Accession Day celebrated with great fanfare, enthusiasm across J&K

BJP leaders garlanding statue of Maharaja Hari Singh at Jammu (R) and party activists celbrating Accession Day at Srinagar (L). -Excelsior/Rakesh & Shakeel
BJP leaders garlanding statue of Maharaja Hari Singh at Jammu (R) and party activists celbrating Accession Day at Srinagar (L). -Excelsior/Rakesh & Shakeel

BJP, YRS, others pay glowing tribute to Maharaja, Brig Rajinder Singh

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Oct 26: BJP celebrated the Accession Day with great zeal and enthusiasm across J&K today. The party held a grand function at Maharaja Hari Singh Park here.
Speaking on the occasion UT president J&K BJP, Ravinder Raina said “”Entire J&K and Ladakh is an integral part of India and we shall retrieve our regions”, .
On the occasion the National Flag was also hoisted on the occasion while paying glorious tributes to the great Maharaja.

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MP Jugal Kishore Sharma, former Dy CM Dr. Nirmal Singh, former Dy CM Kavinder Gupta, former MP Shamsher Singh Manhas, former Minister, Sat Sharma, former MLC, Ashok Khajuria, vice-president Sham Sharma, vice-president, Yudhvir Sethi, former Minister, Bali Bhagat, JMC Mayor, Rajinder Sharma, Ramesh Arora, Girdhari Lal Raina, former Mayor Chander Mohan Gupta, Dy Mayor, Baldev Billawaria, Veenu Khanna, Rekha Mahajan, Sunil Sethi, Abhinav Sharma, Rajni Sethi, Sanjay Baru, Dr. Pardeep Mahotra, Sanjita Dogra, Arun Dev, DDC Suresh Sharma, Prem Gupta, Bawa Sharma, Rajinder Chib, Vinay Gupta, Munish Khajuria and other senior party leaders were also present on the occasion.
Ravinder Raina said that the whole J&K is celebrating this Day as it has come after supreme sacrifices by nationalist forces in the erstwhile State of J&K. ”Vijay Diwas is like Republic and Independence Day for us as this was the Day when the Maharaja Hari Singh took a bold and historic decision and made J&K an integral part of India. He added that the Instrument of Accession signed by Maharaja was full and final in which he united the whole of Jammu & Kashmir with the rest of India. Some parts of Jammu and Kashmir are still under the illegal occupation of Pakistan and China and the day is not far when we will hoist the Tricolour there as well,” he said and added that Congress ditched Maharaja and the State of Jammu & Kashmir.
Jugal Kishore Sharma said the Accession Day is a very important day for us. He said that the Day marks the signing of the Instrument of Accession by the Maharaja with the Governor General of India, Lord Moutbatten, on October 26, 1947 to join the then dominion of India. Dr. Nirmal Singh remembered the important role played by the Maharaja Hari Singh and chain of events during the unification of J&K with dominion of India and the negative role of the then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and sheikh Abdullah.
Sat Sharma attributed the free atmosphere of present J&K to the great vision of Maharaja Hari Singh . He said the present dispensation under PM Modi strengthened J&K and the country.
Thakur Narayan Singh organized the programme and also carried out the programme proceedings.
The BJP also celebrated the Day at Srinagar where its activists led by party general secretary and in charge Kashmir Sunil Sharma and party senior leader Altaf Thakur were seen bursting crackers and dancing.
Talking to reporters Sunil Sharma termed the Accession Day has a great historical significance. He paid great tributes to Maqbool Sherwani and Major Som Nath Sharma the great martyrs who laid down their lives in fighting the Pak raiders.
Altaf Thakur said that J&K is integral part of India and people of J&K feel proud of being part of the largest democracy of the world.
Yuva Rajput Sabha (YRS) organized various functions in Jammu today to celebrate the Accession Day and highlighted the historic role of Maharaja Hari Singh and supreme sacrifices made by Dogra warriors led by Brig Rajinder Singh in fighting the Pak invaders during their raid in 1947.
The Sabha held a grand function at Tawi bridge here where the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh was profusely garlanded by the activists of the Sabha led by its president Rajan Singh Happy.
He paid glowing tributes to Maharaja Hari Singh and said with the signing of instrument of Accession Maharaja Hari Singh took a bold and courageous decision of joining the Indian Union.
On the occasion the Sabha organised a bhandara and served prashad to the people.
Another function was organized at Brig. Rajinder Singh Chowk in the evening by the Sabha where Happy and his colleagues paid rich tributes to this great son of the soil. He said with 100 soldiers Brig Rajinder Singh repulsed Pak raiders and fought them till they attained supreme sacrifice.
He regretted that the Government has not done enough in remembering these great warriors of the J&K and demanded that Brig Rajinder Singh be conferred the Bharat Ratna as he deserves it.
The Maharaja Gulab Singh Brigade (MGSB) celebrated the 76th Accession Day with gaiety and enthusiasm at Maharaja Hari Singh Park.
The function was organised by the members of the Brigade under the leadership of Anil Singh Rakwal, working president MGSB who along with Tarsem Singh and Atul Sharma (vice presidents), Rajeshwar Singh Bikka (Executive Committee Member), social activist Abhinav Anand, Ranjeet Singh, Sumit Singh, Vishav Singh and Udhayveer Singh paid floral tributes to the erstwhile ruler of J&K Maharaja Hari Singh.
They recalled yeomen services of Maharaja to the society during his tenure more so statesmanship shown by the legal heir of Jammu Kashmir Ladakh, Ashkurdu Baluchistan and beyond by signing instrument of final accession with the Union of India to integrate fully the vast Northern State bordering China, Iran and Afghanistan.
