Jawaharlal Nehru intended to deal strictly with Pakistan, and in his reply to then Army chief General Sir Francis Robert Roy Bucher, said that Islamabad cannot be allowed to carry out its aggressive campaign in Kashmir valley.
Amid Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar’s recent comments on Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), the debate whether India could have merged the strategic region along with the rest of Jammu and Kashmir after the 1947 partition, has reignited. According to analysts, if the country had appointed an Indian as its Army Chief, immediately after independence, the situation could have been entirely, and PoK could possibly have been integrated with the Indian state.
Why India chose British officer as Indian Army chief?
After India’s independence, the command of the Indian Army remained in the hands of a British officer, General Sir Francis Robert Roy Bucher, as it was believed that the British Indian Army veteran was familiar with Indian military operations, and could bridge the gap between British and Indian military personnel.
According to historians, the Indian government at the time, led by the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, felt that no Indian would be able to handle such a big responsibility, because the British had never appointed an Indian to such a high post within the army.
However, choosing General Bucher to helm the Indian Army, proved to be a tactical mistake on Nehru’s part, as the British officer arguably cost India half of Kashmir, which was lost to Pakistan.
How Nehru’s tactical mistake cost India chance to capture PoK?
On 22 October 1947, Pakistani tribal fighters, backed by the Pakistan Army, infiltrated in the princely state of Kashmir, but were thwarted by the Indian forces. However, Bucher, the second Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army and the final non-Indian to hold the top post, gave a contrasting to PM Nehru, claiming that Indian soldiers in Kashmir feel tired, and a major military action against Pakistan wasn’t possible because they (Indian troops) lack the necessary training.
“Junior officers lack basic training. They do not have the experience of dealing with such situation. Higher rank soldiers are very tired and lack enthusiasm. Soldiers are in dire need of training and leave at this time, so their skills can be improved and refreshed,” General Bucher said in his report.
It is widely believed that Jawaharlal Nehru intended to deal strictly with Pakistan, and in his reply to the Army chief, expressed concern over Islamabad planning to conduct an air strike within a few weeks. Additionally, Pakistan was rapidly constructing roads in the region to strengthen its position.
In his letter, Nehru sternly replied that Pakistan cannot be allowed to carry out its aggressive campaign which would inevitably lead to war, and a defensive stance would be suicide at this point.
However, Bucher disagreed with Nehru’s point of view on the matter, saying that “we cannot launch a military operation to stop every road construction by Pakistan”. Instead, the British officer ‘suggested’ a “political solution” to resolve the issue and urged Nehru to take the matter to the United Nations (UN).
After the UN intervention, a ceasefire took place in Jammu and Kashmir on January 1, 1949. The princely state became a part of the Indian Union via the Instrument of Accession, and was granted Special Status under Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which was revoked by the PM Narendra Modi-led BJP government in 2019.
General Bucher tried to sabotage Hyderabad merger?
Notably, Bucher had also tried to sabotage Hyderabad’s merger with India, when the Nizam of Hyderabad had declined to merge with the Indian state, and expressed interested to become a part of Pakistan, a cabinet meeting was held on September 12, 1948, in which the then Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had proposed military action.
However, General Bucher, who was also present in the meeting, objected to the proposal, questioning India’s military capability and warning that any military operation in Hyderabad, would result in Pakistan launching air strikes on Mumbai and Ahmedabad in retaliation. But Sardar Patel shrugged off Bucher’s concerns, and adamantly backed his own proposal,
