Mailbag

Good performance of Radio Kashmir Jammu

Sir,

I have read with interest the letter from Dr Surrender Mahajan titled, 'Good days for Radio Kashmir, published in your paper of 6.12.1999.

I am myself a keen listener of the Radio Kashmir Jammu. The programmes of Radio Kashmir Jammu are no less in quality in keeping with the requirements of the listeners of different tastes. Though I have not personally listened to the Sheherbeen programme of the Radio Kashmir Srinagar yet I have read about its popularity in the local papers. But definitely the Shub Prabhat programme broadcast daily in the morning from the Radio Kashmir Jammu is equally popular. This programme has in fact been growing with every passing day in line with various developments taking place in the state. One cannot help praising the element of selectivity of topics and presentation of this programme, which is indeed superb.

The new trend of classicalisation of Dogri sangeet is quite a good change to the pleasure of the listeners.

Other programmes are also tastefully and regularly structured so as to bring a constant flow of information on topics of General Knowledge, Health and Culture.

What is a matter of concern to the listeners is, however, the large coverage of Hindi film music in all the stations of northern India including the Radio Kashmir Jammu. This is so, even if a good percentage of listeners enjoy Hindi film music on the screen at the homes. That, however reduces the scope for popularisation of folk music. Also such a tendency becomes a great obstacle for the development of classical music, which is the base for every kind of music. In this connection I have already made a reference to the Prasar Bharti Board, New Delhi and hope for a very healthy change.

Yours etc...
P N Dhar
Balbhadra Kunj
138/1, Trikuta Nagar
Jammu.

Keep it up

Sir,

Reference is invited to the Daily Excelsior's report dated 11th December '99 that the J&K Cements Limited has produced eighty thousand metric tonnes of cement during last eight months. It is really an achievement on the part of the management and the workers of J&K Cements Limited to maintain the production targets. It would not be out of place to mention here that despite many odds and tribulations in Kashmir Valley. J&K Cements Limited achieved the desired targets and is continuing to forge ahead to maintain the highest growth and prosperity due to the untiring efforts of its dedicated work force under the able and dynamic leadership of its Managing Director, who is going to take this plant into the next millennium by stride.

In order to maintain the glory of this prestigious plant in the State of J&K, it would be highly appreciated that the Government as well as the financial institutions come to the rescue of this plant by way of providing fresh loans on easy terms and conditions for its modernisation programme, which in long run will lead to the upliftment of the thousands of families who are directly and indirectly dependent on this plant.

Yours etc...
R Razdan
Basant Nagar
Janipur, Jammu.

Historically Incorrect

Sir,

This is in reference to an article entitled ''Hari Singh- A story of a man of character'' by Mr Som Nath Wakhlu which was published in your esteemed daily dated 5th December, 1999.

No doubt, the said article is very much exhaustive and throws light on the reign of the last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh but it lacks historical authenticity on certain points. For instance, Mr Wakhlu says'' To Hari Singh, the question of joining Pakistan did not arise at any stage, for a Hindu ruler could not be safe in a theocratic Muslim Dominion and to join India was to lose his throne and he toyed with the idea of remaining independent''. It seems that Mr Wakhlu is not a historian and so he has given such a statement. There are three instances when helpless Maharaja Hari Singh showed his inclination to accede to Pakistan as under :

The meeting between Maharaja Hari Singh and RSS Chief Mr Gulwalker took place in the early Oct, 1947 at Srinagar in which Maharaja told the RSS Chief ''My state is fully dependent on Pakistan. The entry (to my state) is from Sialkot, Rawalpindi side. The railway is also via Sialkot. The Airport is Lahore. How could I join with India'' one can well infer from this conversation that Maharaja Hari Singh was inclined to join Pakistan.

When Mr Mehar Chand Mahajan told the Prime Minister of India ''take the accession and give whatever power you desire to a popular party. The Army must fly to save Srinagar this evening or else I will go to Lahore and negotiate terms with Mr Jinnah''. He further told that he had order to go to Pakistan in case immediate military aid was not given. However in the intervention of Sardar Patel and Sheikh Abdullah Pt. Nehru agreed to send Military aid. This shows Maharaja was inclined towards Pakistan as there was no other alternative left to him but to accede to Pakistan. After the accession, Maharaja was worried about the military situation in the State.

According to Maharaja ''feeling comes to my mind that I shall withdraw the accession...if Union (Govt of India) can not recover back the territories and is going to eventually to agree to the decision of the Security Council which result handing over us to Pakistan'' Accordingly he wrote a letter to Sardar Patel regarding withdrawal of accession and seeking better terms from Mr Jinnah for joining Pakistan. But Sardar Patel persuaded Maharaja to deter from this dangerous path and consequently the matter was solved because of the statesmanship and vision of Sardar Patel.

The Indian Act of Independence 1946 gives only two options to the Indian states. These are either to join India or Pakistan and the third option of becoming Independent which has been advocated by Mr Wakhlu is like to make castles in the air. His undue praise of Mr Kak is also not justified who was dismissed by the Maharaja.

In the last, I would say that Mr Wakhlu has tried to put personalities like; Maharaja Hari Singh, Sheikh Abdullah, Dr Karan Singh and Mr Ram Chand Kak in the same pawn and has praised them when their approach and thinking in the accession process and before and after the accession were contradictory to each other. By doing so he wants to became more loyal than the king. More-over, he has failed to put before the readers an unbiased appraisal of the events before and after 1947 pertaining to the last phase of the rule of Maharaja Hari Singh.

Yours etc...
Dr D C Sharma
216 A Shastri Nagar
Jammu.