On This Day, 1948: Hyderabad Became a Part of the Indian Union - Know about the 'Operation Polo' That Made It Possible

After India's Independence, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (then Home Minister) gave Hyderabad three options. A - Join the Indian Union. B - Option A. C - Option B. When India gained independence on August 15, 1947, the journey of building a nation had only just begun. The trauma of Partition was unfolding, and the economy was reeling; however, the challenge that loomed largest was unifying more than 500 princely states into one country. While some rulers accepted this quickly, many resisted, making integration a turbulent process. And among the most complex cases was Hyderabad, then India’s largest and wealthiest princely state. Its fate was sealed a year later, on September 17, 1948, after a swift military campaign famously known as Operation Polo. Today, to mark its anniversary, let’s revisit the backdrop, the events that led to the operation, and how Hyderabad eventually became part of India. The Background The state of ...

Sayan Paul

• 1 week ago
• 5 minutes read