Prof Gupta recalls Dogra’s struggle for national cause

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 19: If the suggestions of Sher Duggar, Pandit Prem Nath Dogra would have been taken into account, there would be no problem like that of Kashmir and long years of bloodshed could have been averted.
This was stated by former Union Minister, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta, while recalling the struggle of Dogra for total integration of J&K with Indian Union on the eve of his 45th death anniversary here today.
Pandit Ji, he said, was having a very clear outlook that the religion cannot be the basis for any kind of division or some differential treatment. If so then there would have been one country of the Muslims, one for Buddhists and one for Christians. But there is nothing like that, he added while quoting the Dogra.
He said late Sher-e-Duggar used to explain that the religion is to worship the God. One can do so in a mosque, church or in a temple etc. But if the philosophy of a religion is accepted  for any nationhood, then where remains a country like that of Bharat which is having so many ways of worshiping the God.
Prof Gupta observed and recalled that our forefathers were one, our blood and culture is one, hence Pandit ji was opposed to any kind of division or separatism and also reminded that Pandit Ji was opposed to ceasefire with Pakistan when Indian troops were fast marching in liberating the Pak-held areas of the State in 1948, as the Maharaja had legally acceded his State to India and Pakistan had no locus standi.
Prof Gupta also said that Pandit Ji by his struggle got recognition for Jammu and frustrated the moves even to eliminate this name just to be named the State as Kashmir alone in the Constitution.
In this connection, he pointed out that when the Indian Constitution was being framed the Interim Government of the State nominated four representatives including three top leaders of the Valley viz. Sheikh Mohd  Abdullah, Mirza  Afzal Beg and Moulana Masoudi, and just one Moti Ram was picked  up to represent Jammu in Indian Constituent Assembly.
When the draft of the Indian Constitution was being prepared the name of this State was proposed just as “Kashmir” and sole language of the Sate was taken as Kashmiri. This caused alarm in many circles.  Pandit Dogra contacted with certain Indian leaders and the amended name was inserted as J&K. But Dogri had to wait for over 50 years to get status of regional language till the year 2002 when there was Vajpayee Government at the Centre.

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