3) Critically examine the role played by Mountbatten in consolidating post-Independent India.

~Lord Mountbatten played a very important role in the transfer of power to the Indian union in 1947.
~Although his decision to transfer power at such a fast pace, by preponing the date from July 1948 to August 1947, is criticised on several accounts, but still he did his level best to ensure the making of strong Indian union, and a good Indo-British relations post independence.
~As he was a part of the royal family and the present viceroy of India both, he thought that his request to princely states will have more weightage, when he requests them to stay with India, and not to form a separate independent province, so as to facilitate the creation of a strong Indian union.
~He also played a prominent role, along with Sardar Patel, in convincing Nehru to order a military strike to help Kashmir, after Maharaja Hari Singh signed the accession document.
~Apart from this, he thought that it was the British rule’s doing, that the country was facing partition today, and considered it his moral responsibility to oversee the complete process, and the planning to be done to accommodate the refugees coming to India, after partition.
~His constitutional advisor, VP Menon, also played the role of a good advisor, while explaining to him, the aspirations of Indian people, and convincing him to stay in India to help, after 15 August 1947.
~Although the role of Lord Mountbatten and VP Menon is not highlighted equal to S. Patel while recalling the consolidation period, they did play a significant role in the making of modern India’ map.