independence Before this, Alwar was a minor princely state of Rajasthan. But it is known in history for some other reason. Independence Day was not celebrated in Alwar on 15 August 1947. Nor was the national flag hoisted on any public building except the Prajamandal office and some private buildings. August 15, 1947 came and went. The Indian tricolor was not hoisted on any public building in Alwar. It could be seen only in the office of Praja Mandal, the local ally of the Congress Party, or at some houses.
Web. Archive. According to ORG, Alwar resident and retired Reserve Bank of India officer R.C. Modi has written in his memoirs that and then came the ill-fated day of January 30, 1948. Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated that day. Initially the state administration ignored the news of this major national tragedy. The five-coloured (Pacharanga) state flag of Alwar continued to fly on 31 January; Till then the national flag of India had never been hoisted in Alwar. But after a day there was some panic due to public opposition. The state flag was flown at half mast. Maharaja Tej Singh had come to address a condolence meeting at Purjan Vihar (City Garden). Tej Singh was generally considered a fearless speaker, but he became nervous that day and ended the speech abruptly.
Maharaja suspected of having a hand in Gandhiji’s murder
The condolence meeting ended in chaos. And this proved to be Tej Singh’s last day in his capital as the Maharaja of Alwar. The next day he was called to Delhi and he went. There was news in All India Radio’s news at 9 pm that the Maharaja of Alwar was suspected to have a hand in Gandhi’s assassination. Therefore, the Maharaja was asked not to leave Delhi until the investigation into the matter was completed. In addition, arrangements were made to handle the administration of the state by an administrator appointed by the Government of India. The administrator had to investigate simultaneously.
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Tricolor hoisted in February 1948
A young ICS officer K.B. Lal took over as the Administrator of Alwar the next morning and also started an investigation. Of. B. Lal later served as Defense Secretary of India and India’s Ambassador to the European Union. It was also announced that Dr. NB Khare has been dismissed from the post of Chief Minister of Alwar. The Maharaja’s membership of the Constituent Assembly was cancelled. The interrogation continued for about three weeks in Alwar. The Administrator met people from all sections of the society, including some prominent citizens who had converted. Meanwhile, the national flag was hoisted for the first time on the State Secretariat in February 1948 (the date is not known for certain). While hoisting it, the administrator said that it should have been hoisted six months ago.
Sardar Patel visited Alwar
Soon thereafter, India’s Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Patel paid a day-long visit to Alwar. A large number of people were present in the public meeting which he addressed. Sardar Patel was quite humorous. He said, “Dear people, what happened to you people? I have been told that some of you were taking out swords to fight us. Nowadays swords are of no use; They are no better than the wooden broom that cleans your floors. Forget all this that has happened and become good citizens of India.”
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Maharaja’s innocence, merger of the state
The inquiry concluded that Tej Singh had no role in Gandhiji’s murder. However, he was not a man with whom the fate of nearly a million people could be left to remain. However, before his innocence in Gandhi’s assassination became public, Tej Singh was asked whether he would agree to merge his state into a larger entity. On 7 March 1948, he quietly signed the merger of Alwar State. Thus the state established 173 years ago ceased to exist.
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Tags: Alwar News, Gandhi, Gandhi History, History, Indian National Flag, tricolor flag
FIRST PUBLISHED: March 27, 2024, 15:32 IST