.Gen. Sinha , in an article in Deccan Chronicle narrates the events leading to the dismissal of Sir. Robert. Sir. Robert McGregor McDonald Lochart, who took over as Army Chief of India on 15 august 1947, "was informed by his British counterpart in Pakistan of the preperations being made for the invasion of Kashmir . He failed to apprise the Government nor did he take any action in the matter. Pakistan's invasion of Kashmir in October 1947 cought us totally unprepared. The Indian Army miraculously managed to retrieve the situation."
It was probably this fore planning which is the more likely reason for getting rid of Mountbatten from Pakistan on their getting independence. If there was any cunning plan that was this (cf Page 455). As far as the knowledge of the commentator, this reasoning for assuming the of the appointment of Governor General of Pakistan on its independence by Mr. Jinnah has not been recorded anywhere. As the learned author puts it (Page 525) “ Only the Supreme God knows all.”
I conclude my post and this blog with the following simple comment on the book . While Mahatma Gandhi changed the course of the history of India, Shri. Jaswant Singh through his book has changed its history itself!"
Commentator's Note : I reiterate what I said in the first post of this blog "I hold Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah in high esteem. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest leader of the sub-continent of the century. His championing the cause of Hindu-Muslim unity as lauded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale needs no further elaboration. He was a great orator and an incisive analyst of political and social realities. His obduracy was matching and even excelled that of Gandhi's. While Gandhi would relent ultimately to the 'inevitable', what Jinnah said and believed in were inevitable. In my comments whereever I have referred Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah as Jinnah , they have to be assumed as having the full adjectives and honour he commands. He is referred as "Jinnah" only because of the sources from where the context is taken refer him as such. No disrespect is meant by the commentator.
Commentator's Note : I reiterate what I said in the first post of this blog "I hold Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah in high esteem. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest leader of the sub-continent of the century. His championing the cause of Hindu-Muslim unity as lauded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale needs no further elaboration. He was a great orator and an incisive analyst of political and social realities. His obduracy was matching and even excelled that of Gandhi's. While Gandhi would relent ultimately to the 'inevitable', what Jinnah said and believed in were inevitable. In my comments whereever I have referred Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah as Jinnah , they have to be assumed as having the full adjectives and honour he commands. He is referred as "Jinnah" only because of the sources from where the context is taken refer him as such. No disrespect is meant by the commentator.
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