(Kashmir Rechords Exclusive)
For the first time since the upheaval of Partition, Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru addressed a stunned Nation on November 2, 1947, breaking his silence on the tribal invasion of Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking from All India Radio’s Delhi Station, Nehru delivered a historic broadcast that shaped the course of the subcontinent’s history.
Kashmir Rechords has unearthed one of the rarest archival treasures of that era — the full transcribed version of Nehru’s broadcast. The document provides gripping insight into how India’s first Prime Minister revealed the unfolding crisis and announced decisions that would secure Kashmir’s future.
Opening his address with “Friends and Comrades…”, Nehru while declaring “ We Shall Keep Our Pledge” warned the Nation of the horrors faced by Kashmir as well-armed tribal raiders from Pakistan swept down from the Abbottabad–Mansehra axis. In hundreds of trucks, these forces overran Muzaffarabad and were advancing rapidly toward Srinagar, leaving behind destruction and civilian killings.
Nehru described the frantic developments of October 26, 1947, when the Defence Committee met under immense pressure while the raiders neared Srinagar’s outskirts. By evening, the Instrument of Accession had been signed by Maharaja Hari Singh. “We decided to accept this accession and to send troops by air,” Nehru declared, revealing India’s decisive step to secure Kashmir.
He credited the National Conference volunteers, led by Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, for maintaining order in Srinagar at a time when the State administration, police, and military had collapsed. “There was no administration left, no police, no troops. And yet Srinagar functioned,” Nehru said, praising both Sheikh Abdullah’s leadership and the Maharaja’s crucial decision to appoint him as head of the administration.
Nehru’s tone hardeed when he directly accused Pakistan of allowing or facilitating the invasion. “All of these men have come across from Pakistan territory. Is this not a violation of international law?” he asked, marking the first official and open denunciation of Pakistan’s involvement.
Yet, when speaking about the people of Kashmir, Nehru’s voice softened. He reaffirmed India’s moral and military pledge: “We have given our word to the people of Kashmir to protect them against the invader — and we shall keep our pledge.” He spoke of Kashmir’s wishes, its aspirations, and the promise of a referendum once peace returned.
The November 1947 broadcast remains a defining moment in India’s early history — a moment when a deeply divided nation looked to its Prime Minister for clarity and assurance. Through this rediscovered transcript, Kashmir Rechords brings back the voice of India’s conscience, transmitted through war-time tension from a fragile New Delhi to a wounded Valley.
For a digital copy of the full transcribed and published version of Nehru’s address, readers may contact:📧 kashmirrechords@gmail.com 📧 support@kashmirrechords.com
