845.00/9–2048: Telegram
The Chargé in India (Donovan) to the Secretary of State
865. Embtel 864, September 20. Governor General sent for me 5 p. m. today. He referred my talk with Bajpai today and expressed his appreciation US approach Hyderabad question.
He said he was faced with very difficult position re Hyderabad owing to high state of feeling in India against Nizam and Razakar. He said he hoped to keep Nizam on throne and that he was working to that end because it was best for India that Nizam and his dynasty should be maintained. However, his Governor General’s position was already sufficiently difficult owing internal opposition (Asaf Ali’s speech at Bombay1) without added difficulty of pressure from outside to hasten plebiscite and bring UN into plebiscite. He told me he would do everything possible to retain Nizam as constitutional monarch and could practically assure me he would succeed provided public opinion in India was not still further irritated by outside interference. He assured me people of Hyderabad would be given every opportunity to have representative government of their own choice.
Governor General made it plain he thought UN participation unnecessary and, in view state public opinion India, unwise.
Embassy requests Department to evaluate foregoing in light of Governor General’s well-known policy of tolerance, common sense, and forebearance in political questions; Nizam’s penchant for intrigue and double-dealing as exemplified by fact that practically no resistance [Page 400] was offered to Indian Army and finally that in last analysis Hyderabad is not entitled to any better treatment than Gwalior, Indore, Bhopal or Baroda. States problem is a matter of life and death to India and Embassy must emphasize that putting Nizam on different plane that foregoing states must inevitably lead to difficulties with other states which have acceded to Indian Union.
Embassy believes American interests would best be served by not insisting Hyderabad case be kept on UN agenda in face of Nizam’s withdrawal and in not insisting UN participation in plebiscite. In arriving this conclusion character and integrity of Nizam, which Embassy cannot consider high, must be considered. People of Hyderabad barring ruling clique and small group extremists, will be just as happy under GOI rule as under Nizam and over period of years they will benefit. Foregoing represents considered opinion Embassy, in arriving at which, American interests have at all times been the paramount consideration.
Sent Department 865. Department pass London and Paris USGADel.
- Asaf Ali was India’s first Ambassador to the United States, February 1947 to April 1948.↩