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A GREAT RESTORER RISES

As the British established their ascendancy over the country, the rights of the Gaekwads of Baroda over the temple were progressively ignored in favour of the Nawabs of Junagadh. The policy of the Nawabs was to destroy the importance of Prabhasa as a place of Hindu pilgrimage. By political pressure and communal aggressiveness, the Hindus of Prabhasa, Veraval and even Junagadh were slowly cowed down into passive acquiescence in the fate of their beloved shrines.

The Gaekwads could not, and the British would not, interfere, and even the temple of Ahalya Bai 'began to lose its glamour. Attempts on the part of the Hindus from inside or outside the State to take an interest in the temple or in Dehotsarga were met with communal riots, and were later prohibited on the ostensible plea of maintaining communal peace.

Even the Gaekwads were permitted to repair Ahalya Bai's temple only after protracted negotiations with the Nawabs of Junagadh through the intercession of the Political Agent in Kathiawar.

But things were moving fast. In 1942, India, under Gandhiji, embarked upon its final struggle for independence. In 1946, the British decided to quit India; they were not content, however, to leave it as a united country.

Partition had to be accepted before they left our shores. By the Independence Act, the country was fragmented and the Indian States let free from the bonds of paramountcy. India was, for all purposes, balkanised. But the compulsion of geography and the collective will of the Indian people were bent on consolidating the country. And the will had its mighty instrument in Sardar Patel, who was to be the great restorer of the shrine.

The Muslim rulers of Indian States had their own dreams. Whatever their people thought, whatever the compulsion of geography, their eyes turned to Pakistan. One of them was the Babi Nawab of Junagadh.

Out of the total population of Junagadh, eighty-two per cent were Hindus. Its territory was not compact; it had several enclaves pertaining to the States which had acceded to India and ultimately integrated into Saurashtra. By religion and culture, the State was Hindu; economically, it was an integral part of Saurashtra. Since time immemorial, Prabhasa, Girnar and Junagadh, the birthplace of saint Narasimha Mehta, were places venerated by Hindus all over the country. Junagadh, again, was the home of Ra Khangar and his queen Ranak Devi -symbols of heroism enshrined in song and story in Western India.

Suddenly the people of Junagadh were shocked to learn that their Nawab had acceded to Pakistan. A mighty wave of indignation swept not only over the people of Junagadh, but on the whole of India.

The Kathiawar Political Conference took up the challenge. The people of Junagadh took the unique and historic step of establishing a parallel Government. The Arzi Hakumat or the Provisional Government of Free Junagadh, with Samaldas Gandhi, now one of the Trustees of the Somanatha Trust, at the head, denounced the action of the Nawab in acceding to Pakistan and published a Proclamation, which I had drafted.

DECLARATION BY THE SUBJECTS OF JUNAGADH STATE FORMATION OF PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT

WHEREAS the Nawab of Junagadh has, against the declared wishes of an overwhelming majority of his subjects and under the influence of the agents of the Dominion of Pakistan, executed on 15th September 1947 an Instrument of Accession whereby the State is declared to have acceded to the Dominion of Pakistan;

AND WHEREAS the Dominion of Pakistan has accepted the said Instrument Accession in disregard of such declared wishes and in defiance of all natural ties which bind the people of Junagadh (82% of whom are non-Muslims) to the people of Kathiawar and to the Dominion of India and in breach of the understanding on the basis of which certain parts of India were allowed to secede and form into a separate State of Pakistan; namely that only contiguous areas predominantly inhabited by Muslims were to be included into the Dominion of Pakistan with the free and willing consent of the people inhabiting those areas;

AND WHEREAS by his said act of executing the Instrument of Accession, the Nawab has purported to transfer the allegiance of the subjects of the State against their will to the Dominion of Pakistan so as to compel them to be nationals of Pakistan which is a state foreign to them and formed with the object of providing a national home for Muslims;

AND WHEREAS before and after the said purported Accession, the authorities of the State under the guidance of Pakistan, and in the name of the Nawab armed a section of the Muslims of the State with a view to terrorise the subjects of the State and to prevent them from claiming self- determination and voicing their antagonism to the Accession with the result that more than a hundred thousand of the subjects have already left and many more are leaving the State every day and the State authorities are infiltrating the State territories with Muslim refugees;

WE, THE SUBJECTS OF JUNAGADH STATE, HEREBY DECLARE that by transferring the allegiance of his subjects against their will to Pakistan and preparing for a reign of terror to coerce them to acquiesce in such transfer, the Nawab hag forfeited his claim to the allegiance of his subjects:

WE HEREBY FURTHER DECLARE that the Dominion of Pakistan in accepting the said Instrument of Accession of the Nawab has violated the principle of self-determination as also the aforestated understanding on which Pakistan was agreed to be formed and that therefore the said Instrument of Accession is null and void and not binding on the subjects of the State or the territories thereof;

WE FURTHER DECLARE in exercise of our inherent right of self-determination our decision to accede to the Dominion of India and to join the territories of Junagadh State with the contiguous territories of the Dominion of India;

WE FURTHER DECIARE our firm and solemn resolve to adopt all such means and to take all such steps as may be necessary or incidental to the State of Junagadh formally acceding to the Dominion of India and forming and remaining an integral part thereof:

In furtherance of our said solemn declaration and resolve we hereby appoint a Provisional Government consisting of:
1 Samaldas Laxmidas Gandhi, (President)
2 Durlabhji Keshavji Khetani,
3 Bhavanishanker A. Oza,
4 Suragbhai Kalubhai Varu,
5 Manilal Sunderji Doshi,
6 Narendra Pragji Nathwani,

with all power, authority and jurisdiction heretofore vested in and exercised by the Nawab of Junagadh prior to 15th September 1947, over/and in relation to the said State of Junagadh and all territories thereof and WE HEREBY AUTHORISE our said Provisional Government to take immediate steps for implementing and carrying out our said declaration and resolve and to exercise all power, authority and jurisdiction hereby conferred upon them.

