Heritage Foundation celebrates World Heritage Week
Founding of Dogra Art Museum, Shastri gives
eye witness account

By Lalit Gupta

JAMMU, Nov 21: A public lecture by Padamshree Ram Nath Shastri, especially the one about pre and post-Independence Dogra cultural renaissance, is like guided tour to our recent past through his eyes.

Shastri ji, reveals history, page by page, event by event, image by image, like a chronicler. What adds unique dimension to his descriptions, often supported by documentary proofs, is the fact that he is history personified having been an active participant and many a times author of the epoch making events like founding of Dogri Sanstha and Dogra Art Museum.

Organised by Heritage Foundation, on the occasion of World Heritage Week, Shastri ji lecture on "50 Years of Dogra Art Museum Jammu", here today, at Dogri Sanstha, was the first person account of the founding of the Museum.

Since matters relating to cultural landmarks are closely linked with socio-political developments of the times, Shastri ji started with painting the social picture of 1940’s, the resolve of few individuals which other than him included others like Pandit Sansar Chand Baru,the well known painter, to form Dogri Sanstha, their meeting with Comrade Dhanvantri, invitation to attend Farmers Conference at Tikri and staging a play on the life and sacrifice of Baba Jitto.

"It was during the conference, that Pandit Sansar Chand Baru, also put up an exhibition of Pahari paintings, ten in number, in a shop. After Tikri’s historic event, Dogri Sanstha became a popular name amongest people. Due to the patronage and encouragement by the then Director Education, A Qazami, when a seminar on Baba Jitto was held at Ranbir School, a weak long exhibition on Dogra artistic heritage was also thrown open for public in the Technical School (presently Govt. Girls Higher Secondary School) at Kacchi Chowni.

The exhibition which made Dogras to feel proud of their heritage got rave reviews in local Urdu news papers in which Ved Rahi and Yash Sharma wrote poems eulogizing Dogra past and its achievements’’, Shastri ji informed, while quoting from 1951 issues of news papers that it was during those days Dogri Sanstha passed resolution asking for the establishment of ‘Art Ajayabgarh’ .

It was in 1954 when Gulam Mohammed Sadiq was the education minister, State Government, acceding to the resolution passed by Dogri Sanstha formed a committee comprising of Gh. Mohd Sadiq, G.L. Dogra, Shastri ji and Mr Baru and also sanctioned Rs 25,000. for the purchase of Pahari paintings. The duo of Shastri ji and Mr Baru, went house to house to acquire paintings.

The Dogra Art Museum, originally named as Dogra Art Gallery was housed at Gandhi Bhavan adjacent to Govt. Secretariat and inaugurated by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of India. Pandit Sansar Chand was its first curator.

Shastri ji also narrated the interesting story as to how Rasmanjari series, for which Dogra Art Museum is famous all over the world, came to be acquired by the museum. He said, Mr Baru received a letter from the Government to bring some paintings for exhibition at Srinagar. When G.L. Dogra, the then cabinet minister, after seeing the paintings said these were less in number, Mr Baru, who had come to know about Bakshi Gulam Mohammed, the then P.M., having come in possession of a set of Pahari miniatures, suggested that the said paintings can be borrowed for display.

When Pandit Baru was asked to leave for Jammu after the exhibition was over, he also brought back those paintings to the Museum and promptly entered them in the accession register. Thus the priceless miniature which later turned out to be Rasmanjari series became proud collection of Dogra Art Museum.

Shastri ji who has been intimately involved with the founding of Dogra Art Museum, lamented that after so many years the museum is yet to be housed in proper building and basic documents like the catalogue of museum collection is still awaited.

Prof Lalit Magotra, President, Dogri Sanstha, who was the chief guest, also spoke on the occasion while Mr Balraj Puri, Vice President, Heritage Foundation, presented the vote of thanks. The function which was conducted by Kirpal Singh, secretary, Heritage Foundation.

Two Gujarati girls rescued from clutches of youth

Excelsior Correspondent

UDHAMPUR, Nov 21: Police today rescued two teen-aged Gujarati girls from the clutches of two youth at village Sandal under the jurisdiction of Majalta Police Station.

