THESE days, it is often said that a person’s character is a private matter.
However, for a leader, character is never just a personal affair.
As a child, I learned that if you lose wealth, you have lost nothing; if you lose health, you have lost something; but if you lose character, you have lost everything.
Seventy-six years have passed since the independence of Pakistan and India, yet Kashmir remains in turmoil.
A few months ago, I wrote a column on Kashmir’s historical background, which was well-received by Kashmiri friends worldwide. My journalist friend from Srinagar, Murtaza Shibli, remarked that he wished more Pakistani writers would think and write the way I do. A few realize that the Kashmir issue is rooted in the emotions of two individuals—Lady Edwina Mountbatten, wife of the last British Viceroy and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru and Edwina cleverly influenced Lord Mountbatten, using their relationship to alter the course of history. Millions have suffered as a result and the consequences persist.
In “Jinnah, Pakistan and Islamic Identity”, Akbar S. Ahmed cites historian Stanley Wolpert, who records that Nehru admitted his affair with Edwina in the Mountbatten family’s farewell meeting on June 20, 1948. Their relationship continued, and on October 6, 1948, Nehru flew to London, heading straight to the Mountbatten residence. Understanding the situation, Lord Mountbatten left, allowing the lovers to reunite in privacy.
Stanley Wolpert notes that Edwina later described spending “four beautiful nights” with Nehru. Meanwhile, Mountbatten stayed elsewhere. Nehru was a highly educated man, but education without moral integrity is meaningless. Even US President John F. Kennedy found Nehru’s visit to America embarrassing, as he inappropriately attempted to touch First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy.
A British historian notes that Edwina was powerless in her relationship with Nehru. Morgan writes that the two would talk late into the night, while Mountbatten played the role of a passive observer. His deep dislike for Jinnah is confirmed in Mountbatten and India by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre.
Edwina and Nehru’s relationship began in 1946 in Singapore, and by summer, Delhi was abuzz with rumours. Lady Mountbatten’s influence extended beyond the Viceroy’s home to his office. Nehru used her to reshape the entire partition plan. For Nehru, Kashmir was an obsession, just as he was the object of Lady Mountbatten’s affection, while Lord Mountbatten remained helpless. This affair had a direct impact on Jinnah and Pakistan. Had Nehru not controlled the Mountbatten family, he would not have swayed them against Jinnah or gained such easy access to the partition plan.
Edwina not only approved the illegal deployment of Indian troops in Jammu & Kashmir but also visited the region with Nehru. Those who claim a leader’s conduct is a private matter should learn from this. Hunger for food may turn a man into a thief, but unchecked desires lead to far worse consequences. True greatness lies in character. On one side stands Jinnah, a model of integrity; on the other, Nehru lost in moral decay.
—The Lahore-based writer is a senior journalist, analyst, researcher and author of over 50 books.
(zabersaeed@gmail.com)
