"Gar firdaus barruhe zaminast,
haminasto!... haminasto!...
haminast..."
Haminast?
It means, if there is paradise anywhere on earth, it is here. In Kashmir.
Amir Khusro wrote it.
And if he hadn't, I would have written it myself.
Miss Kaul...
Not Miss Kaul. Mrs. Kamala Nehru.
I stand corrected, M'lord!
[soft melodic music]
You are from Kashmir and yet
you have never visited the Zoji La pass! Unbelievable.
You know, I married you,
but you are not my first love...
Kashmir, it's Kashmir! My first love.
[exhales heavily]
Don't you remember what Swami-ji said?
Excessive attachment will lead you to your downfall.
You are so well-read, and yet you believe in all this nonsense!
[panicked shout] Jawahar!
...wake up... wake up!
Are you alright?
[heavy breathing]
-Get some water! -Go, get the water!
Jawahar-ji!
Mrs. Kamala Nehru...
Swami-ji was right!
Excessive attachment will lead you to your downfall.
Allow me...
Go, get some help! Now!
[opening title music plays]
[menacing music]
[telephone ringing]
Gentlemen.
Good to see you.
General Lockhart.
-Over to you. -Yes, sir.
Sir, Lt. Colonel Manekshaw,
He's been monitoring the situation since the onset,
which occurred approximately two and a half hours ago.
Lieutenant.
[telephone ringing]
These convoys gathered at the Abbotabad launching point
At 0100 hours on the night of Dussehra.
According to sources, ten convoys have
entered the valley and have established control in Muzaffarabad, sir.
The remaining ten have joined the mutiny in Poonch...
so they can cut across Poonch and attack Jammu.
What about Hari Singh's army?
We are unable to communicate with the Maharaja, sir.
Latest information suggests that
a substantial portion of the Poonch district is under siege by the invaders.
Mirpur?
Fallen, sir.
The road to Srinagar is clear for them now.
[rotary phone line clicks]
First the electricity, now these phone lines!
And on the night of Dussehra!
[shouts] Can someone tell me what is going on?
Maharaj...tribal intruders have begun an assault on the Mahura power station.
Don't worry about it, there is no need to be afraid.
It must be a minor attack...
Until there are tanks and infantry behind them,
these few lone horsemen are hardly a threat...
Maharaj, any minute now, they could march into Srinagar!
Well, then order our army to deal with them!
What army, Maharaj?! We don't have any army left!
A handful of defecting officers can hardly be a problem!
But 60% can, right?
60% of our soldiers have defected, Maharaj!
What do we do now?
There is nothing we can do, Your Highness.
[music grows tense]
Send word to Delhi.
Yes, Maharaj.
I don't quite understand one thing, Lt. Colonel.
How did the tribals manage to travel such a large distance so quickly?
[chair scraping]
Goodness, somebody tell him.
I am the Deputy Prime Minister of India!
I have the security clearance.
I'm sorry, sir.
Well?
They were being supplied vehicles and weapons.
Just a minute.
Before we start jumping to conclusions,
nothing, nothing has been confirmed as yet.
By whom?
[telephone rings]
The official position of the Pakistan
government is that they have nothing to do with these tribals.
They said it, so we have to believe them?!
Jinnah is a snake in the grass!
If he can play dirty in politics, do you think war is where he will draw the line?
Kashmir cannot go to Pakistan, no matter what!
Uh, excuse me, gentlemen.
We have just received an urgent SOS from the Maharaja of Kashmir.
We should send our troops to Kashmir right away.
Absolutely not!
You sent our troops to Junagadh,
and now Jinnah is trying to outdo us by attacking Kashmir!
It is about time you admitted that was a bad decision.
Today, is Junagadh a part of Pakistan or of India?
That means it was the right decision.
There is only one rule of war...
Victory.
We don't fight to win. We fight to protect.
Until Kashmir is officially a part of India, our troops will not enter it.
Iyengar, get to work.
[music turns tense]
[thunder rumbles]
"I, Sir Hari Singh,
the ruler of Jammu and Kashmir state.
In the exercise of my sovereignty...
...in and over my said state do hereby execute this Instrument of Accession..."
Our troops are here to protect our land and our people,
not to attack somebody else's kingdom.
Captain Patnaik has his orders. We must land.
It is risky, but it is necessary.
The formal accession of Kashmir gives our military action legal sanction.
As soon as the Maharaja gives up his throne,
an interim government will take over Kashmir.
"...hereby abdicates his position."
Erm, Jawa... Should we also add a plebiscite clause?
No.
What's the point?
Once the maharaja accedes, Kashmir legally becomes part of India.
I agree. We don't need a plebiscite.
You stressed on one in the case of Junagadh.
Why should our Kashmir policy be any different?
Look.
I say this with the greatest respect.
But what makes you so sure
that the valley's Muslim population will even accept a Hindu king's accession?
[door creaks loudly]
Ah, the man himself!
