Dogra was opposed to sending Maharaja in exile: Prof. Chaman

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 23: If any heed would have been paid to the apprehensions voiced by the great visionary, Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, there would have been no complex problems in Kashmir, thousands of human lives would have been saved and lakhs of natives would not have to migrate the Valley to become refugees in their own country as also there would have been no destruction over the years.
This was stated by the former Union Minister, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta while paying tributes to Pandit Dogra on the eve of his 135th birth day. He said that Pandit Ji was a great patriot and had unflinching faith in the unity of the country and was opposed to any kind of division or differential treatment to Kashmir as also elsewhere on basis of religion or creed as India was having so many faiths to worship the God.
He also recalled that Pt Prem Nath Dogra opposed the move to put the Maharaja of the State in exile irrespective of the fact that J&K had legally come to be the part of Indian Union and the Indian Army could come to the State to push back the invaders only after the Maharaja had signed the Instrument of Accession.
Pandit Ji, he said sought the same treatment to Maharaja Hari Singh but was dubbed as an agent of the dynastic rule. So on other frivolous charges were levelled and Pandit Ji was put to jail at Srinagar to face the vagaries of the weather. And he was released after eight months after Satyagrah Movement and intervention of some Central leaders.
The legendry unyielding Pandit Dogra, Prof. Gupta said, ” faced the wrath of despotic rulers with great perseverance and continued his struggle against the designs of separatism.
He said that Pandit Ji was opposed to that of obnoxious Article 370 and was of the opinion that any evil could be opted but it is difficult to get rid of any wrong. However the then Prime Minister, Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, Prof. Gupta recalled had assured the agitated nationalists leaders that this was just a temporary measure and would wither away with the passage of time but the time has vindicated the apprehensions of Pandit Dogra and Nehru could not Visualized what Pandit Ji meant.
Prof. Gupta also said that because of the great struggle of Pandit Dogra led Praja Parishad and supreme sacrifices of the patriotic youths and above all that of Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherji, several walls of separatism between the State and rest of India have been demolished.

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