Jammu, Dec 29: Cadres of IkkJutt Jammu, Yuva Rajput Sabha and Shiv Sena gathered today at Tawi Main Bridge near Maharaji Hari Singh Ji’s Statute and cautioned the Govt for facing natural and probable consequences if demand for Holiday on 23rd September (Maharaja Hari Singh Ji’s Birth Anniversary) is not conceded soon. Ankur Sharma President IkkJutt Jammu emphasised that it was the just hope and aspiration of the people of Jammu province that the authorities in the UT of J&K, which in 2020 declared the Accession Day on October 26 a state holiday, will also appreciate Jammu’s sentiment and declare Maharaja Hari Singh’s birthday, September 23, as a state holiday. That the authorities under the baneful influence of elements in the establishment and outside didn’t respect the Jammu sentiment by not including September 23 as a state holiday in the official calendar for 2022 has only shocked the people of Jammu province. The authorities must review their whole stand and concede the popular demand in Jammu seeking state holiday on the birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh. This was stated here today at a joint press conference by Ankur Sharma, President IkkJutt Jammu, Rajan Singh Happy, President Yuva Rajput Sabha; Raghubir Singh Chairman YRS, Manish Sawhney President Shiv Sena J&K Unit and Ajay Singh Saini President IkkJutt Jammu Yuva.
Ankur Sharma said that the strategic border state of J&K has been within India because of Maharaja Hari Singh, who had defeated all the conspirators in Kashmir and Delhi and forced the Nehru Government to accept his accession offer on October 26, 1947. It would be in the fitness of things if the authorities appreciated this fact, recognized the splendid contributions of Maharaja Hari Singh and declared September 23 as a day of celebrations and thanks-giving, he further said. He added that such a gesture would go a long way in defeating the age-old Kashmir Jihad and inspiring the younger generation not only in J&K but also across India.
Elaborating on the issue Ankur Sharma said that vested interests in the state and at the Centre – instead of recognizing the spectacular contributions of Maharaja Hari Singh and giving him a proper place in the history of Indian integration — always ignored him to appease the separatists in Kashmir. The history books and authorities in the state should have ensured that our younger generations were taught that Maharaja Hari Singh declared that “my religion is justice”; that he opposed the British rule and demanded independence for India; that he promoted education, agriculture and other public-utility sectors; that he was a social reformer par excellence; that he granted proprietary rights to farmers; that he abolished untouchability; that he established High Court of Judicature and Judicial Advisory Board; that he established Praja Sabha (Assembly); that he declared as illegal the marriages of boys and girls under the age of 18 and 14, respectively; that he opened temples and wells to all, but it was not to be, said Ankur Sharma.
Rajan Singh Happy and Raghubir Singh added that, the vested interests in the government and education department painted Maharaja Hari Singh Black and exploited his State Subject laws to hurt India and the people of J&K State, especially the Hindus and the Sikhs. “Maharaja Hari Singh had adopted State Subject laws in 1927 to prevent the entry into J&K State of those Muslims from Punjab and British India, who had been supporting the Kashmir Jihad against the Dogra rule and the Dogras and demanding that all the posts in the government from the post of Governor to the post of a peon must be reserved for Kashmiri Muslims,” he said. He added that the Muslim leadership in Kashmir had consistently and vehemently opposed the Maharaja Hari Singh’s State Subject laws and tore into the Kashmiri Abdullahs, the Muftis, the Bukharis, the Tarigamis, the Lones and others of their ilk who want the restoration of the State Subject Laws so that they could misuse them and jeopardize the national cause in the UT.
Manish Sawhney expressed the hope that the authorities will look all these facts in the face and declare September 23 as a State Holiday in thememory of Maharaja Hari Singh. …warned the authorities that they would face the wrath of the enraged people of Jammu province if they failed to appreciate and concede their demand.
