Sir,
It was heartening to read Sat Suir’s and Dr. Gurdev’s summarization of Maharaja Hari Singh’s remarkable social, religious, judicial, revenue and democratic reforms published in your esteemed daily on 25 April 2017. They are well known, amply documented but selectively spoken or glorified. When Mahatma Gandhi’s untouchabilty, Dr Amberkar’s historic drafting of constitution, Indira Gandhi’s nationalization of banks, Rajiv Gandhi’s quest into electronic revolution, Sheikh Sahib’s land reforms, Governor’s Jagmohan’s fly over and Vajpayee’s Insaniyat, Jhamuriyat and Kashmiriyat are often glorified and rightly so, why not the unprecedented contributions of a benevolent monarch? Going from village to village in the entire state after coronation, meeting people, understanding their problems and sincerely working to mitigate them is unprecedented in British India. Comparing Maharaja with Mahatma Gandhi with regards to welfare of the masses, spiritually and intellectually with Swami Vivekananda and to Raja Ram Mohan Roy for eradication of social evils is a truthful tribute to the ruler for which I humbly eulogise the authors. As recognition of his love for his subjects there is a persistent demand for a Holiday on his birthday which falls on 23 September. Respecting public sentiments, a resolution stands passed in the Legislative Council on the initiative of Maharaja’s grandsons who are members of the august house. I wish the authors had demanded early declaration of the Holiday in the same column. As an everlasting tribute to the Maharaja, least we can do is pressurize the govt to declare the Holiday soon, if not done, we resolve to unanimously celebrate it. We also expect the JDA and JMC to maintain Maharaja Hari Singh Park and his Statue Premises on the Tawi Bridge in a manner befitting to the great social reformer.
Yours etc….
Col J P Singh, Retd
Gandhinagar, Jammu
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