Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch on Thursday alleged that India has illegally occupied Junagadh. Junagadh in Gujarat joined India in 1948 through plebiscite. According to Pakistani channel Geo TV, spokesperson Baloch said during the weekly briefing that Pakistan's stance on Junagadh has always been clear. Junagadh is historically and legally part of Pakistan. India's occupation of it is a violation of the UN Charter and international norms. Spokesman Baloch said that Pakistan considers Junagadh as an unresolved issue like Jammu and Kashmir. He said that Pakistan has always raised the Junagadh issue on political and diplomatic platforms and wanted a peaceful solution to it. Pakistan shows Junagadh in its map This is not the first time that Pakistan has claimed Junagadh as its part. Even in August 2020, when Pakistan released a new map, Junagadh was considered a part of Pakistan. After this, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs issued a statement saying that this attempt by Pakistan was futile. Why does Pakistan consider Junagadh as its part? India was partitioned in 1947. The British government implemented the Indian Independence Act 1947. Under this, the option of lapse of paramountcy was given. Along with this, the kings of 565 princely states can join their princely states with India or Pakistan or form their own independent nation. By August 15, 1947, most of the princely states had joined either India or Pakistan, but the merger of the three princely states was complicated. These three kingdoms were Junagadh, Kashmir and Hyderabad. Among the three, the situation of Hyderabad and Junagadh was similar. 80% to 85% of the population was Hindu and the rulers were Muslim, but the situation was opposite in Kashmir. The kings there were Hindus and three-fourths of Kashmiris were Muslims. If seen, according to Mohammad Ali Jinnah's 'Two Nation Theory', Junagadh should have been merged with India. On 15 August 1947, when the people of India were celebrating their independence, the people of Junagadh were confused because on this day the Nawab of Junagadh, Mahabat Khan, announced his support to Pakistan. That is, a conspiracy was hatched. Diwan Shahnawaz Bhutto of Junagadh played a major role in this. It is said that Nawab Mahabat Khan wanted to stay with India, but Shahnawaz did not listen to him. Shahnawaz was then the leader of the Sindh Muslim League and was close to Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Srinath Raghavan writes in 'War and Peace in Modern India' that Shahnawaz met Jinnah in July 1947. Jinnah asks Shahnawaz to maintain peace till the date of partition. Shahnawaz agreed with Jinnah and did the same, but on 15 August 1947, Shahnawaz announced the annexation of Junagadh to Pakistan. Lord Mountbatten's advice was also ignored here, as Junagadh was connected to India by land and had to cross the sea to reach Pakistan. Sardar Patel thought that Pakistan would not annex Junagadh Initially Patel thought that Pakistan would not annex Junagadh, but Patel was proved wrong. A month later, on 16 September 1947, Pakistan announced the merger of Junagadh with Pakistan. India also opposed it. Here Patel once again asked Pakistan to think about this. It also offered to hold a referendum, but Pakistan rejected it. After this, on 19 September 1947, Sardar Patel, the Secretary of the Princely Department of the Government of India V.P. Menon was sent to Junagadh, but Menon was not allowed to meet the Nawab. Also, Shahnawaz talked to him on behalf of the Nawab. That means nothing was cleaned. The government announced the decision to bring Junagadh to India. Opposition to the Nawab's decision was also growing in many cities including Bombay. Meanwhile 25 to 30 thousand people reach Bombay from Saurashtra and Junagadh. During this time, these people announced the liberation of Junagadh from Nawab's rule under the leadership of Shamaldas Gandhi, nephew of Mahatma Gandhi and editor of Vande newspaper. Shamaldas Gandhi, U.N. Dhebar and members of the Junagadh People's Conference met on 19 August 1947 at the offices of the Gujarati daily Vande Mataram in Bombay. He was specially invited to participate in the Kathiawar Political Conference on 25 August 1947. On 15 September 