JK News Today

Jammu, December 28:

Hailing decision of the UT administration to declare holiday on Accession Day, Team Jammu today reiterated its demand of declaring holiday on September 23rd- the birthday of last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh-who was instrumental in the accession of erstwhile state of J&K with the Indian Union.

“Accession of J&K with Indian Union was impossible without tough stand taken by Maharaja Hari Singh. After declaring accession day as holiday,  it is also high time to recognize services of Maharaja Hari Singh who had signed ‘Instrument of Accession’ to merge the erstwhile State of J&K with Indian Union”, Chairman of Team Jammu, Zorawar Singh Jamwal said while addressing a meeting of activists of Team Jammu.

“Various social organizations have already submitted memorandum to UT administration to declare September 23 as holiday”, he said and sought to draw attention of the authorities towards passing of resolution of JMC, recently. He urged that there was no reason to delay decision on this issue as sentiments of the residents of J&K were attached with last ruler of the erstwhile Dogra State. He recalled that the general house of JMC, comprising Mayor, Deputy Mayor and all elected councillors, it its meeting on July 17 this year, had unanimously resolved “to honour the sentiments of the public by accepting the long-pending demand of Jammu people to declare a holiday on the birthday of late Maharaja Hari Singh.”

He further added abolished Legislative Assembly of erstwhile J&K State had also unanimously passed a resolution in this regard.

“The sentiments of people of Jammu are associated with Maharaja Hari Singh and the Lt.Governor must declare holiday on his birth anniversary,” said Zorawar Singh Jamwal.

“After scrapping of Article 370, the Union Government has taken historic decision to integrate J&K  with rest of the country and it is high time to recognize services of Dogra ruler who had signed Instrument of Accession”,  Zorawar Singh Jamwal said and appealed to the UT administration to respect sentiments of the people.

Zorawar Singh Jamwal regretted that successive state governments have failed to declare state holiday on birthday of last ruler of Dogra dynasty- who had introduced many reforms in the State.

“Since 1947 successive state governments, headed by Kashmir centric parties, were systemically demonizing Dogra minority to extend separatist agenda in this region also”, he said and regretted that instead of recognizing revolutionary decisions of Maharaja Hari Singh, a systematic vicious campaign was launched to degrade him.  “Maharaja Singh is victim of vicious campaign launched by some people since 1947”, he said, adding, “Now the younger generation of Dogras has decided to restore dignity and honour of the late Maharaja”.

Among others who attended the meeting included Er Chandan Datta, Rishu Chid, J P Singh, Badal Sharma, Ashok Kumar, Sunil Gupta, Darshan Sharma, Pardeep Sharma, Arun Jojra, Sulabh Mahajan, Vikram Singh, Raju Sharma, Manu Verma, Harsh Sharma, Rajesh Sharma, Sanjay Verma and Surinder Sharma.