Sanjeevani Sharda Kendra (SSK) Anand Nagar Bohri celebrated the Accession Day in its premises today. B.L. Saraf (Retd) District and Session Judge was the chief guest whereas Vikas Sharma, Chairman Adhivakta Parishad was guest of honour.
Dr M.K.Bharat chairman SSK while welcoming the guests detailed about the importance of the Accession Day with a beautiful Hindi poem.
B.L. Saraf threw light on the historical relationship of Jammu & Kashmir with India. He emphasised that the delay in signing the Instrument of Accession by Maharaja Hari Singh was due to the prevailing situation at the time of partition of India.
Vikas Sharma talked about the history of Hari Singh and informed the audience that Maharaja was made the Commander-In-Chief at young age. He highlighted the contribution of Maharaja in the development of State.
The proceedings were conducted by Dr. M T. K. Dhar. The function ended with singing of National Anthem
Meanwhile, Amar Balidan Trust activists keeping the tradition alive visited the Rajinder Singhpora the native village of Brig Rajinder Singh today and paid homage to this great son of the soil. The team was led by R K Bhat. They along with local residents paid floral tributes to Brig Rajinder Singh.
Secretary S K Bhat explained how Brig Rajinder Singh laid down his life to facilitate the Instrument of Accession with Indian Union.
Accession Day was also celebrated by Jammu Province People’s Forum (JPPF) by organizing a grand function at its Head Office, Talab Tillo near here. Pavitar Singh (retd. Judge) while talking to media persons said “Rhetoric criticism of Jammu Kashmir accession with India by Kashmiri leaders necessitated need of celebration of accession, and we are proud to proclaim JPPF’s initiative started in 2010 is widely celebrated today not in J&K only but outside also, he also complimented the Government for granting holiday on this occasion which will facilitate public to join the celebrations comfortably”.
Many prominent personalities of Jammu province namely M.S Katoch, Inderjeet Khajuria, Resham Singh Jamwal (vice president JPPF), Avinash Bhatia, Balwan Singh, Prof O P Sharma, P C Sharma, Ram Ratan Sharma, Ram Singh Slathia, Surinder Vir, Abhimanyu Katoch spoke on the occasion.
J&K National Panthers Party (JKNPP) celebrated Accession Day at its party Head Office Gandhi Nagar. Panthers’ leaders paid floral tributes to Maharaja Hari Singh who took the decision to sign the Instrument of Accession with the Union of India. Vilakshan Singh, president of J&K NPP while speaking on the occasion said that it was because of Maharaja Hari Singh that J&K became part of India.
The Panthers Party expressed gratitude to the Indian Army who had reached Baramulla after the J&K Army had continued fighting despite losing hundreds of J&K Army soldiers.
Sunil Dimple president Mission Statehood Jammu Kashmir celebrated Accession Day. He led a communal harmony, brotherhood rally and protest march on Amphalla, New Plot -Janipur High Court road also.
In his address Dimple registered a strong protest against the BJP for demolition of the State created by Maharaja Hari Singh , demoting, and dividing it into union territories, scrapping all the laws, conditions of accession and the instrument of accession signed by Maharaja on the Accession Day.
Accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India is undisputed and final said Democratic Azad Party (DAP) Peer Panjal Zone Committee, Member and former legislator, Ashok Sharma, while talking to the activists of the party in a simple celebration on the occasion of “Accession Day” here today.
Sharma, while paying homage to the late Maharaj Hari Singh, who signed the instrument of Accession said that the Maharaj was true nationalist and savior of Jammu and Kashmir.
To Commemorate the Accession Day, NSS unit (IMDAD ) of GDC Darhal organised an online National Anthem Singing Contest with the aim to create a sense of patriotism and unity among the youth towards their country in which NSS volunteers of the College participated with great zeal, fervor and enthusiasm. The first position was shared by Waqar Ahmed and Mehboob Sadeeq of B.A Semester second position was secured by Rabia Kosser of B.A Semester 2nd while the third position was secured by Alina Anjum of B.A Semester 2nd.
The whole event was conducted under the guidance of Prof Mussaraf Hussain Shah, Principal of the College. While speaking on the occasion he said that 26 October is a red letter day in Indian history. On this day in 1947 the then ruler of the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir finally signed the Instrument of Accession (IOA) paving way for merger of the Princely State with India.
Batwal Youth Development Committee held a brief function at Surya Vihar to celebrate the Accession Day. The function was headed by Tilak Raj Bassa and Subash Chander Lakhotra. The function started with singing of National Anthem and gathering paid glowing tributes to Maharaja Hari Singh and Brig, Rajinder Singh on the occasion.
J&K Private School Association organised a programme at Udhampur under the leadership of R P Sharma to celebrate the Accession Day. On the occasion general secretary JKPSA, Ajay Gupta was a special invitee who narrated the untold history which was hidden and skewed by the nefarious elements of erstwhile State and Government of India before abrogation of Article 370.
DPA leader Thakur Balwan Singh also paid glowing tributes to Maharaja Hari Singh and Brig Rajinder Singh during a programme held in connection with celebration of Accession Day today.