Accession Day

Why is in news? Know the history: 26th October is celebrated as accession Day of J&K with Union of India

The Accession Day of Jammu and Kashmir with the Union of India is being celebrated on October 26 across the Union Territory.

The Accession Day carries great significance as it was on this day in 1947 that the then Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession to become part of the greatest democracy of the world.

Accession Day is a public holiday in the Union Territory.

The day became an official public holiday in J&K for the first time in 2020 after the abrogation of articles 370 and 35A on 5th August 2019.

By executing this document under the provisions of the Indian Independence Act, of 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh agreed to accede to the Dominion of India.

As per the Indian Independence Act, 1947, British India was divided into India and Pakistan and the roughly 580 princely states that had signed subsidiary alliances with the British had their sovereignty restored to them.

In essence, these princely states were given the option to remain independent or to join the Dominion of India or Pakistan.

It is a legal document executed by Maharaja Hari Singh, the then ruler of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir, on October 26, 1947.

It declared that the state of Jammu and Kashmir accedes to India.

The IoA gave India’s Parliament the power to legislate in respect of J&K only on the matters of defence, external affairs and communications.

Apart from defence, communications and external affairs, the IoA mentions ancillary subjects that include elections to the dominion legislature and offences against laws with respect to any of the said matters.

Using IoA, Article 370 was incorporated in the Constitution of India.