King's Police Medal - India

[James Hoard]

Some interesting awards of the King?s Police Medal after Indian independence in August 1947, as a further contribution towards the "indian debate".

Government House, New Delhi.

10th January 1950.

The KING has been graciousily pleased, on the advice of His Majesty s Indian Ministers,

to award The King's Police and Fire Services Medal, for Gallantry, to the undermentioned:-

SHRI TAKHATSING KALYANSING, Unarmed Head Constable (Officiating), Ahmedabad City.

JANAB LALKHAN DADUMIA (deceased), Unarmed Head Constable (Officiating), Ahmedabad City.

Government House, New Delhi.

22nd November, 1949.

The KING has been graciously pleased, on the advice of His Majesty's Indian Ministers, to award

The King's Police and Fire Services Medal, for Gallantry, to the undermentioned: ?

MEHAR SINGH GREWAL (deceased), Assistant Superintendent of Police, Patiala and East Punjab States

Union.

GURINDER SINGH DHALIWAL (deceased), Sub-Inspector of Police, Patiala State.

SHRI RAM LAL (deceased), Foot Constable No. 243, Jullundur District, East Punjab.

Government House, New Delhi.

2nd August, 1949.

The KING has been graciously pleased, on the advice of His Majesty's Indian Ministers, to award The King's Police and Fire Services Medal for Gallantry, to the undermentioned:?

Shri Srikanta GHOSH, Officiating Superintendent of Police, Sam'balpur, Orissa.

Shri Har PARSHAD, Station Officer, Fire Brigade, Rampur State, United Provinces.

Thomas ROWLAND, Sergeant Major, Orissa Police, Cuttack, Orissa.

Shri Subhakar SUNWAR, Officiating Sergeant, Orissa Police, Cuttack, Orissa.

The principal ?collaborationist? Indian ministers responsible for these awards being the Prime Minister and Minister for External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations (Jawaharlal Nehru) who had ultimate responsible for making the recommendations to the King, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel) who would have initiated and approved the proposals.

The truth of the matter is that Nehru and Patel were perfectly happy to go around investing military personnel returning from the war front with Military Crosses and other decorations from 1946 onwards. Nehru was still negotiating to retain certain British decorations in 1948 and 1949, and went on recommending honours to Indians until India became a republic in 1950. He even wrote to the King recommending Mountbatten for a promotion in the peerage on the day after he completed his term as Governor-General of independent India in May 1948. During the negotiations about the exact new status of India within the Commonwealth, there was even a suggestion that one of the links would be the King acting as a supreme font of honour for all member states, India included. It was the South African National Party government who objected.

Cheers

James

[Mervyn Mitton]

I suppose they didn't know what to replace them with - and they had a lot to deal with at this time. Most interesting.

[James Hoard]

I suppose they didn't know what to replace them with - and they had a lot to deal with at this time. Most interesting.

No more, no less than any other country at war.

Anyway, I doubt if that was the reason since 1946-1948 was the busiest period for Indian medals and decorations. There were more of them instituted at that time than at any other period in history. A good number of Indian princely states were very busy doing so, several produced at the Indian central government's own mint.

Cheers

James