question_answer

  In India before 1947, there were two types of states in India?the Provinces and the Princely states. Provinces were ruled directly by British officials who were appointed by the viceroy. Princely states were ruled by local, hereditary rulers, who acknowledged British sovereignty in return for local autonomy. At the time of independence, the ruler of the Princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh, acceded to India and not to Pakistan, although the majority of population in the state was Muslim. If you had been in place of the ruler, what would you have done and why?

Answer:

                  I would have still acceded to India, as Pakistan is not a secular country, whereas India is a secular country. Since, there are a significant number of the people of Jammu and Kashmir who are not Muslims, they would have been persecuted if the state acceded to Pakistan. In India, people of all religions and faiths are treated equally and so the ruler's decision was a wise one.