VP Menon or Rao Bahadur Vappala Pangunni Menon was born on 30 September 1893. He contributed as a civil servant to the post of Secretary for the Government of India. VP Menon was under Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel in the Ministry of the states. Pangunni Menon was the political advisor of Lord Louis Mountbatten. Later he was promoted as Cabinet’s secretary. The year 1947, marking the independence of India, saw the segmentation of India into two fragments of territories. One territory was under the direct influence of the British administration and the second segment was under the control of the British Crown’s suzerainty. 

FACTS ABOUT THE POLITICAL ADVISOR OF LORD LOUIS MOUNTBATTEN- VP MENON

  • By the nod of the Governor-General of India Wavell and Viceroy, he had been appointed and served at the post of secretary to the Governor-General.
  • He served as Political Reforms Commissioner during British rule in India to the three viceroys namely- Wavell, Lord Louis Mountbatten and Linlithgow. The post of the political advisor of Lord Louis Mountbatten was led by VP Menon.
  • He played an immensely vital role during the Partition of India and later in the political integration of India.
  • He also was a member of the Swatantra Party, later in his life.
  • The initiative to hold a meeting among the Princely unions’ Rajpramukhs and the States Department was taken by VP Menon in May 1948.
  • The conclusion of the meeting was Rajpramukhs nod to sign the new Instruments of Accession. The Government of India received the authority to pass laws in context with all the affairs included in the Government of India Act 1935’s seventh schedule.
  • The final persuasion of the states was done by the Viceroy Lord Mountbatten. Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhai Patel made conversations with the Viceroy, to assist them in the task of princely state integration. It was a significant job to ensure that India is not excluded from the Balkanisation state and undergoes disruption.

THE STORY OF THE INTEGRATION OF THE STATES

The year 1947, marking the independence of India, has a story of the integration of the states in India. India got segmented into two fragments of territories. 

  • One territory was under the direct influence of the British administration and the second segment was under the control of the British Crown’s suzerainty. 
  • The second segment is comprised of 562 princely states. Each had its revenue distribution arrangement with the British based on population, local conditions and size of the concerned state.
  • The Indian Independence Act given in 1947 put forward an option to the princely states to either agree to the demand of newly made India or Pakistan dominions or resume being an independent sovereign state.
  • These princely states were known to constitute 28% of the population segment and covered a 48% proportion of the area of pre-Independent India.
  • The eminent personalities Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (First deputy prime minister of India) and VP menon (Ministry of the States secretary) were responsible to fulfil the formidable job to integrate the princely states.
  • The first few states that joined the new Indian union were Bikaner, Baroda and some states of Rajasthan.
  • Some states were adamant to not join the Indian dominion while some sought it to be the best opportunity to thrive as an independent entity whereas few wanted to join the Pakistani dominion.

REASONS BEHIND THE STORY OF THE INTEGRATION OF THE STATES

  • The execution of the process of integration of the states in India was supervised by Jawaharlal Nehru and his cabinet. This execution was held under a robust constitutional framework.

  • To quote the chief roles of the three personalities below:

  • Sardar Patel designed the beginning phase of the framework that aimed to execute the 

Princely states.

  • Patel’s secretary, V.P. Menon performed the actual groundwork to coax these princely states.

  • Whereas the final makeup was done by the Last Viceroy of India, Lord Louis Mountbatten.

  • The seed of the princely state’s integration of British India was planted after the Government of India Act of 1935. Linlithgow became India’s Viceroy in 1936.

  • The book Integration of the Indian States by VP Menon has a narration of stories when he was serving under Linlithgow. 

  • The crucial role was played by Congress policy and also by the personalities Sardar Patel and VP Menon in the decision of accession of India.
  • According to Congress, the princely states are not observed as sovereign states rather they quote the end of paramountcy to be an independent entity.
  • Therefore the princely states were put forward with options to either accede to the India or Pakistan domain.

CONCLUSION

The day 15 August 1947 witnessed both Partitions as well as the Unification of India. It was because of India’s then Viceroy Earl Louis Mountbatten. VP Menon is still acknowledged as the right-hand man of Sardar Vallabhbahi Patel as he assisted in the integration of the princely states into the new Indian Union. But, the years 1914-1951, had been showered with VP Menon’s huge but understated contribution to modern India. The peaceful integration of the princely states in 1947, was a huge change that transformed the present and future of India.