Police spokesman said that on the receipt of information a police party from Majalta Police Station led by SHO Abdul Wahid Giri under the supervision of SSP Udhampur Vijay Singh Sambyal conducted a raid at village Sandal and recovered the girls.

Both the youth—Balbir Kumar of Ramnagar and Raj Kumar of Khoon were immediately arrested. The preliminary investigation and statements of the girls revealed that both the accused were working as carpenters in Gujarat and lured the teen-aged girls.

The accused left Gujarat alongwith the girls about one month back and stayed near Amritsar for some days before reaching Ramnagar. The Gujarat Police contacted Jammu and Kashmir Police after coming to know that both the accused belonged to Jammu and Kashmir.

The girls alongwith the accused would be handed over to Gujarat Police after medical examination.

J&K achieves cent percent polio immunization

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 21: Jammu and Kashmir has achieved the rare distinction of cent percent polio coverage with administration of polio dosages to more than 17.80 lakh infants.

Satisfied over the success of pulse polio drive in the state, Health Minister Suman Bhagat complimented the people for their vehement support for the eradication of polio malady. ‘With Jammu and Kashmir becoming polio free now the war is against other diseases confronting the society, while making special reference to Tuberculosis’, the Minister maintained.

Administering oral doses at specially organized camps at Community Health Centre, R.S.Pura and Government High School, Smailpur sponsored by Family Welfare and RCH in collaboration with 4th Bn CRPF this morning, Mrs. Bhagat called for generating mass awareness and sensitizing the rural folk towards health consciousness. Focus attention ought to be given to mother-child healthcare for warding-off various diseases.

The Minister welcomed the participation of various voluntary organisations in spreading awareness about polio and added that despite the state having a moderate literacy rate, yet the hundred percent coverage under pulse polio signifies that collective efforts manifest in them surety of success. Mrs. Bhagat has special appreciation for the Army for their laudable work in making people aware about the malady in the remotest pockets of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mrs. Bhagat also unfolded her vision for streamling the health services in the state and listed measures being taken to upgrade facilities in health institutions especially the diagnostic and clinical. She said that provision of better medicare to the far-flung and rural areas is the priority and every endeavour would be made to achieve the purpose.

The Minister also expressed happiness over the fact that during the last four years no polio case was registered in Jammu and Kashmir except for one which is reported to be that of an inmate from Rajsthan. At national level also the graph of reported cases have declined from 225 last year to only 91 this year, she added.

Among others Director RCH, Dr. Rakesh Khajuria, Director Family Welfare, Dr. Jasbir Singh, Director Health Services, Dr. Kailash Kohli and other senior doctors were present on the occasion.

Earlier Mrs Bhagat inaugurated an Indian System of Medicine (ISM) dispensary at village Jindlaher in R.S. Pura tehsil.

Apart, from catering to the medicare needs of the villagers of Jindlaher over 15,000 souls living in the adjoining villages of Chak Salam, Koulian, Kothi, Baga, Janna, Tanda and Melowal too would be benefitted of the facility being provided at Jindlaher.

Addressing people after inaugurating the ISM dispensary, the Minister informed that the present dispensary is being housed in a rented accommodation. ‘Urgency requires that people in far-flung areas be provided at least with the provision for basic medicare and the Government is exploring all possible ways to mitigate the sufferings of ailing humanity residing in remote pockets’, she added.

The Minister said that the present dispensation has already accorded top priority to the health sector and all out efforts are being made to bring the best from the limited resources at disposal. She said that ensuring provision of providing specialized medicare to rural areas is being made by equipping the health institutions there with latest diagnostic facilities. ‘Nearly three-fourths’ of the states’ population resides in the villages and remote pockets and unless these get the proper medicare the dream of being the best would not be realized in totality’, she maintained.

Mrs Bhagat also detailed to the villagers her vision of transforming Jindlaher into a model for others to be imitated. She said that while setting up dispensary is an initial step in this direction, an earmarkation of over Rs. 1.5 crore too would be spent on upgrading and installing various facilities there.

Jammu Lions Club forges alliance with Kenya

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 21: In what can be described as a unique Lionistic achievement, the Lions Club Jammu has been able to forge a twinning alliance with its club members in Kenya for serving the needy and poor of the world.