My friend, Sheikh Abdullah, is the people's leader in Kashmir.
The people of Kashmir stand with Sheikh Abdullah, and Sheikh Abdullah, with us.
That the most popular politician of a Muslim-majority state
stands with Hindustan, is the greatest evidence of India's secularism.
We'll drown Jinnah's Two-Nation Theory in the Jhelum.
[aircraft tires screech]
Please come in.
-Mr. Patel. -Hm?
Have a seat. May I offer you something?
Jawa, Jawa. Is it possible if we could just have a quick moment.
-Is it possible, if we could have a moment, please. -Iyengar.
Thank you!
I say this candidly...
But as a democratic country,
it falls down to us to be sensitive to the wishes of the people
and not to impose our own ideals.
-We're imposing nothing! -Jawa, please.
If that is the case,
then why not let the Kashmiris reaffirm it with a mandate?
Let your voices be the voices of fairness,
not a dictatorship.
Through here, sir.
[footsteps thud]
This way, sir.
[typewriter clacking]
Well?
You cannot possibly take issue with sending our troops to Kashmir now?
In a manner of speaking...
Democracy is an axiom,
not some absolute truth.
-This is what the Marxists have been saying... -Jawahar.
Do you want Kashmir or not?
Kashmir is my home.
I want my home.
[melancholy music begins]
[door opens loudly]
Yes, I'm fully aware, but--
It's done.
Excuse me.
Jawa, now that you have the moral grounding on this,
this needs to be used wisely.
We'll speak about it.
He's signed.
Congratulations, Baldev Singh-ji.
You have the Prime Minister's orders.
But there is one problem...
In order to take over the Srinagar airstrip,
we will need tanks and reinforcements.
Whatever it takes.
The problem is that all roads leading to Kashmir go through Pakistan--
[raises voice] Just give me a solution!
There is one road, Pandit-ji.
There is one solution.
Via Gurdaspur --
and God bless Radcliffe for giving us Gurdaspur --
there is a road to Jammu through Gurdaspur.
But it is not in a state where it can support tanks and army trucks.
Defence Minister sahab.
Even if I have to build the road with my own two hands,
you will have your road!
I promise.
Anything else?
No, Pandit-ji.
Now get me Kashmir.
[news broadcast] Heavy rains have made the road unserviceable at many points.
From Jammu, the troops had to follow a crumbling route to Nowshera.
Even jeeps were often in difficulties
and the men had to plot their weary way through mud and slush.
But the morale of the troops were high.
Sherpas and miners built a bridge over the roaring Chenab river in torrential rain.
Sir?
If the Indian army doesn't send help by tomorrow morning... then...
[fighter jet engine whine]
This is an outright act of war!
Major General Gracey,
as acting commander in Messervy's absence,
you must order our troops to go in!
On what grounds, sir?
On the grounds that India has invaded Kashmir!
As of yesterday, Kashmir has legally acceded to India.
They're well within their rights to deploy their army there.
It gives us no justification for military action.
This accession has been brought about by fraud and violence!
Pakistan will never accept its legitimacy!
Commander Gracey!
It is the Pakistan government's order
to send troops to the valley with immediate effect!
Your Excellency, I am a British officer.
The Indian army too, is led by British officers.
If you're waiting for me to wage war against my own comrades,
I suggest you not hold your breath.
[coughs]
We have chased the tribals out of the valley...
But the Zoji La pass, which connects Kashmir and Ladakh, is still under enemy occupation.
The enemy can enter Srinagar through Leh...
Jawahar...
It is imperative that we win back Zoji La pass before the winter sets in!
[telephone ringing]
Liaquat!
Why didn't anybody stop the Hindustani army?
Because that was not the intention!
The plan was to arrive at Srinagar and capture the airport
to prevent the Hindustani Air Force from landing there...
but they got sidetracked in Baramullah.
As per the plan, the tribal militia was supposed to storm Srinagar and capture it.
But the wealth and pomp of the bazaars in Baramullah was so enticing
that that they forgot about their objective and stopped to loot the bazaars.
Those merciless tribals left total turmoil and destruction in their wake.
Those wretched tribals!
For two days they looted and robbed in Baramullah,
and the Hindustani army managed--
It is my mistake!
I gave you the position of Prime Minister.
It was me who gave the razor in the monkey's hand!
[shouting] IMBECILES! The lot of you!
[coughs]
We will pay the price of your foolishness by losing Kashmir!
Quaid, I made sure that no part of this plan
can ever be traced back to us...
I suppose even fools are right sometimes...
Let my Pakistani army complete
what your men could not.
Disguise our soldiers as tribals and send them in.
[truck engine rumbles]
[cannon fires]
[machine gun fires]
[loud explosion]
[blast]
[cannon fires]
[gunfire continues]
Cover me!
[rapid gunfire continues]
[chamber clicks]
[breathing heavily]
[melancholic music]
[gunfire & screams]
HARPAL! Harpal!
Harpal, my brother! What has happened!
