September 11, 1948: When Indian troops entered Hyderabad to free state from Nizam's rule

Remembering the entry of Indian troops to Hyderabad to free the state from the Nizam's rule which paved the way for the launch of 'Operation Polo', a military operation that led to the death of thousands of civilians.

After the formation of the Indian government, the first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru on the insistence of Sardar Patel agreed to the annexure of Hyderabad and ordered the Indian army to annexe the state of Hyderabad and integrate into the new Indian Union. Sardar Patel said that Razakars were propagating unmitigated violence against the large Hindu population in the State of Hyderabad.

The Indian army entered Hyderabad on September 11, 1948. They launched 'Operation Polo' on September 13. The military operation which went for five days annexed Hyderabad from the Nizam and integrated it into Indian territory.

The operation has been launched after the Nizam Osman Ali Khan decided not to join the Indian Union after the Independence and maintain his self-rule through Qasim Razvi's armed forces, known as Razakars. And the Razakars were intended to be the armed wing of the MIM (present AIMIM) and upheld the Islamic domination of Hyderabad. They raided Hindu-majority villages in Telangana and abducted women, looted non-Muslim property. There has been an exodus of Hindus by the Nizam of Hyderabad.

To put an end to the self-rule of Nizam rule and annexe the Hyderabad state, the operation was launched. In the operation, the Indian army emerged victorious over the Nizam and annexed the state. After the defeat, the Nizam of Hyderabad surrendered to the Indian Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and agreed to accede Hyderabad to India.