HT Archives: Nizam lays down arms, Hyd joins India | Latest India News

“His Excellency the Nizam of Hyderabad has surrendered. He has ordered a ‘ceasefire’ from 5 p.m. and the Hyderabad Army is executing this order. The fighting has ceased.”

In a radio broadcast from Hyderabad on the evening of 18 September 1948, the Nizam announced that he had communicated his decision to SEC Rajagopalachari, Governor-General of India. He added that he had taken the political situation in hand and regretted not having done so earlier.

The Nizam declared that Indian troops would be allowed to enter Secunderabad and Bolarum freely.

KM Munshi, the Agent General of India, accompanied by the Prince of Berar, General El Edroos and Nawab Din Yar Jung, will receive the Indian troops a few kilometers from the city of Hyderabad.

The Razakar organisation will be banned. The Nizam also announced that he had accepted the resignation of the Laik Ali ministry and that until the formation of a regular ministry, he would have a committee consisting of the Prince of Berar, General Edroos, Ramachari, Abdul Hasan Syed Ali and Nawab Din Yar Jung.

In this regard, he added that he had ordered the release of Swami Ramananda Tirtha, state Congress president, and cancellation of all orders against members of the State Congress Action Council.

The Nizam informed the Governor General of India that he had asked his representatives, who are currently pursuing the appeal on behalf of Hyderabad before the UN Council, not to press the Hyderabad case against India as he wants to open a new chapter of friendship with India.

The first news of the Nizam’s surrender from Hyderabad came during Mir Laik Ali’s farewell address which preceded that of the Nizam.

Munshi, who spoke immediately after the Nizam said he was contacted on Thursday evening, said he took the opportunity to convey to him the significance and purpose of the police action the Government of India was taking to restore law and order in the State. He expressed happiness that His Exalted Highness appreciated the action and issued a ceasefire order yesterday morning.

To the people of Hyderabad, Munshi said that their fate was linked with that of the people of India. They were one people and could not be separated. They should continue to live, in His Highness’s meaningful words, in harmony with the people of India. He reiterated the assurance given by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru that India was a secular state in which religion or race had no importance.

Munshi said that they wanted to do their best to uphold this ideal, to give full citizenship to everyone and that neither Hindus nor Muslims had to fear what treatment they were going to receive. He urged the people of Hyderabad not to panic and expressed the hope that the entry of Indian troops would be in a spirit of friendliness. But he warned that no breach of order would be tolerated. At the same time, he assured that no peaceful citizen would be molested. The Indian Army was the Army of India and it was the Hyderabad Army which had come as friends to save Hyderabad from the nightmare of the last 12 months.

He called upon Hindus and Muslims to cultivate mutual trust and goodwill to enable Hyderabad attain its pride of place as an integral part of India.

Here is the text of the statement issued by the Southern Command Headquarters in Poona:

“At 1.30 p.m. this afternoon, Lieutenant General Rajendrasinhji, Commander-in-Chief, Southern Command, issued an ultimatum to General El Edroos, Commander of the Hyderabad Army, stressing the futility of further resistance.”

The ultimatum stated: “Further resistance by your troops can only result in heavy and unnecessary loss of life. A ceasefire has been ordered by the Nizam and the Hyderabad Army is executing this order. But the official reply from the Commander of the Hyderabad Army has not yet been received due to miscommunication… Our troops are moving towards Secunderabad this evening.”