Office of the Historian

501.BC Kashmir/12–2949: Telegram

The United States Deputy Representative at the United Nations (Gross) to the Secretary of State

top secret
New York, December 29, 1949—2:24 p. m.

1482. Mytel 1467, December 22. Following are GOI amendments to McNaughton’s proposals …:

  • “I. Revise sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph 2 as follows: ‘(a) the programme of demilitarization should include the withdrawal from the state of Jammu and Kashmir of the regular and irregular forces of Pakistan; the disbanding and disarming of the Azad Kashmir forces; and the withdrawal of the regular forces of India not required for purposes of security or for the maintenance of local law and order on the Indian side of the cease-fire line.’
  • II. Delete sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph 2 and substitute: ‘(b) After the withdrawal of Pakistan forces referred to in subparagraph (a)—(I) the responsibility for the defence of the northern areas shall vest in the GOI; and (II) the responsibility for the administration of the northern areas shall vest in the Government of Jammu and Kashmir who will guarantee that there shall be no victimization of the inhabitants of the area.’
  • III. In sub-paragraph (a) of paragraph 3 for ‘tribal incursions’ substitute ‘incursions by tribesmen of Pakistan nationals’ and for ‘tribesmen’ substitute ‘tribesmen or Pakistan nationals’.
  • IV. Revise second half of paragraph 4 as follows: ‘and that it should be their responsibility of the UN representative to give assurance to the people on both sides of the cease-fire line that they have no cause for fear at any stage throughout the process. In addition to the functions assigned to him in paragraphs 3 and 6, the UN representative should have the duty.’
  • V. In sub-paragraph (b) of paragraph 4 for ‘respectively’ substitute ‘as the case may be’ and at the end of the sub-paragraph add ‘and of the guarantee referred to in paragraph 2 (b).’
  • VI. In paragraph 6 for the words ‘to make any suggestions to the Governments of India and of Pakistan’ substitute ‘to make to the [Page 1775] Governments of India and of Pakistan and to the SC any suggestions’; and at the end of the paragraph for ‘their disposal’ substitute ‘the disposal of the two governments for the purpose’.”

Communication from B. N. Rau adds: “These are the main amendments; there may have to be minor or consequential amendments, which we think it unnecessary to detail at this stage.”

Gross