Instrument of Accession (Jammu and Kashmir)
| Instrument of Accession of Jammu and Kashmir state to the Union of India | |
|---|---|
| Type | Accession Treaty |
| Signed | 26 October 1947 |
| Location | Srinagar/Delhi |
| Sealed | 27 October 1947 |
| Effective | 27 October 1947 |
| Condition | Acceptance by the Governor-General of India |
| Expiration | Perpetual Validity |
| Signatories |
 Maharaja Hari Singh, Lord Louis Mountbatten
|
| Parties |
Jammu and KashmirDominion of India
|
| Depositary | Dominion of India |
| Language | English |
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. By executing this document under the provisions of the Indian Independence Act 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh agreed to accede to the Dominion of India .
In a letter sent to Maharaja Hari Singh on 27 October 1947, the then Governor-General of India, Lord Mountbatten accepted the accession with a remark, “it is my Government's wish that as soon as law and order have been restored in Jammu and Kashmir and her soil cleared of the invader the question of the State's accession should be settled by a reference to the people.” Lord Mountbatten’s remark and the offer made by the Government of India to conduct a plebiscite or referendum to determine the future status of Kashmir led to a dispute between India and Pakistan regarding the legality of the accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India. India claims that the accession is unconditional and final while Pakistan maintains that the accession is fraudulent.
The accession to India is celebrated on Accession Day, which is held annually on October 26.
The preamble states:
Whereas the Indian Independence Act, 1947, provides that as from the fifteenth day of August, 1947, there shall be set up an Independent Dominion known as India, and that the Government of India Act 1935 shall, with such omission, additions, adaptations and modifications as the governor-general may by order specify, be applicable to the Dominion of India.
And whereas the Government of India Act 1935, as so adapted by the governor-general, provides that an Indian State may accede to the Dominion of India by an Instrument of Accession executed by the Ruler thereof.
...
Wikipedia