AND WE HEREBY SOLEMNLY pledge our allegiance to the said Provisional Government and through it to the Dominion of India and call upon all the subjects of Junagadh State wherever resident to carry out loyally the orders and directions of the said Provisional Government.

The Provisional Government of Junagadh moved to Saurashtra and took possession of the Junagadh House at Rajkot. Young men from all over Saurashtra flocked to its banner of freedom. Large sums of money flowed in; volunteers were armed and trained. On the Dussehra Day, the 'Day of Victory'-October 24, 1947-the volunteers of the Provisional Government began their operations. People rose against the Nawab's rule in several parts of Junagadh.

Several parts of the State fell into the hands of the Provisional Government. When the Nawab heard of it, he fled to Pakistan with his jewels, his wives and his dogs, (one of his Begums and some children were left behind in the hurry) leaving Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto, his Prime Minister, a resident of Pakistan, to run the Government as best as he could. The volunteer-army of freedom advanced rapidly and was welcomed everywhere with enthusiasm. Bhutto then wrote a letter to Mr. Buch, the Regional Commissioner of Saurashtra in the Government of India:

"Dear Mr. Buch,
After discussion with Mr. Samaldas Gandhi at Rajkot on October 1, Capt. Harvey Jones, senior member of Junagadh State Council, brought certain proposals for the consideration of the Council. The Council were prepared to accept them under protest but before a final decision could be communicated to Mr. Samaldas Gandhi it was thought necessary to ascertain the opinion of the leading members of the public.

A meeting was therefore held this evening and the view of the leaders was unanimously expressed that instead of handing over the administration to the Indian Union through the so-called Provisional Government, it should be directly given over to the Indian Union, through the Regional Commissioner at Rajkot.

The Junagadh Government, therefore, has requested that in order to avoid bloodshed, hardship, loss of life and property and to preserve the dynasty, you should be approached to give your assistance to the administration particularly with a view to preserve law and order, which is threatened by aggressive elements from outside. This arrangement is sought pending an honourable settlement of the several issues involved in Junagadh's accession.

We have already wired to His Excellency Lord Mountbatten, Mahatmaji, Prime and Deputy Prime Ministers of India, Hon'ble Abul Kalarn Azad and the Governor-General and Prime Minister of Pakistan.

I hope you will kindly respond to this request.

Yours sincerely,

Sd/S.N.bhutto,
Dewan, Junagadh."

While Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and myself were sitting in his house at night in Delhi, a telephone message was received from Mr. Buch that the Dewan of the Nawab had invited the Indian Army into Junagadh. When be finished the telephone conversation, his face was beaming. He told me what the message was and smiled. My first thought, I expressed in these words: "So it is JAYA SOMANATHA". Sardar smiled.

Next month, Sardar, accompanied by Jam Saheb and Kakasaheb Gadgil, went to Junagadh on November 12, 1947, the Diwali Day.

Jam Saheb told me his impressions. He accompanied the Sardar to the temple premises. "We then went down the steps to the sea. Sardar then took some water from the sea in his hands. He said to me: 'My ambition is fulfilled'. We silently returned and entered the temple. All his worries were gone and a new light was reflected on Sardar's face."

"We went," writes Kakasaheb "to Junagadh. From Junagadh, we went to Veraval and on Kartik Sud 1st, the New Year Day of Samvat 2004, we visited Somanath. "We saw the temple. While Sardar and I were having a little walk on the beach, I said to Sardar: 'I think the Government of India ought to re-build this temple.' "He said: 'Well, go ahead."

"Then we two and the Jam Saheb came to the temple and there in the presence of about 500 People, I announced: 'Government of India have decided to re-build this temple and instal the deity.' 'This Government has come to fulfil and not to destroy. The age of reconstruction is now on.'

"Immediately after this, the Jam Saheb announced a donation of one lakh of rupees. Fifteen minutes later, a huge public meeting was held in the Ahalya Bai Temple Where Sardar, in his speech, said:

'ON THIS AUSPICIOUS DAY OF THE NEW YEAR, WE HAVE DECIDED THAT SOMANATHA SHOULD BE RECONSTRUCTED. YOU, PEOPLE OF SAURASHTRA, SHOULD DO YOUR BEST. THIS IS A HOLY TASK IN WHICH ALL SHOULD PARTICIPATE.'

Jam Saheb gave the first donation of one lakh of rupees for the reconstruction. Samaldas Gandhi representing the Junagadh administration followed with Rs. 51,000.