Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 28: Voice of Dogras (VoD), an NGO working towards upliftment of Dogra culture, celebrated the 72nd anniversary of Accession Day in London, in a function organized recently.
October 26 is a historical date for identity of the State of Jammu & Kashmir as on this day in 1947, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession and chose to be a part of India over Pakistan.
The event was organized in the House of Commons in UK Parliament on 25th October 2018. The event was hosted by Labour MP Virender Sharma with support of Bob Blackman, a Conservative Member of Parliament, England.
A well-researched documentary, detailing events and complexities leading to the signing of Instrument of Accession, was also screened as part of presentation made by Manu Khajuria and Dr Chandan Kotwal, a member of Kashmiri Pandit Community. The documentary will be soon made public for the benefit of the people.
“We will be marking this as J&K State day since it was on this day since the independent princely State of Jammu & Kashmir became a legal and integral State of Union of India,” said Lalit Sharma, director of VoD.
Both the MPs supported the efforts of VoD to set the right narrative in a background of strong anti-India activities centered around J&K. Blackman also brought with him, for the event, the original Instrument of Accession that has been adorning the walls of his office.
On 26th October, the second part of this event was held in Amar Mahal, Jammu, organized by VoD Jammu team leaders Sahil Verma and Vaibhav Sharma. The venue, Durbar Hall, accommodated an enthusiastic audience over double its capacity. An enriching and rare discussion on the Instrument of Accession was held by an eclectic panel moderated by Prof Dipankar Sengupta who specializes in international political economy.
The event concluded with Dr Karan Singh’s message, especially penned for the occasion. His son, Vikramaditya Singh was also in the audience along with many members of the Jammu civil society and youth.
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