Uttarakhand > Uttarakhand History & Movements - उत्तराखण्ड का इतिहास एवं जन आन्दोलन
History of Uttarakhand, Kumaon & Garhwal-उत्तराखंड का इतिहास (कुमाऊं/गढ़वाल)
Bhishma Kukreti:
India got Freedom and Merging of Tehri into Republic of India
History of Tehri King Manvendra Shah-11
History of Tehri Kingdom (Tehri and Uttarkashi Garhwal) from 1815 –1948- 298
History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) – 1544
By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)
Britain Prime Minister announced in British parliament on 20 February that Britain would free India and would hand over the rule to Indians by June 1948. However, British parliament cleared that It could not hand over the rules of princely states to one party. Indian leadership especially Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel and K Menon persuaded the sate Kings to merge their states into sovereign India. Barring Junagarh, Hyderabad and Kashmir all the 562 princely states signed on the merger accord. Tehri did not merge into Indian republic.
Celebration of 15th August in Tehri-
The Tehri People celebrated 15th august I with great rejoices n Tehri city too.
Arrest of Paripurna Nand Painyuli- Paripurna Nand Painyuli
Tehri Administration arrested Paripurna Nand Painyuli on 15th August 1947 as till then Tehri King did not sign on merger paper. The news became a fire in the city. Police arrested members of Prajamandal. The people were much annoyed with the King. Later on, the government took big penalties from the arrested activists and freed them. (2)
Azad Panchayat in many places in Tehri Kingdom
Azad Panchayat in Saklana Tehri Garhwal-
The movement for merging Tehri into free India started from Sakalana Region. Due to anti citizen actions by the officials and state laws , most of the Saklana people became rebellions. The Muwafidar/Jagirdar/Chieftain of Saklana ended relation with Tehri King and declared Saklana as free region. Azad Panchayat was founded in Saklana. Azad Panchayat pushed government servants out of the region. Azad Panchayat took the ruling into its hand. (3)
Azad Panchayat in Badiyargarh- The news of Azad Panchayat Saklana taking rules in hand spread all over Tehri within no time. People founded Azad Panchayat in Badiyargarh and government officials had to flee from the region. (3) . The freedom activists forcibly, took the arms from the defence force.
Azad Panchayat in Kirti Nagar-
The freedom activists founded Azad Panchayat in Kirtinagar too. The rebelling activists grabbed tehsil and took the guns from police force and threw guns into Alaknanda River. Communists party snet nagendra Saklani and Trepan Singh to Kirti Nagar and they reached Kirti Nagar on 9th January 1948.
Nagendra Saklani blew laud speaker and started delivering speech. People gathered near Nagendra Saklani in Kirti Nagar. The deputy collector ran away from Kirti Naga (3)r.
On 11th January, SDO, Police Superintendent with force reached to Kirti Nagar by Car of the king. The activists tried to catch the officials. Nagendra Saklani and others were at Tehsil. The activists set fire the tehsil. The soldiers ran awaty towards Jungle and Nagendra Saklani and Maulu Singh followed them SDO fired guns on Nagendra and Killed Nagendra and Maulu Singh
People were in rage and women captured the soldiers with the help of sickles. People arrested Police force and kept the dead bodies of Nagendra Saklani and Maulu Singh open that gunfire signs were visible. (3)
It was decided that the dead bodies would be taken to the capital. The next day, the procession with of dead bodies started at 10 Am. for Tehri. The procession reached by evening to Devprayag. The people were standing on both sides of the road to see procession and pay tribute to martyr. On 13th may the procession started from Devprayag to Chandravadani and reached at Cahndravadani in evening. (1). The people with procession rested in Chandravadani.
On 14th the procession reached near their and the y rested there in night.
