Operation Polo | 1948 | Indian Army | Police | Defence Forces | Armed Forces
Operation Polo was the code name of the Hyderabad "police
action" in September 1948, by the then newly independent Dominion
of India against Hyderabad State. It was a military
operation in which the Indian Armed Forces invaded the Nizam-ruled
princely state, annexing it into the Indian Union.
At the time of Partition in
1947, the princely states of India, who in principle had
self-government within their own territories, were subject to subsidiary
alliances with the British, giving them control of their external
relations. In the Indian Independence Act 1947 the British abandoned
all such alliances, leaving the states with the option of opting for full
independence. However, by 1948 almost all had acceded to either
India or Pakistan. One major exception was that of the wealthiest and most
powerful principality, Hyderabad, where the Nizam, Mir Sir Osman Ali
Khan, Asaf Jah VII, a Muslim ruler who presided over a largely Hindu
population, chose independence and hoped to maintain this with an irregular
army recruited from the Muslim aristocracy, known as the Razakars. The
Nizam was also beset by the Telangana uprising, which he was unable to
subjugate.
In November 1947, Hyderabad signed a standstill
agreement with the dominion of India, continuing all previous
arrangements except for the stationing of Indian troops in the state. However,
with the rise of militant Razakars, India found it necessary to station Indian
troops and invaded the state in September 1948 to compel the Nizam. Subsequently,
the Nizam signed an instrument of accession, joining India.
The operation led to massive violence on
communal lines. The Indian prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, appointed a
commission known as the Sunderlal Committee. Its report, which was not
released until 2013, concluded that "as a very reasonable & modest
estimate...the total number of deaths in the state...somewhere between 30,000
& 40,000." Other responsible observers estimated the number of
deaths to be 200,000 or higher.
Day 1, 13 September
Indian forces entered the state at 4 a.m. The
first battle was fought at Naldurg Fort on the Solapur Secundarabad Highway between
a defending force of the 1st Hyderabad Infantry and the attacking force of the 7th Brigade. Using
speed and surprise, the 7th Brigade managed to secure a vital bridge on the
Bori river intact, following which an assault was made on the Hyderabadi
positions at Naldurg by the 2nd Sikh Infantry. The bridge and road secured, an
armoured column of the 1st Armoured Brigade – part of the Smash force – moved
into the town of Jalkot, 8 km from Naldurg, at 0900 hours, paving the way
for the Strike Force units under Lt. Col Ram Singh Commandant of 9 Dogra (a
motorised battalion) to pass through. This armoured column reached the town
of Umarge, 61 km inside Hyderabad by
1515 hours, where it quickly overpowered resistance from Razakar units
defending the town. Meanwhile, another column consisting of a squadron of 3rd Cavalry, a troop from 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry,
a troop from 9 Para Field Regiment, 10 Field Company Engineers, 3/2 Punjab Regiment, 2/1 Gurkha
Rifles, 1 Mewar Infantry, and ancillary units attacked the town
of Tuljapur,
about 34 km north-west of Naldurg. They reached Tuljapur at dawn, where
they encountered resistance from a unit of the 1st Hyderabad Infantry and about
200 Razakars who fought for two hours before surrendering. Further advance
towards the town of Lohara was
stalled as the river had swollen. The first day on the Western front ended with
the Indians inflicting heavy casualties on the Hyderabadis and capturing large
tracts of territory. Amongst the captured defenders was a British mercenary who
had been tasked with blowing up the bridge near Naldurg.
In the East, forces led by Lt. Gen A.A.
Rudra met with fierce resistance from two armoured car cavalry units of the
Hyderabad State Forces. equipped with Humber armoured cars and Staghounds,
namely the 2nd and 4th Hyderabad Lancers, but managed to reach the town
of Kodar by
0830 hours. Pressing on, the force reached Mungala by the afternoon.
There were further incidents in Hospet –
where the 1st Mysore assaulted
and secured a sugar factory from units of Razakars
and Pathans – and at Tungabhadra –
where the 5/5 Gurkha attacked and secured a vital
bridge from the Hyderabadi army.
Day 2, 14 September
The force that had camped at Umarge
proceeded to the town of Rajeshwar, 48 km east. As aerial reconnaissance had shown
well entrenched ambush positions set up along the way, the air strikes from
squadrons of Tempests were called in. These air strikes
effectively cleared the route and allowed the land forces to reach and secure
Rajeshwar by the afternoon.
