Operation Polo

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Operation Polo

The State of Hyderabad in 1909.

Date	September 12, 1948 – September 17/18, 1948
Location	Southern India
Result	Decisive Indian victory; State of Hyderabad merged to the Union of India

Belligerents

Union of India

State of Hyderabad

Commanders

Maj.General Joyanto Nath Chaudhuri

S.A. El Edroos

Qasim Razvi

Strength

35,000 Indian Armed Forces

40,000 Hyderabad State Forces
est. 10,000 Razakars

Casualties and losses

10 KIA
97 wounded^[1]

Hyderabad State Forces:
807 KIA, 1,647 POWs^[1]
Razakars:
1,373 KIA, 1,911 POWs^[1]

Operation Polo or Police Action refers to the successful Indian military operation which resulted in the integration of the State of Hyderabad and Berar into the Union of India on September 12, 1948.

This was the first large-scale military operation carried out by the independent Indian state .

The military operation was carried out because the State of Hyderabad under Osman Ali Khan, Asif Jah VII, decided to remain independent after the partition of India. Wary of a Muslim ruled state right in the middle of India, Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Patel decided to annex the state of Hyderabad. Though backed by Qasim Razvi's armed militias, known as Razakars, and a distant moral support of Pakistan^[1], the Hyderabad State Forces were easily defeated by the Armed Forces of India within five days.

At that time, Hyderabad state had some 17 polo grounds, largest in India, hence the name Operation Polo.

1 The dispute
2 Sequence of the Operation
3 Resignation of Laik Ali
4 Nizam’s broadcast
5 The surrender ceremony
6 The Aftermath
7 References
8 External links

[edit] The dispute

Main article: Political Integration of India

Main article: Partition of India

After the Indian independence in 1947, the country was partitioned on communal lines and Pakistan was carved out as a Muslim nation. The princely states were left free to make whatever arrangement they wished with either India or Pakistan. The Nizam ruled over a cosmopolitan population of over 16 million people, and over lands extending to 82,698 sq.miles of homogeneous territory. These advantages persuaded the Nizam to attempt an independent existence, when the British withdrew from the sub-continent in 1947. He refused to join either India or Pakistan, preferring to form a separate kingdom within the British Commonwealth of nations.

The proposal for independent state was rejected unambiguously by the British government. The Nizam then resolved upon exploring the possibility of independence. Towards this end, he kept up open negotiations with the Government of India regarding the modalities of a future relationship while opening covert negotiations with Pakistan on a similar vein. The negotiations with the then Indian Union were conducted through K. M. Munshi who was the diplomatic envoy and trade agent to the princely state of Hyderabad.^[2] He also concurrently encouraged the activities of the Razakars, a militant Muslim organization under the leadership of Qasim Razvi that vehemently opposed any union with the Government of India. The Razakars were active in violently intimidating the local Hindu population [1] [2] and pledged to maintain the Muslim supremacy in Deccan and Hyderabad State. At the same time, thousands of Muslims flooded into Hyderabad, refugees of Hindu violence. An attempt by some Hindu nationalists to assassinate the Nizam hampered the negotiations being conducted with the Indian Union.

The Nizam repeatedly cited the opinion of the Razakars as evidence that the people of the state were opposed to any agreement with India. This was held by the Government of India to be untenable and disingenuous, and in any case were most eager for Hyderabad to effect a merger with India. Meanwhile, many peasants of the Hyderabad state revolted against the Nizam under the leadership of Communist Party of India. The Telangana peasant armed struggle was successful in driving out local landlords called Zamindars, and distributing their land to the landless. However, Nizam was able to suppress the armed struggle.
However, majority of his subjects were Hindus and his territory was surrounded on all sides by Indian territory. The resulting violence and exodus of people outside of Hyderabad state prompted the new Indian government to invade and annex Hyderabad under Operation Polo in 1948.

[edit] Sequence of the Operation

Finally, the Police Action against Hyderabad was started on Monday, 13th September 1948. There was hardly any resistance from the Hyderabad forces. The Indian forces reached the outskirts of the city four days later.

On the noon of 17th September, a messenger brought a personal note from the Nizam to K.M.Munshi asking him whether he could see the Nizam at 4-00 p.m. He had not granted Munshi an interview since his appointment as India’s Agent General ten months ago.

Earlier, the Nizam had spent the morning in hectic consultations. His premier had seen him twice already. The Nizam had summoned him the previous day and asked for his resignation by the morning of the next day. The cabinet decided to resign forthwith.

[edit] Resignation of Laik Ali

As soon as Munshi entered the sitting room, a reportedly desolate ruler said: “The vultures have resigned. I don't know what to do”. He handed him the letter of resignation of Laik Ali, the Prime Minister. His hands were shaking. He had this problem for some time, which became pronounced, when he was tense or angry.
Munshi had come to know about the resignation earlier from Laik Ali himself. He said that he was worried about the safety of the citizens. He suggested that Commander-in-Chief of Hyderabad State General El Edroos should be asked to take steps to preserve law and order in the city. The Nizam then sent for his commander-in-chief and told him accordingly

[edit] Nizam’s broadcast

Munshi also suggested that the Nizam might make a broadcast welcoming the Police Action and withdrawing his complaint to the Security Council. Munshi explained and offered to help draft the speech.

It was the Nizam's first visit to the Radio Station. No red carpet was spread for him; no formalities were observed. No music, no anthem was played before or after the broadcast. The speech was in English. Nobody bothered to translate it into Urdu. After the broadcast the Nizam drove back to King Kothi to brood. Munshi on his way to Bolarum found the streets full of excited crowds shouting national slogans. Munshi was mobbed and had to address groups of people en route.

That night the city changed a great deal. Many khaki uniforms were discarded, many beards shaved. The shouting, rampaging crowds of razakars disappeared magically. The citizens emerged from their cocoons. People of all ages came out in throngs waving the tricolour of India.

[edit] The surrender ceremony

The surrender ceremony was fixed at 4 p.m.

General Choudhuri spoke gravely: “I have been ordered by Lt. General Maharaj Rajendresinhji, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command to take the surrender of your army”.

“You have it”. “You understand that this surrender is unconditional”. “Yes, I understand”.

Choudhuri smiled and shook hands with Edroos. Then he opened his cigarette case and offered him a cigarette. Edroos proffered a lighter. Choudhuri's team joined them.

The party drove to the residence of India's Agent General. A jubilant crowd cheered the victorious general there. He waved in return and then sat down to discuss the details with Munshi, Edroos and others.

[edit] The Aftermath

There were large scale communal riots in various parts of the state in the immediate aftermath of the military operation. The Nizam received the ceremonial post of Rajpramukh in 1950, but resigned from this office when the states were re-organised in 1956 on linguistic basis and large parts of Hyderabad state went to Bombay state. Many officials and members of the royal family fled and re-settled in Pakistan where they now live.