9 November is an important day in the history of Junagadh. India celebrated its independence from British rule on 15 August 1947, but for the same the people of Junagadh had to wait for 85 more days.
Many Hindus were in favour of Junagadh joining India, instead of Pakistan, and they mourned on 15 August 1947 when the last Nawab of Junagadh, Mahabat Khanji, decided to merge the state with Pakistan. However, at a prayer meeting in Delhi on 24 September 1947, Mahatma Gandhi said, “Junagadh me se Pakistan jaana chahiye” (Pakistan should exit from Junagadh), which was followed by a mass public meeting at Madhavbagh, Mumbai, on 25 September under the chairmanship of Nyalchand Mulchand Sheth.
The establishment of the Aarzi regime took place in Mumbai on 25 September. The army first captured the village of Amarapur Dhanani under the guidance of Ratubhai Adani, and the Junagadh House in Rajkot on 30 September. Seeing the strength of the Aarzi regime, the Nawab left for Karachi. In fact, he was in such a hurry that he couldn’t take two of his nine begums with him.
By evening of 9 November 1947, the army of the Aarzi regime had captured a total of 106 villages in Junagadh state. The Junagadh government expressed concern over the situation created by the Aarzi army, which, they said, tried to cause serious trouble to the communities of the noble Nawab sahib. In a message from Karachi, the Nawab himself expressed his special wish to stop the bloodshed of his beloved people. It was decided at a meeting held at the Diwan’s bungalow to explain the situation to the people of Junagadh and seek the help of the India State Department in maintaining law and order till the issue of Junagadh’s alliance with India is resolved amicably.
On 9 November 1947, Junagadh became part of India when the last Deputy Dewan of Junagadh, Harvey Jones, handed over possession of the state to Neelam Buch, the Regional Commissioner of Western India State. T.L Shah was appointed as the first administrator of Junagadh, and Junagadh’s first ever democratic polls were held. In the polls, there was a red box for Hindustan and a green box for Pakistan, and voters cast 1,91,688 votes for India and only 91 for Pakistan.
On 13 November, the army of the Aarzi regime saluted the Indian flag in the early hours of the morning at Uparkot in Junagadh. On the same day, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the first Deputy Prime Minister of India, arrived at Keshod Aerodrome with Kaka Saheb Gargil and later held a massive public meeting on the grounds of Bahauddin College.
Historian and Junagadh resident Parimal Rupani still has a collection of literature and photographs of historical press communication pertaining to the Aarzi regime. The construction of a memorial for the Aarzi fighters in Junagadh has also been discussed for years. Earlier, a committee headed by the then Collector Ashwin Kumar had been formed to build the monument at the Victory Pillar in Bahauddin College, but for one reason or another the project was left limited to paper.