The Assault force from the East was meanwhile slowed by an anti-tank ditch and later came under heavy fire from hillside positions of the 1st Lancers and 5th Infantry 6 km from Suryapet. The positions were assaulted by the 2/5 Gurkha – veterans of the Burma Campaign – and was neutralised with the Hyderabadis taking severe casualties.
At the same time, the 3/11 Gurkha Rifles and a squadron of 8th Cavalry attacked Osmanabad and took the town after heavy street combat with the Razakars who determinedly resisted the Indians.
A force under the command of Maj. Gen. D.S. Brar was tasked with capturing the city of Aurangabad. The city was attacked by six columns of infantry and cavalry, resulting in the civil administration emerging in the afternoon and offering a surrender to the Indians.
There were further incidents in Jalna where 3 Sikh, a company of 2 Jodhpur infantry and some tanks from 18 Cavalry faced stubborn resistance from Hyderabadi forces.
Day 3, 15 September
Leaving a company of 3/11 Gurkhas to occupy
the town of Jalna, the remainder of the force moved
to Latur,
and later to Mominabad where they faced action against the 3 Golconda
Lancers who gave token resistance before surrendering.
At the town of Surriapet,
air strikes cleared most of the Hyderabadi defences, although some Razakar
units still gave resistance to the 2/5 Gurkhas who occupied the town. The
retreating Hyderabadi forces destroyed the bridge at Musi to delay the Indians
but failed to offer covering fire, allowing the bridge to be quickly repaired.
Another incident occurred at Narkatpalli where
a Razakar unit was decimated by the Indians.
Day 4, 16 September
The task force under Lt. Col. Ram Singh moved towards Zahirabad at dawn, but was slowed by a minefield, which had to be cleared. On reaching the junction of the Bidar road with the Solapur-Hyderabad City Highway, the forces encountered gunfire from ambush positions. However, leaving some of the units to handle the ambush, the bulk of the force moved on to reach 15 kilometres beyond Zahirabad by nightfall in spite of sporadic resistance along the way. Most of the resistance was from Razakar units who ambushed the Indians as they passed through urban areas. The Razakars were able to use the terrain to their advantage until the Indians brought in their 75 mm guns.
Day 5, 17 September
In the early hours of 17 September, the
Indian armyentered Bidar. Meanwhile, forces led by the 1st Armoured regiment were
at the town of Chityal about 60 km from Hyderabad,
while another column took over the town of Hingoli.
By the morning of the 5th day of hostilities, it had become clear that the
Hyderabad army and the Razakars had been routed on all fronts and with
extremely heavy casualties. At 5 pm on 17 September, the Nizam announced a
ceasefire, thus ending the armed action.
Consultations
with Indian envoy
On 16 September, faced with imminent defeat, Nizam Mir Sir Osman Ali
Khan summoned his Prime Minister, Mir Laiq Ali,
and requested his resignation by the morning of the following day. The
resignation was delivered along with the resignations of the entire cabinet.
On the noon of 17 September, a messenger brought a
personal note from the Nizam to India's Agent General to
Hyderabad, K.M. Munshi, summoning him to the Nizam's
office at 1600 hours. At the meeting, the Nizam stated "The vultures have
resigned. I don't know what to do". Munshi advised the Nizam to secure the
safety of the citizens of Hyderabad by issuing appropriate orders to the
Commander of the Hyderabad State Army, Major-General El Edroos. This was immediately done.
Radio broadcast
after surrender by the Nizam
It was Nizam Mir Sir Osman Ali Khan's first visit to the
radio station. The Nizam of Hyderabad, in his radio speech on 23
September 1948, said "In November last (1947), a small group which had
organized a quasi-military organization surrounded the homes of my Prime
Minister, the Nawab of Chhatari, in
whose wisdom I had complete confidence, and of Sir Walter
Monkton, my constitutional Adviser, by duress compelled the Nawab
and other trusted ministers to resign and forced the Laik Ali Ministry on me.
This group headed by Kasim Razvi had no stake in the country or
any record of service behind it. By methods reminiscent of Hitlerite Germany it
took possession of the State, spread terror and rendered me completely
helpless."
The surrender
ceremony
According to the records maintained by the Indian Army, General Chaudhari led an armoured column into Hyderabad at around 4 p.m. on 18 September and the Hyderabad army, led by Major General El Edroos, surrendered.
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