On 15th Procession started with band of Dhol etc. The shopkeepers were providing food etc to the people. The Azad Panchayat Tehri members captured jail and freed prisoners and captured the authorities and put them n cell. (1)
The procession reached to Royal cremation place at the confluence of Bhagirathi and Bhilangana Rivers. Chandra Singh Garhwali put the fife on pyres. The mother of Nagendra Saklani was present. His brother reached next day. (1)
Narendra Shah Coming to Tehri and returning Back-
Narendra Shah Narendra Nagar from Tehri on 14th January. Manvendra Singh was sent to Delhi by Narendra Shah. (1 p 115) .
On 15th January, three was news that Narendra Shah was reaching to Their from Narendra Nagar with military force. Therefore, Azad Panchayat locked the Narendra Nagar –Tehri bridge on Bhagirathi and put their members. Narendra Shah had to return from there to Narendra Nagar.
Capturing the palace-
The activists captured the palace on 15th January evening. There was a meeting of the activists. Nathusingh Sajwan was appointed Chief of the Army staff. Dada Daulatram kept 40-50 activists outside the treasury to protect the treasury.
Interference by Indian Governemnt –
When there was meeting by the azad panchayt activists going on on 15th in Tehri, the police force of 100jawans led by police superintend reached to tehri .They had to broke lock of activist on the bridge. When they reached to Their, they told to Chandra Singh Garhwali and Daulatram that the police had come to take charge of Tehri. Police Superintendent took charge from Chandra Singh Garhwali and Daulatram on paper. The enws was sent to nearby villages that the Indian government that is PS would have a meeting from the government side next day.
Bhakta Darshan, Mahvir Tyagi, Narndra Shashtri also reached to Tehri on 16thJanury . . There was public meeting on 16th and was announced that Indian government took charge of Tehri.
Police superintendent announced –
1-United Province government was releasing all political prisoners.
2-The police were taking charge of all government assets and sending telegram to Delhi.
3-United government was pardoning al government penalties.
The police found Rs. 38thousands and jewellery in the treasury.
The Tehri king Manvendra Shah and ex -King Narendra Shah did not act against United Province actions.
Interim Government
Due to persuasion of Purna Nand Painyuli and accord with Manvendra Shah , the interim Government was established. The Desi rajay department tof Indian Government also agreed for Interim Government till India takes action for Tehri.. The activists of Prajamandal were busy in making peace and tackling the action of anti Prajamandal or pro King . . The interim Governemnt wanted to take action for benefiting the people but The Kingdom officials created hurdles.
The members of Interim Governemnt as Sundar lal Bahuguna, Trepan singh , Khushahl singh , Anand Warup Raturi were very much enthusiastic fo taking works of benefiting the people.
King Manvendra Shah on tour- King Manvendra Shah started o tour of Tehri from 3rd June 1948but he did not get enthusiastic response from the people and he cancelled his tour.
Budget by the Tehri Interim Government –
There was election for Tehri assembly and 24 members of Prajamandal, 5 members of Praja Hitaishi and two independents were elected for the assembly. The nationalists as Painyuli also started to promote the theory of independent Tehri unit (1)
The interim Government passed the following budget and allocated the following amount for different works for 1949-50-
Income in Rs.
Forest – 40, 00000
Miscellaneous Income – 32, 93526
Total – 71, 93526
Expenditure –
Education – 682000
Health – 280000
Local Self Government – 165000Public Works- 1885000
Defence law and order – 53000
Administration – 3646671
Total -6713671
Balance saving – 479855
Indian Government Merging Tehri into Republic
By end of 1948, Indian Government took decision to merge Tehri into Indian Republic. On 1st August the Kingdom was merged with Republic of India. The announcement was done in Narendra Nagar Assembly house . Interim Government members, Manvendra Shah and U.P. CM Govind Ballabh Pant were present in assembly for the occasion.
References -
1-Dabral S.P. Tehri Garhwal Rajya ka Itihas Bhag 2 (new edition), Veer Gatha Press, Dogadda, (1999) page 108 – 123
2- Cambridge History of India, Vol.6, p 195-97
3- Karmabhumi, 26th January 1956
.Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti
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