Pakistani tribesmen began their invasion of Kashmir to merge the state into their country. The Indian government and its leaders, Nehru and Patel in particular, decided to withhold the payment of Rs 550 million to Pakistan that was decided as per the Partition agreement, as a condition for withdrawal from Kashmir and also not to use this money to buy arms against India in this skirmish. While Mountbatten termed this as a dishonourable act of the Indian Union, Gandhi began a fast unto death to coerce the government to stick to its commitments to Pakistan. In deference to his wishes, realpolitik
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