JK News Today
Jammu October 22:
A two-day National Seminar on “Resituating the life and contributions of Maharaja Hari Singh”, organized by Department of History in collaboration with Centre for Women’s Studies, University of Jammu and Maharaja Gulab Singh Research Center, Jammu, was inaugurated today at Brigadier Rajinder Singh Auditorium in the Campus.
The function began with lighting of the traditional lamp.
In his key note address, Dr. Karan Singh, Ex – Member Parliament (Rajya Sabha).traced the trajectory of history of the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir and said that a vast territory and the foundation of the state rests upon the vision of the warrior and statesman, Maharaja Gulab Singh, the great-grandfather of Maharaja Hari Singh. He said the founding of the J&K State was one of the major geo-political development of that time.
While dwelling upon the contribution of Maharaja Hari Singh, the former MP said that despite located in an uneasy social and political context, he went on to launch an aggressive, systematic and extensive reforms which became the harbinger of modernization in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. From agrarian and taxation systems, to police and courts, schools, hospitals, and administration, the footprint of his reforms were visible everywhere, he said, adding that historians, however, now pay more attention to the issues of accessions than his agenda of reform which was equally an important part of his rule.
The Key note address was followed by presidential remarks by Prof. Manoj K Dhar, Vice Chancellor, University of Jammu .
Prof Dhar underlined the literary and the political contributions of Dr. Karan Singh and spoke about the outstanding reforms in the field of education which was launched by Maharaja Hari Singh and also how his period represented the period of modernization of the state.
The Vice Chancellor expressed the hope that engagements such as these would lead to a better understanding of the history of Jammu and Kashmir.
In his opening remarks, Brigadier Joginder Singh Rajput, Member Secretary, Maharja Gulab Singh Research Centre spoke how the Research Centre is trying to encourage preservation of cultural heritage, academics, art, lectures, seminars, research activities at both local and national levels.
Prof. Shyam Narayan Lal, Head of the Department of History, University of Jammu introduced the concept of the seminar.
While elaborating on the concept, he said how, the assessment of the life and the works of Maharaja Hari Singh remained a matter of marginal concern to the world of scholarship.
“What has been rather unsettling is resurrection, in some of the recent writings, of the colonial axiomatic pronouncement upon him and the narrativisation of his rule as one of crisis and conspiracy. These writings tend to take away the credit and the place that Maharaja Hari Singh deserves in the annals of the history of the India in general and of Jammu and Kashmir in particular. It is this concern which has led to the organisation of this .It intends to revisit critically the available historiographic debate and discussion on the life and career of Maharaja Hari Singh, the context in which he was located, the institutions that he promoted, and the resistance that he offered to the colonial design”, he added.
He said that the seminar should also be seen as a serious engagement to revaluating the multi-layered life and works of Maharaja from many more angles and in the light of new sources in order to accord Maharaja Hari Singh the due place in history that he rightfully deserves.
Earlier Prof. Suman Jamwal warmly welcomed the esteemed guests and formally addressed the audience on behalf of the Department of History. She spoke about the charismatic and enigmatic personality of Dr. Karan Singh ( Padma Vibhushan Awardee ,a prolific writer, former member, Parliament, Rajya Sabha), how he splendidly balanced his royal and political career, how intellectually sound, erudite, scholarly his approach has been towards preserving the Dogra History,
She valued the presence of the revered members of the Universities, the media representatives and students.
The inaugural session was followed by four academic sessions.
The first academic session started around 12 noon on the theme Maharaja and Political Reform under the chairperson Prof. Dipankar Sen Gupta. Four papers were deliberated upon in the session.
The second academic session started around 2:30 pm on the theme Maharaja and Social Reform under the chairperson Prof. Rizwan Qaiser from Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi. Nine papers were deliberated upon in the session.
The third academic session started around 4:15 pm on the theme Maharaja and his Reforms in the Realm of Women under the chairperson of Prof. Adhya B. Saxena from Baroda University. Six papers were deliberated upon in the session.
The academic sessions were attended by large number of students, faculty and member of civil society, prominent being, Ranvijay Singh, Major General Govardhan Singh Jamwal, S.P.Suri, O.P.Sharma, Col. J.P.Singh, Daljeet Ahulwalia from Patiala and others.
