Right muhurat for united, free India

The phone rang in VP Menonrsquos who closely worked with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on political integration of the 565 princely states of India and served as secretary of the Ministry of the States postIndependence houseldquoAll quiet on the statesrsquo frontrdquo Sardar checked in with Menon in his routine latenight phone briefing before he called it a dayldquoSome more states have signedrdquo Menon updated SardarldquoGoodhellipgoodhellipwhat about Nawanagarrdquo asked Sardar still reeling from the unexpected stab in the back by Digvijaysinhji ruler of princely state of Nawanagar Jam Sahib Sir Digvijaysinhji Jadeja who had initially backtracked on his word to Sardar Patel to work towards a united IndiaGaekwad of Baroda Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh Rao and his wife Maharani Sita Devi at the WaldorfAstoria in New York US in 1948ldquoThe Jam Sahib has signedrdquo Menon replied ldquoWe have received Nawanagarrsquos accessionrdquoSardar heaved a deep sigh of reliefldquoBut the Maharaja Sir Pratap Singh Rao Gaekwad of BarodardquomdashMenon gripped the receiver between his ear and shoulder as he shuffled through some documentsmdashldquohe has requested to meet you He wants an appointmentrdquoldquoWhy canrsquot you discuss this in the morningrdquo Menonrsquos wife called out to him from behind Sardarrsquos lateevening calls almost always interfered with his meal ldquoYour dinner is going cold againrdquoldquoMeet me about whatrdquo asked SardarldquoYou will be back with Sardar at sunrise anywaymdashcanrsquot this waitrdquo Mrs Menon frettedldquoThe Gaekwad wants to discuss the accessionrdquo Menon waved his wife awayldquoWhatrsquos left to discussrdquo asked Sardar ldquoWhen he met us at the Viceroyrsquos Lord Mountbatten who oversaw the Partition of India and Pakistan reception the Gaekwad said that he would sign the document And Irsquove spoken to diwan of Baroda Sir Brojendra Lal Mitter He didnrsquot mention anythingrdquoldquoSardarhelliprdquoMenon paused ldquothe Gaekwad has fired MitterrdquoThere was a long silence at the other end Mitter was an able and efficient diwan favouring Barodarsquos accession to India But he had warned Sardar that the Gaekwad had turned elsewhere for advice Sardar knew this could only mean troubleldquoThe Gaekwad says he met his lawyer in Bombay who has advised him to add some clausesrdquo said MenonldquoWhat clausesrdquo There was less than a week left to Independence Sardarrsquos patience was wearing thinldquoAdditional conditionsmdasha list of special reservations for Barodahelliprdquo replied MenonldquoOut of the questionrdquoldquoShall Ihellipshould I call the Gaekwad for a meetingrdquoldquoForget itrdquo said Sardar exhausted with princely somersaults and royal tantrums ldquoI have no interest in seeing the GaekwadrdquoWhen the Stars AlignldquoYou have put me in a rather awkward positionrdquo the Viceroy looked the Gaekwad in the eye lsquoWhen we met last you assured me that you would be the very first state to accede to India Accordingly in all publicity arrangements Baroda was placed first But then you leave Delhi without signingrdquoThe Gaekwad tried to smile and began offering a lame explanation but the Viceroy hadnrsquot finished yetldquoWhatrsquos more Irsquom told you are proposing new conditionsrdquoThe Gaekwad shifted uncomfortably in his seat As it was Sardar and Menon were a handful to deal with but with the Viceroyrsquos backing now they were an impossible triumvirateldquoThere can really be no explanation for this sort of behaviourrdquo the viceroy admonished himldquoYour Excellencyrdquo the Gaekwad mumbled ldquowehellipthe stateshelliphad been given to understand that we could remain independent if we so desiredrdquo he said wistfully ldquohellip and IhellipI was onlyhellipwaitinghelliprdquoldquoWaiting for whatrdquoldquoUhhellipmy royal astrologershelliprdquoldquoAstrologersrdquo the Viceroy threw up his hands in frustrationldquoYes for the astrologers to select an auspicious dayhelliprdquoldquoFor whatrdquoldquoFor signing the accession papers Your Excellencyrdquo the Gaekwadrsquos face reddened ldquoI wished to sign on the right day When the stars were alignedrdquoThe Viceroy rolled his eyesHersquod had just about enouh contending with astrologers and auspicious dates After he had announced the day for the transfer of power a whole host of pandits had raised a huge hue and cry about August 15 being an inauspicious day To the Viceroyrsquos chagrin the Indian leaders had sided with them forcing the transfer ceremonies to take place at the stroke of midnight on August 14 instead even compelling him to create a special post in his office titled ldquoAstrologer to the Governor GeneralrdquoldquoAll rightrdquo he sighed ldquoWhat do your astrologers say Is it the right time to sign now Are the stars alignedrdquo he asked sardonicallyldquoUmhellipyeshellipyes Your Excellencyrdquo the Gaekwad smiled sheepishly ldquoIrsquoll sign the papers immediately Irsquoll go straight to meet Menon and I hopehelliptohellipuhhelliptake part in the Independence Day celebrations on 15 AugustrdquoHoping the Gaekwad would keep his word this time the Viceroy stood up and shook his hand As he watched the ruler of Baroda depart the Viceroy cast an apprehensive glance at the calendar on the wall One more apple tossed into Patelrsquos basket and in the nick of time but there were some more to goThe volcano of Kathiawar had not eruptedNot just yetExcerpted with permission from Mallika Ravikumarrsquos 565 The Dramatic Story of Unifying India published by Hachette India