The Instrument of Accession is a legal document executed by Maharaja Hari Singh, ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, on 26 October 1947 in which Maharaja Hari Singh agreed to accede to the Dominion of India.
The fate of Jammu and Kashmir has been eventful right since the news of our Nations partition. The country was divided into two individual nations, Pakistan and the democratic republic of India. Post partition in the year 1947, the state governance chose to remain a separate entity and therefore refused to join the two new independent nations. However the fate of the people of Kashmir was written differently. Soon after partition, the Pakistan army along with local raiders known as Kabayalis attacked the princely state on 18 Oct 1947 from the western frontier. Pakistan army atrocities included raping, looting & pillage of local Kashmir populace. The local population stood up to safeguard their independence and under the leadership of Mohd Maqbool Sherwani, who was a school teacher, chose to fight back. On 22 Oct 1947, Mohd Maqbool Sherwani, single handedly stopped the advance of Kabayalis from Baramulla thereby giving valuable time to Indian Army to land in Srinagar.
On this day we also remember Brigadier Rajinder Singh Jamwal, MVC who is popularly known as the Saviour of Kashmir. Brigadier Rajinder Singh and his men successfully delayed the forward movement of a much larger contingent of Pakistani army and Kabayalis raiders towards Srinagar until the Indian Army arrived. Being outnumbered with only 100 troops, he and his men fought tenaciously holding on to their positions. Fighting till last breath of his life he made the supreme sacrifice of his life on 26 October 1947 heroically fighting against the Pakistani army.
When Maharaja Hari Singh exhausted his resources in fighting the Kabayalis and Pakistan army, he sought for help from Indian Army. To provide immediate help to the people of Kashmir from the attack of Pakistan Army, an Instrument of Accession was signed on the 26th Oct 1947. The Instrument of Accession is a legal document executed by Maharaja Hari Singh, ruler of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, on 26 October 1947 in which Maharaja Hari Singh agreed to accede to the Dominion of India. With this Accession Day is celebrated annually on 26 October. Soon after the signing of Instrument of Accession, Indian Armed Forces was airlifted to Budgam on 27th Oct 1947. Indian Army with the support of the local sons and daughters of the soil fought fiercely with the Kabayalis and Pakistan army. This remains the first battle of Independent India, where the Indian Army created history and showed its saga of valor, courage and indomitable spirit against all odds.