*ପଟେଲ ନେହେରୁ ସମ୍ପର୍କ*

Nehru to Patel
objecting to States Ministry's Interference in Kashmir Affairs
NEW DELHI
23 December 1947
MY DEAR VALLABHBHAI,
Gopalaswami Ayyangar has sent me copies of correspondence which has passed between him and you last night regarding 150 motor vehicles being sent from East Punjab to Kashmir. I must confess that I
am greatly surprised to read this. I do not appreciate the principle
which presumably the States Ministry has in view in regard to its work.
That Ministry, or any other Ministry, is not an imperium in imperio,
jealous of its sovereignty in certain domains and working in isolation
from . the rest. If that was so then the Government would not be a
close knit organism working together with a common purpose, and the
PM. would have no function to perform. But I do not wish to consider
the wider question of principle at this stage though it may have to be
discussed later.
The present issue relates to Kashmir. This raises all manner of
connected issues-international, military and others-which are beyond
the competence of the States Ministry as such. That is why it has to be
considered by the Cabinet as a whole frequently and by various
Ministers separately or together. And that is why I have to take
personal interest in this matter as PM. to bring about co-ordination in
our various activities.
Gopalaswami Ayyangar has been especially asked to help in Kashmir
matters and at our request has visited the State twice. He has to deal
with East Punjab also and the MEO organisation there. Both for this
reason and because of his intimate knowledge and experience of
Kashmir he has to be given full latitude. Accordingly, after repeated
talks with representatives of the Defence Ministry, all manner of
arrangements have been made about supply of arms and equipment
etc. In this connection the urgent need of motor vehicles has been
repeatedly raised. Ultimately it was decided to ask the East Punjab
Government to relieve a number of these for Kashmir and steps were
taken accordingly.
I really do not understand where the States Ministry comes into the
picture, except that it should be kept informed of steps taken. In any
event I do not understand why the States Ministry should intervene
and come in the way of arrangements being made. All this was done at my instance and I do not propose to abdicate my functions in regard
to matters for which I consider myself responsible.
May I say that the manner of approach to Gopalaswami was hardly in
keeping with the courtesy due to a colleague?
Yours
JAWAHARLAL
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Patel to Nehru Tendering Resignation in Utter Anguish
DRAFT1
23 December 1947
MY DEAR JAWAHARLAL,
Your letter of today has been received just now at 7 p.m. and I am
writing immediately to tell you this. It has caused me considerable
pain.
Before I received your letter I had already written to Gopalaswami a
letter of which a copy is enclosed herewith. If I had known (that) he
had sent you copies of our correspondence I would have sent to you a
copy of my letter to him straightaway.
In any case, your letter makes it clear to me that I must not or at least
cannot continue as a Member of Government and hence I am hereby
tendering my resignation. I am grateful to you for the courtesy and
kindness shown to me during the period of office which was a period of
considerable strain.
Yours sincerely,
VALLABHBHAI PATEL
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
.
Source: Sardar Patel's Correspondence

1
The letter is marked `draft'. It was not sent presumably because Sardar was persuaded to drop the controversy.

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