Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 15: Vice Chancellor of Jammu University, Prof Umesh Rai today inaugurated a three-day national seminar on “Revisiting of Life and Legacy of Maharaja Gulab Singh”.
The event is being organized by the Department of History, University of Jammu in collaboration with Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), Jammu Kashmir Study Centre and Maharaja Gulab Singh Research Centre.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Umesh Rai stressed that there was a dire need to rewrite the history of Jammu and Kashmir in general and of Maharaja Gulab Singh in particular. “Such deliberations bring out new facts and stereotyping notions about the history of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said and added that such exercises can become instrumental in reshaping Jammu and Kashmir.
The keynote address was presented by Ashutosh Bhatnagar, Director JKSC, who spoke about Jammu and Kashmir being an integral part of India and its strategic importance and how Maharaja Gulab Singh and his generals reclaimed the cultural frontiers of India. He went on to emphasize the necessity of situating the history of this region in the larger perspective.
The presidential remarks were presented by Prof Raghuvendra Tanwar, chairman ICSR. He stressed upon revisiting the history of Jammu and Kashmir, and emphasized the need for rewriting it. He also underlined the fact that ICHR is engaged in the reconstruction of the history of the region and its proper production for the citizens of India.
Earlier, the theme of the seminar was introduced by Prof Shyam Narayan Lal, Director Seminar, who gave a description of the lasting legacy of Maharaja Gulab Singh and his contributions in the formation of erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir and how this role has been neglected in the larger historical discourse.
Prof Shyam Narayan also talked about the seminal contributions of Maharaja Gulab Singh in reckoning traditional boundaries of India, especially Mansarovar, which has always been an integral part of the sacred geography of Indian civilization.
Prof Suman Jamwal, HoD History presented the welcome address and introduced the dignitaries.
The inaugural session was concluded by Dr Madhulika Singh, who presented a vote of thanks.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