1947, a 5-member Junagadh Committee was formed. After this, Shamaldas Gandhi V.P. Meets Menon and proposes to form Arzi government. On 25 September 1947, the Arzi government was announced at a public meeting in Madhavbagh, Bombay, presided over by Shamaldas. Shamaldas Gandhi became the Prime Minister and also held the Ministry of External Affairs. Rajkot was made the headquarters of Arzi Hakumat. After this, 5 ministers including the Prime Minister reach Rajkot. RG Lok Sena General Commander Ratubhai Adani said that Sardar Patel wanted the people of Junagadh to fight this war. Junagadh can remain in India only if the people of Junagadh and their representatives raise their voices. Then on 23 September 1947 it was decided to form the Arzi Government and on 25 September the manifesto was also made. The Nawab of Junagadh fled to Pakistan after seeing the rebellion. Arzi government captured 160 villages from 30 September to 8 November 1947 i.e. in just 40 days. India then allowed the Provisional Government to take control of the area outside Junagadh. After this, to force the Nawab of Junagadh to change his decision, Arzi Hakumat blockaded the surrounding areas of Kathiawar with the help of volunteer forces. As Junagadh was encircled by India, the Indian government stopped all trade with Junagadh after Pakistan's announcement. Due to which there was a shortage of food. Because of this, the state of rebellion started to arise in the kingdom. Nawab Mahabat Khan was alarmed by the crisis and rebellion that had loomed over the princely state. After this, he handed over the reign of the state to Diwan Shahnawaz Bhutto and fled to Karachi, Pakistan with his family. Diwan of Junagadh princely state waited for Pakistan's help till November Diwan Shahnawaz of Junagadh state was constantly challenged by Arzi government. They were proving unsuccessful in stopping them. After this, Shahnawaz wrote a letter to Jinnah on 27 October. In which he has written that, 'We have run out of money. Grain stocks are also about to run out. Muslims of Kathiawar see no future in Pakistan. No more needs to be said. My senior cabinet aide Captain Harvey Jones must have told you the seriousness of the situation in Junagadh. After this, the Diwan of Junagadh State waited till November for help from Pakistan, but got no help. Arzi government's Lok Sena started a movement against Shahnawaz. Due to which the tension was increasing. Meanwhile, the princely state of Junagadh raised an army of 670 Muslim men. They were posted at different places in the state to deal with the mutiny, but now Shahnawaz felt that he was not capable of handling the mutiny. India captured Junagadh on 9 November 1947. By 2 November 1947, the Arzi regime also captured Navagarh. On 7 November, Shahnawaz sends his senior cabinet aide Harvey Jones to Rajkot to meet Shamaldas Gandhi. Harvey appeals to Shamaldas in Rajkot to take over Junagadh. However, on 8 November, Shahnawaz reversed and said that the Government of India should take over Junagadh and not Arzi Hakumat. On the same day he flees to Pakistan. Based on that, India occupied Junagadh on 9 November 1947. After this, the Independence Day of Junagadh is celebrated on November 9. A plebiscite was held in Junagadh on 20 February 1948 despite Sardar Patel's displeasure. Out of 2,01,457 registered voters, 1,90,870 voted. In which Pakistan got only 91 votes. The reason for Sardar Patel's interest in Kashmir Historian and Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Rajmohan Gandhi has written in his book 'Patel A Life' that Sardar had no particular interest in Kashmir, but when Jinnah went against his own principle of partition on religious grounds and attempted to merge Junagadh and Hyderabad into Pakistan on religious grounds. While doing so, Patel became interested in Kashmir. If Jinnah had allowed Junagadh and Hyderabad to come to India without any problem, there would have been no dispute over Kashmir and it would have gone to Pakistan. Jinnah rejected this deal. Later due to this reason Pakistan also had to lose Kashmir.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
Junagadh Pakistan's, India's illegal occupation…: Pakistan poisoned again, calling it an unresolved issue like Kashmir; Has also shown in his map
