How RSS helped stitch Kashmir into India

Union Minister Smriti Irani and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sah-Sarakaryavaah (Joint general secretary) Dattatreya Hosabale called BJP leader Sudhanshu Mittal a time bomb while releasing his book 'RSS: Building India through Sewa' on Saturday. The book sheds new light on the events that took place in Jammu and Kashmir in 1947 that lead to the state becoming a part of India.

Mital claims in his book that Pakistan's Pashtun tribal raiders, who were backed by the Pakistani Army, were pushed back by not only the Indian Army only but also by RSS swayamsevaks. The sevaks penetrated their ranks and also their strongest local sympathisers in Srinagar. At the same time, the Sangh played a crucial role in convincing Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of the state, to sign the instrument of accession with the Union of India.

The book claims that the RSS also played a role in toppling his prime minister, Ramchandra Kak, who favoured an independent Jammu and Kashmir.

"It was on that critical day of 11 October, 1947, when Pakistani raiders attacked that swayamsevaks sprung into action," the book reveals, "There was bloodshed all around – civilians were slaughtered and women were abducted in large numbers. The vulnerability of J&K was clear by October 22-23. The entire Jammu-Sialkot border saw such violence and destruction that several border villages were burnt down.

Jammu city did not have the troops to defend it, but the swayamsevaks fought back the pro-Pakistani elements inside Jammu."

The book talks about a swayamsevak, who dressed as a Muslim, and infiltrated Pakistani army camp and susses out details of the invasion plan. It assumes this swayamsevak to be Shri Madhok Ji (Balraj Madhhok), who informed the commander of the state forces about Pakistan's plan. Madhok, who later became the president of Jan Sangh, was serving as an RSS pracharak in Kashmir during that sensitive period.

According to the book, after Kashmiri politician Sheikh Abdullah's "inflammatory speech" in Srinagar in October 1947, Madhok met Sardar Patel, Maharaja Hari Singh, and then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and passed on the "vital information". The book says that Sheikh Abdullah had a hand in raising a rebellion against the ruler for an "independent country" and Ramchandra Kak had supported the idea.

Saffron saves the Valley

• ‘RSS: Building India through Sewa’ claims RSS swayamsevaks helped the Indian army fight off Pakistan’s Pashtun raiders in October 1947
• It also claims that RSS pracharak Balraj Madhhok impersonated a Muslim man and infiltrated Pakistan army’s camp to suss out details of an invasion plan and informed the Indian commander