Regional Chairman Lion Club, Jammu, Jaspal Singh along with another associate Arun Verma, who were invited to Kenya by the international organization played an instrumental role in not only forging the ties among the organization members but also provided a thrust to the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

The two-member delegation from Jammu conducted fortnight tour of Kenya and were successful in bringing an alliance with the members of the club of Mombasa for distribution of international aid to the drought stricken population of Kenya under the aegis of Lions Club International Foundation, the charitable wing of Lions International for humanitarian projects.

Mr. Singh and Mr. Verma also called upon the district Governors of Kenya and Mombasa and shared their views over the joint projects for suffering humanity across the world. These projects, it is informed would soon be ratified by the respective Board of Directors. On the occasion, flags were also exchanged by the district Governors with the member delegates from Jammu. Mr. Singh and Mr. Verma were also escorted to several projects and apprised about these by the organization members in Mombasa.

The Lions Club Jammu has appreciated the commendable job rendered by its two members in fostering better understanding between members of different nations and continents and to promote international understanding and common concern for natural calamities.

As a sequel to the visit of Jammu Lions, the club is also thinking of sending a delegation of its members to Kenya on a fellowship-cum-tourism mission and to sign Memorandum of Understanding, which would be road map for the people of the two countries to come closer for common service projects.

Various organisations extend full support
to today’s bandh

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 21: Various social, religious, trade and transport bodies have extended their full support to tomorrow’s bandh call which has been given by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to protest against the arrest of Shankaracharya of Kanchi Mutt, Jayendra Saraswati.

The assurance was extended by the representatives of these organisations in a meeting which was convened by the VHP to make tomorrow’s bandh a success at Geeta Bhavan here, today.

The organisations which participated in the meeting include Sanatan Dharam Sabha, Brahmin Sabha, Rajput Sabha, Khokhran Biradari, BJP Shive Sena Jammu State Morcha (JSM) , Bajrang Dal and representatives of some trade organisations.

The meeting was chaired by state president VHP, Dr Rama Kant Dubey and among others it was attended by senior RSS leader, Rakesh Ji, Sanatan Dharam Sabha chief, Dharni Dhar Sharma, JSM, chairman Shri Kumar, Ramesh Sabarwal, Tilak Raj Sharma and VHP co-organising secretary, North India Khem Raj.

Addressing the meeting Dr Dubey lashed out at the UPA and AIADMK governments for victimising the Shankaracharya. He urged them to refrain from making the dharam Guru of Hindus a political issue as it will have serious repercussions.

Asking the two governments to respect the sentiments of Hindus throughout the globe , he said arrest of Kanchi seer is neither in the interests of nation nor the politicians.

Strongly condemning the arrest he said many politicians are fighting the elections from prison and after their victory they are released on bail and later inducted in the council of ministers. There are many tainted ministers in UPA Government at present but no action has been taken against them, he added.

Dr Dubey said even in some states the legislations have been made to withdraw the cases against the politicians while the Hindu seer has been implicated in a false case.

Terming the arrest an insult to entire Hindu Samaj, Khem Raj said the VHP and other religious bodies will take this issue to commonman and mobilize the public opinion against the vindictive action of both UPA and TN governments.

He wanted to know why innocent Shankaracharya was implicated and Raj Netas with criminal background are set scot free. He also made a fervent appeal to people to support tomorrow’s bandh.

He said the Chamber of Commerce has also assured full support to the bandh call and a letter in this regard from Chamber Office was received by us today.

He said in case the Shankaracharya will not be released after tomorrow’s bandh the VHP and other Hindu organisations will intensify the struggle and lakhs of youth will come on streets in protest.

After the culmination of the meeting, Dr Dubey along with the Sanatan Dharam Sabha general secretary, Jagdish Dogra and other leaders met the heads of various trade and transport unions in their respective offices to seek their support and cooperation.

9.40 lakh children given polio drops in Valley

Excelsior Correspondent

Srinagar, Nov 21: Under the 5th phase of National Pulse Polio immunization programme, 9.40 lakh children 0-5 years of age were administered pulse polio drops in the Valley today.

