‘Cong among 4 forces were against Maharaja’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 22: Former Sadr-e-Riasat and Member Parliament, Dr Karan Singh today said that great Dogra kings did not get proper projection and justice from the historians, like other kings of various states.
Speaking at a seminar jointly organized by Department of History, University of Jammu, Maharaja Gulab Singh Research Centre Jammu and Centre for Women Studies, University of Jammu on the topic, “Resituating the Life and Contributions of Maharaja Hari Singh” at Brig Rajinder Singh Auditorium here today, Dr Karan Singh (son of Late Maharaja), regretted that historians have not done justice to the great Dogra rulers. He said the Dogra kings’ history was distorted and it was not given the right projection.
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Dr Singh referred to the 562 princely states in the British India and said that J&K was the largest state whose boundaries were up to Tibbet and Russia. Maharaja Gulab Singh extended its boundaries and Maharja Ranbir Singh consolidated the same. He projected the works, achievements and reforms of Dogra rulers and said that these are needed to be revisited and properly projected.
It is unfortunate that only accession has been put to the lime light setting aside the great reforms of Maharaja Hari Singh. Dr Singh said Maharja Hari Singh opened temples for all the communities including Harijans. In the field of education, health, rural development, judicial system, the Late Maharaja brought big reforms. He said Maharaja Hari Singh wanted equal relations with the India and Pakistan and to remain separate entity but due to compelling circumstances when Pakistani raiders attacked, `Maharaja Sahib’ signed Instrument of Accession of which he was witness. He also referred to his book and said if the students/ researchers of history and others want real information on Dogra history they should read his this recent book.
Dr Singh said besides Britishers, National Conference leader Sheikh Mohd Abdullah, Jamat-e-Islami and Congress were the four forces which were against Maharaja Hari Singh during that time. It was crucial changing period in the history of India. Things were changing so fast. It was very difficult to stand and carry on against those forces. One can imagine under what circumstances, late Maharaja was compelled to leave his state. Dr Singh said had he not been there as Sadr-Riast, the Dogra identity in Kashmir would have been in crisis and at the verge of total extinction. He tried to justify his role in J&K and with the Congress at the Centre.
Vice Chancellor, Jammu University Dr Manoj K Dhar also projected the reforms of Late Maharaja Hari Singh and said that he was the King who established J&K Bank, Rural Development department in 1932 and later Tourism department. He said under his rule, Tourism got big boost and from 1932 to 1936, the annual tourists figure increased from 8604 to 24,400 in J&K. It was all due to the efforts and interest of Late Maharaja.
Prof Shyam Narayan Lal, J S Rajput, Maj Gen G S Jamwal, Prof Jigar Mohd and others also spoke on the occasion.
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