HISTORY, LEGENDS & MYTHOLOGY

'Indo-Pak wars could have been averted had Nehru
allowed Gandhiji to mediate with Jinnah'

     Washington: Stanley Wolpert, an American historian, has written in his new book that if India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru had accepted Mahatama Gandhi's offer of mediating in the Kashmir dispute with Mohammad Ali Jinnah, history would have taken a different course and the three Indo-Pak wars could have been averted. Wolpert, who had written several books on Indian history, writes in his book: "If Nehru had only listened to Gandhi, inviting him to arbitrate the Kashmir conflict with Jinnah, India and Pakistan might have been spared three wars and the tragic loss of countless lives, at least 50,000 of whom were Kashmiri." Suggesting that Nehru was under total influence of Lord Moutbatten, he further writes: "Lord Mountbatten's frenzied plans had blinded him (Nehru) to the wretched realities of Partition's monstrous problems, the cause of so many deaths, and 60 more years at least of fighting and hatred."

     Stanley also reveals in his book that India's first high commissioner to Pakistan, Sri Prakasa, had once told Lord Mountbatten that for the sake of peace all around "the best thing" India could do was to hand over Kashmir to Pakistan." When Jawaharlal Nehru was informed of what his HC had proposed, he expressed "amazement" and wrote a letter to him saying that Kashmir was of the most vital significance to India. The author quoted Nehru's letter as saying: "I was amazed that you hinted at Kashmir being handed over to Pakistan ... If we did anything of the kind our government would not last many days and there would be no peace ... It would lead to war with Pakistan because of public opinion here and of war-like elements coming in control of our policy. We cannot and will not leave Kashmir to its fate ... The fact is that Kashmir is of the most vital significance to India ... Here lies the rub ... We have to see this through to the end ... Kashmir is going to be a drain on our resources, but it is going to be a greater drain on Pakistan."
-Nov 13, 2006    

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