Harpal... Harpal!
-COME ON! -Let go of me!
Harpal! Harpal has been shot!
[ragged breathing]
[cries out loudly] HARPAL!
Hm. Copy.
[telephone ringing]
Zoji La has been secured.
The road into the valley has been secured against the enemy.
-Brilliant! Brava! -Well done, well done.
Well done. Congratulations.
Lt. Colonel, you seem to have something to say.
Sir, it's been a bloody campaign.
Casualties are high.
Our soldiers are fighting frostbite and insomnia.
It is difficult to breathe due to the altitude.
Our jawans cannot give up at this stage.
They must fight until--
until their very last breath!
Sir, I would suggest that we wait until spring before any further offensive.
We need time to rebuild our forces.
But we are winning right now! We are winning, aren't we?
Sir, we can only secure our gains and forward positions
if the enemy doesn't bombard our supply lines.
It would be best if we stayed in defensive positions.
We mustn't lose momentum.
Otherwise, this will be a never-ending war.
Whatever reinforcements you need, will be provided.
Prime Minister, I have some reservations.
Anyone who doesn't have reservations?
[awkward silence]
We cannot afford this war!
If the war continues, the refugees will starve to death...
Gentlemen. In my humble opinion --
and I have been through a few wars --
I think it's time that we start to seek political solutions, not military ones.
You want me to reason with Pakistan?
-I would like you to consider-- -I am not negotiating with Jinnah.
The man refuses to accept the dead bodies of his own soldiers.
Isn't it better than you sending thousands to their death?
The thousands exist to protect our nation.
-But it would be in our interest to-- -The only thing in our interest is to
[angrily] show that Jinnah that he cannot conquer my homeland!
No matter what the cost is!
[over radio] In the media briefing held today,
Lt. Colonel Manekshaw has shed some light on the status of the war.
India has successfully secured Zoji La Pass.
The enemy had intruded deep into our territory,
and our troops pushed them back with all their might.
Today, India holds her head up high because of the sacrifices
of our soldiers who were martyred in the line of duty.
Our enemies would do well to be aware that the Indian army will never shy away
from making any sacrifice necessary to protect the integrity of our borders.
[faint birds chirping]
We didn't start the war, Bapu,
they did!
We only took some steps in our own defense, that's all.
You didn't take steps, Sardar,
you took up arms!
Well, it's not like Pakistan laid down a carpet of flowers for us!
Please tell me. If we are being attacked unprovoked,
how can we be expected to sit in a dharna against a whole army?
So, you chose to respond to violence with more violence?
No, Bapu.
I just want to protect my motherland.
In the Geeta, Lord Krishna tells Arjun --
When war is at your door,
it would be a sin not to lift your weapons.
And that is a sin I cannot commit.
I must take your leave now. Lots of work to do.
It is non-violence that won us our independence, Jawahar!
I know, Bapu...
but sometimes, in order to maintain peace, a war must be fought...
War only begets more war, Jawahar, not peace!
The end of a war is not peace, it is deathly silence.
You must stop this bloodshed, Jawahar.
Bapu, it's Kashmir...
I cannot lose Kashmir.
Not now, not ever.
You are the first Prime Minister of India, Jawahar.
Will this war and the blood spilled in it be your legacy?
[trumpet plays a tribute]
[salute gunfire]
[salute gunfire continues]
[flashback voiceover] Sir, it's been a bloody campaign.
Casualties are high.
War only begets more war, Jawahar, not peace!
You are the first Prime Minister of India, Jawahar.
Will this war and the blood spilled in it be your legacy?
Excessive attachment will lead you to your downfall.
[rotary dial clicking]
Connect me to the Viceroy, please.
You know as well as I do...
we need to find an end to the war.
[tense music plays softly]
We need to put emotions aside...
[inhales and exhales]
Find a way to negotiate peace...
I am not negotiating with a state
that does not respect our sovereignty.
Alright...
What if I told you that there was a third party...
A neutral third party that could mediate.
Have you considered getting the United Nations involved?
The UN?
[tense music rises]
The UN Commission has proposed an undisputed three-part resolution.
The first resolution; unconditional ceasefire in the Kashmir valley.
The second resolution; an agreement between India and Pakistan
where Pakistan recalls its proxy army from Kashmir immediately,
followed by India reducing its troops to the minimum necessary.
And the third resolution --
an impartial plebiscite is to be conducted in Kashmir.
I had told Jawahar in no uncertain terms to not drag the UN into this.
It would have taken some time, but all of Kashmir would have been ours!
On top of that, this plebiscite...
Vallabhbhai, we may never get to the plebiscite at all...
The UN has asked Pakistan to first withdraw their army.
And that, Pakistan will never do.
Until then, only we have a right over Kashmir!
They think involving the UN is going to put an end to this war?
It has only been a few months, Fatti.
If we have to fight for Kashmir for a thousand years,
we will fight.
We will fight, Fatti!
We will fight.