Watch the first episode of Pradhanmantri, India’s biggest TV serial on politics which is getting broadcast on the ABP News channel, formerly known as Star News, and is anchored by the famous film maker Sekhar Kapoor.
The episode focused on integration of the 565 princely states following freedom of India in 1947. India’s first Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Ballavbhai Patel led the efforts to integrate the princely states including the valley of Kashmir.
As per historians many such states were reluctant to concede to India peacefully even as Pakistan conspired to acquire them including Jammu and Kashmir. However, India prevented Pakistani soldiers from stepping into Srinagar following a request from the then king of Kashmir who was a Hindu and strongly against Pakistan.
As Pakistan soldiers moved towards Srinagar to take control, a handful of Indian troops showed exemplary courage to foil their bid and prevented them from stepping into the city overnight.
Apart from Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Patel played the pivotal role in merger of some more such princely states including the Hyderabad who were told to be reluctant to concede to India.
