Saturday, September 14, 2013

The real story of 'Police Action' against Nizam in 1948 -- Revisiting Hyderabad Liberation Day on 17 September

This post is continuously updated, last updated 29 Sept, 2013


T S Sudhir | India Today | Hyderabad, September 10, 2013
It is one of the best-kept secrets in the annals of Indian history.

What exactly happened in Hyderabad on and after 17 September 1948 when the might of the Indian Army forced the Nizam of Hyderabad to surrender and merge his kingdom with the Indian Union, 13 months after India had become an independent country?

The day is celebrated every year by the votaries of Telangana -- that is pretty much the old Hyderabad state geographically, barring districts that became part of present-day Maharashtra and Karnataka -- as Hyderabad Liberation Day.

Except that if they knew the bloodshed that took place then, they would realise there isn't much to celebrate about.

After reports that the Nizam's Army was committing atrocities on innocent civilians, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel decided enough was enough and ordered the Army into Hyderabad.

Though its technical names were "Operation Polo" and "Operation Caterpillar", it was more commonly referred to as "Police Action".

Read more at: India Today
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