Indian independence is like a story told differently. One sees many versions depending on who is telling the story. Some would say, Congress and Gandhi who were instrumental in India's independence. Some would insist it was Azad Hind Fauz and Subash Bose. Some even go to the extent of dedicating independence to the naval mutiny that was unsuccessful. India was getting restless, and various parts of the large country expressed their restlessness in one or other means in terms of reactions. However, some aspects do not get a mention. For example:
- The US was interested in India getting freedom as one country and not being broken down and Balkanized.
- Mountbatten was equally responsible for merging the princely states as much as Patel's continuous follow-ups. In some sense, the princely states wanted to settle before their European masters left the country.
- Mountbatten was popular and had a good relationship with the Indian people and leadership but had three primary motives behind his actions.
- The blame for partition should not come up as a British raj doing.
- The northwest part of India should have enough military presence to thwart the advancements of communism.
- India, though independent, must remain in the British commonwealth.
- Jinnah was interested in some Pakistan region and not essentially a large piece of territory. Even a land-bound from all sides by India was acceptable to him. He even wooed some Hindu princely states to join him to get a corridor of power till Bhopal. He was ready to do anything and agree to any terms of the raj placed in front of him.
- The British forces spearheaded the Indo-Pak war and the native army. Some of the British commanders took their own volition in deciding on the war fronts from Pakistan. The British had more faith in Pakistan than in India.
- Nehru got carried away by Mountbatten to take Kashmir to the UN. There were other ways for India to ascertain its hegemony over the region.
- Attlee was more inclined to India getting freedom than Churchill. Churchill was merely interested in India accepting colonial independence. Churchill blames Mountbatten for the same.
- Lord Wavell had a much more significant role in the partition of India than Mountbatten. Wavell and Cripps scripted the Mountbatten plan. Mountbatten executed the plan.
Starting as an ADC to Mountbatten, and continuing to be an ambassador in many allied nations, Sarila has seen a close account of Indian foreign policy in action in the initial years. As much as India's struggle for freedom was an internal affair, there was significant international interest in the same as well.
