Freedom fighter status conferred on Junagadh ‘senanis’

Junagadh was one of the more than 500 princely states that existed at the time of India’s independence and who were given the choice to join either India or Pakistan. The Muslim ruler of Junagadh wanted to accede his predominantly Hindu state with Pakistan even though it did not share any boundaries with the newly created state.

However a people’s movement, called the Aarzi Hukumat (which literally means temporary government) movement resented the idea and helped in the state’s final accession to India. The accession was sealed by a 1948 referendum.