Minister of State for Health and Medical Education, Abdul Gaffar Sofi inaugurated today’s campaign by administering polio drops to a new born baby at Children Hospital, Srinagar. In Srinagar district polio drops were administered to more than 1.77 lakh children by 2660 employees deployed for the purpose.

Mr. Sofi also administered polio drops to a new born at District Hospital, Anantnag. In the district, 1.70 lakh children were covered under pulse polio programme. For the purpose, 747 polio booths were established while as 3,000 employees were deployed on duty.

In Baramulla, Deputy commissioner, Dheeraj Gupta inaugurated the campaign by administering polio drops to a baby at District Hospital Baramulla today. More than 2.22 lakh children were covered with the help of 3520 employees deployed on 878 polio booths to achieve the target.

In Kupwara,1.19 lakh children were given polio drops by 2,000 employees led by Deputy Commissioner, Abdul Majid Khanday who administered polio drops to a 30 minute old baby.

In Budgam, More than 1.15 lakh children were covered under the programme for which 552 polio booths were set up across the district. Deputy commissioner, Kh. Bashir Ahmad led 2208 employees in administering polio drops to these children.

In Kargil, 309 polio booths were set up to cover 17,121 children under immunization programme.

Vigorous campaign to eradicate HIV/AIDS
from J&K in offing

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 21: After constitution of ‘Youth Parliamentary Forum’ by National Parliamentary Forum on HIV/AIDS, the apex body has assigned the follow up task to young ‘parliamentarians’ in their respective States.

And the programmes includes holding of awareness camps, involving NGOs in the HIV/AIDS eradication campaign, recommendation of names of such NGO for funding under different projects and constitution of Youth Assemblies in different States.

This was informed by Rashid Choudhary, one of the six ‘parliamentarians’ from Jammu and Kashmir State, while talking to mediapersons here today.

"Under the programme seventy awareness camps will be held in J&K State within one year during which general public, particularly youth, would be encouraged for volunteer check-up for HIV and suggested preventive measures besides distribution of literature on HIV/AIDS," he explained.

Inviting NGOs for a vigorous campaign to eradicate the deadly disease, Mr Choudhary, who was flanked by Shishir Aima and Missra Firdosi, two other young ‘parliamentarians’ representing the State, claimed that the apex body has authorised them to recommend the names of minimum 5 voluntary organisations for funding of projects on HIV/AIDS.

"Another important task of the parliamentarians is to constitute J&K Youth Assembly which will recommend new proposals, suggestions and programmes on HIV/AIDS to the State Government for their implementation," Rashid Choudhary said.

He also informed that Dr Suzie, coordinator of ‘Young People Towards Healthy Future’, is visiting Jammu next month to inaugurate first camp of the youth parliamentarians in J&K and distribute scholarships to migrant inhabitants and under privileged students.

During the press conference, copies of the HIV/AIDS bill, drafted by youth ‘parliamentarians’ during their session at New Delhi, last week, were also distributed.

Kashyap Mahasabha holds community meet

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 21: Akhil Bharatiya Kashyap Mahasabha in a meeting held at Central hall of the Sabha, discussed various issues pertaining to the organisation and community welfare here today.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Master Chaman Lal Dogra. All the activists of the Sabha and several prominent members of the community participated in the meeting. Several speakers in the meeting offered valuable suggestions for the upliftment and development of the Kashyap community.

Master Dogra expressed serious concern over the backwardness and stressed the need for good education and unity in the community. He asked the educated members of the community to serve their people and guide them for better future and development.

He appealed the members of all the units of the Kashyap Sabha to launch welfare measures and pay attention towards the plight of the community. The burning problems of the community, jobs and evils spreading in the society should the top priority.

Prominent among those who attended the meeting include—Ashok Kumar, Gyan Chand, Mohan Lal, Bahadur Singh, Raj Kumar, Mangat Ram, Parveen Kumar, Babu Ram, Sat Paul, Hans Raj, Krishan Lal, Ravi Kumar, Shusheel Kumar, Sham Lal, Yogeshwar, Somnath, Karam Chand, Bal Krishan, Om Parkash, Rajesh Kumar and others.

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