LOOKING BACK AT COMPLEX HISTORIES

There are few subjects in the world that are as critically important or as hotly debated as Jammu and Kashmir’s accession to India. Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession in October 1947, under the shadow of an attack by tribesmen with apparent backing from Pakistan; in the seven decades since, a political and historical row has raged over the timing of the signing, whether any of the principals could have got a better deal and if the agreement could have been drafted differently. These debates have only become more polarised in recent years, after the scrapping of the region’s special status.

This week, we recommend The Transfer of Power to India by VP Menon, who was a key adviser in the political negotiations that led up to the pact. Considered one of the most comprehensive narratives of this process, the book shines a light on the complexity of the exercise and the high stakes involved.

Transfer of Power in India

1956

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