From the archives of the Hindustan Times: November 25

Hyderabad accedes to India (1949)

Secunderabad- Hyderabad has acceded to India, announces a firman issued by the Nizam tonight (November 24).

The following is the text of the firman:

“Whereas in the best interests of the State of Hyderabad, which is closely linked with the rest of India by a community of interest in the economic, political and other fields, it is desirable that a constitutional relationship should be established between this State and the contemplated Union of India;

“And whereas, the Constitution of India, as drafted by the Constituent Assembly of India, provides a suitable basis for this State to enter into such a constitutional relationship with the Indian Union, as also for re-ordering the internal constitutional structure of the State;

“I hereby declare and direct that the Constitution of India shortly to be adopted by the Constituent Assembly of India shall be the constitution for the State of Hyderabad as for the other parts of India, and shall be enforced as such by me, my heirs and successors in accordance with the tenor of its provisions and that the provisions of the said Constitution shall, as from the date of its commencement, supersede and abrogate all other constitutional provisions inconsistent therewith, which are at present in force in this State.

“I further declare that the above decision which I have taken after mature consideration in order to ensure for the people of Hyderabad, the benefits of an honourable partnership in a united and democratic India, shall, in view of its far-reaching consequences, be subject to ratification by the people of this State, whose will as expressed through the Constituent Assembly of the State proposed to be constituted shortly must finally determine the nature of the relationship between this State and the Union of India, as also the Constitution of the State itself.

France votes for De Gaulle (1958)

Paris- France has passed another vote of confidence in Gen. Charles de Gaulle, Prime Minister and creator of the Fifth Republic.

This was the lesson most political commentators today drew from yesterday’s first round of the general election, even though only 39 of the 465 contests in Metropolitan France had been decided.

An unofficial breakdown of the 42 seats decided on the first ballot yesterday---39 in Metropolitan France and three overseas-is as follows:

Conservatives (official and unofficial) 17; U. N. R. Gaullists 9; M. R. P. (Catholic Popular Republicans) 9: Radicals and near-Radicals 3; Socialists 2: Communists 1; others 1.

This breakdown gives no indication of the party distribution after the second and deciding ballot in the remaining constituencies where no candidate gained an absolute majority yesterday.

Shortly after midnight, the results for 349 of the total of 463 seats in Metropolitan France were known, but only 39 candidates had been definitely elected.

In all other cases, no candidate obtained an absolute majority and second ballot will be held next Sunday.

PARTY POSITION

The position after the first 100 results was that six of Gen. de Gaulle’s Ministers had been elected outright. They were M. Jacques Soustelle, M Louis Jacquinot, M Antoine Pinay, M Robert Buron, M Max Lejeune and M Pierre Pilling.

Former Prime Ministers elected included M Robert Schumann and M Rene Pleven. A former Prime Minister defeated was M Pierre Mendes-France.

Five former Prime Ministers who failed at the first attempt were M Paul Reynaud, M Edgar Faure, M Edouard Daladier, M Felix Gaillard and M Guy Mollet.

Others not elected on the first ballot included M Maurice Thorez France’s top communist leader and M Christian Pineau, former socialist Foreign Minister.

13 tanks advancing to border destroyed (1971)

New Delhi- Thirteen Pakistani Chafee tanks were destroyed on Nov. 21 when the Indian military commander took action to repulse a Pakistani offensive on the Eastern border in the Mukti Bahini-liberated area around Boyra.

This was disclosed today (November 24) in Parliament by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. In a statement acclaimed with repeated cheers in both the Houses, Mrs. Gandhi said that Pakistani armour, under heavy artillery cover, advanced to the Indian borders threatening its defensive positions. The Indian military commander took appropriate action to repulse the attack, she added.

In a major policy announcement, Mrs Gandhi made it clear it was not India’s intention to escalate the situation or start a conflict. Accordingly, Indian troops had been instructed not to cross the-borders except in self-defense. “We cannot Ignore our experience of 1947-48, January 1965 and of August-September 1965,” she said.

Commenting on the declaration of emergency in Pakistan, Mrs. Gandhi said it was the “climax” of President Yahya Khan’s efforts to divert the world’s attention from Bangla Desh and to put the blame on India for a situation he had himself created.

She thought such a declaration by a military regime had no meaning except to deceive its own people and the world. India would refrain from taking a similar step unless further aggressive action by Pakistan compelled it to do so in the interests of national security, she said.

Emergency

Meantime, she appealed to the country to remain unruffled and assures the Houses that India’s brave armed forces would ensure that any adventurism on the part of Pakistan would meet with an “adequate rebuff.”

Mrs. Gandhi also declared that India was determined to ensure that the 10 million refugees returned to their homes “as soon as possible” under credible guarantees of safety and human dignity.