By September 1948, it became clear that all negotiations to make the Nizam accede to the Indian Union had failed. In the early hours of September 13, the Indian forces marched into Hyderabad. The invasion of Hyderabad by the Indian Army was referred to by different names. Popularly, it was known as Police Action, and the military operation was called ‘Operation Polo’.
Pre-Police Action Conditions
The month of May 1948 witnessed serious deterioration in Indo-Hyderabad relations. While political contact was maintained between the two Governments and Lord Mountbatten was actively working towards a settlement, border tensions increased.
Economic sanctions to force Hyderabad to agree to India’s terms were applied before and after the signing of the Standstill Agreement. Mountbatten later sent a letter urging the Nizam to repose faith in the Indian Government.
Within three days of the breakdown of negotiations, Indian intervention to forcibly merge Hyderabad became inevitable. The Nizam had hoped that Mountbatten’s successor, Mr. C. Rajagopalachari, would be sympathetic, but these hopes proved illusionary.
This was mainly because the issue of Hyderabad was being handled directly by the Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and not by the Prime Minister or the Governor-General.
Patel strongly advocated a swift armed intervention, while Nehru had reservations for two reasons:
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Possibility of communal riots in other parts of India.
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International repercussions of India’s intervention.
Hence, Nehru was reluctant to undertake such a drastic action.
Military Preparations
The period of independent Hyderabad was marked by turmoil and crises. By the end of August 1948, India-Hyderabad relations had critically deteriorated. Both sides began preparing for a final confrontation.
Hyderabadi Military
The Nizam was in a weak position as his army had only 24,000 men, out of which only 6,000 were fully trained and equipped. These included Arabs, Rohillas, North Indian Muslims, and Pathans.
The State Army consisted of:
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3 armoured regiments
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1 horse cavalry regiment
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11 infantry battalions
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Artillery
These were supplemented by irregular units such as:
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Horse cavalry
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4 infantry battalions (Saraf-e-Khas, Paigah, Arab, and Refugee)
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1 garrison battalion
This army was commanded by Major General El Edroos, an Arab.
In addition, there were about 200,000 irregular militia called the Razakars, led by civilian leader Kasim Razvi. Only one-fourth were armed with modern small firearms; the rest carried muzzle-loaders and swords.
Indian Army
On receiving orders to seize and annex Hyderabad, the Indian Army formulated the Goddard Plan, which envisioned:
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Two main thrusts:
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From Vijayawada (East)
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From Solapur (West)
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Smaller units to pin down Hyderabadi forces along the borders.
Overall command was placed in the hands of Lt. Gen. Rajendrasinghji, DSO.
The attack from Solapur was led by Major General Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri and consisted of four task forces:
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Strike Force – fast-moving infantry, cavalry, and light artillery
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Smash Force – armoured units and artillery
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Kill Force – infantry and engineering units
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Vir Force – infantry, anti-tank, and engineering units
The attack from Vijayawada was led by Major General Ajit Rudra, comprising:
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2/5 Gurkha Rifles
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One squadron of 17th (Poona) Horse
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A troop from the 19th Field Battery
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Engineering and ancillary units
Additionally, four infantry battalions were deployed to secure lines of communication.
Two squadrons of Hawker Tempest aircraft were stationed at Pune for air support.
Specialty of J. N. Chaudhuri
The specialty of J. N. Chaudhuri, who took over administration of Hyderabad State on 18th September 1948, was that he had served in the British Army at the Secunderabad Bison Division, the largest military station in India.
Due to this, he had a comprehensive understanding of the Nizam’s military strengths and affairs. This military insight played a crucial role in achieving success in Operation Polo and the final integration of Hyderabad into the Indian Union in 1948.