Neha
JAMMU, Oct 4: The JKNPP today presented the Dogra Rattan Awards to five persons. The Dogra Rattan Awards Committee consisted of Prof. M.R. Puri, former Vice Chancellor (Chairman), Justice (Retd.) K.K. Gupta, (Vice-Chairman), Maj. Gen. Goverdhan Singh, noted Dogra writer and poet Padma Sachdev, Prof Champa Sharma, Abdul Ghani Goni, (former Ambassador), Balwant Thakur and JKNPP chief patron Bhim Singh (Convenor) identified the persons for the Dogra Rattan Award for 2012.
The persons selected for the Award included Vijay Kumar Chopra Editor-in-Chief Punjab Kesari Group of Newspapers, Jalandhar, Prof. Zahur-ud-Din 'Zahur' former Urdu Professor of Jammu University, Hony. Capt. S. Bana Singh PVC, Amit Dutta, noted filmmaker and Ravinder Jamwal, reputed sculptor. Significantly, the people appreciated the selection of all, barring Prof Zahur-ud-Din.
When asked the reasons behind their opposition to Prof Zahur-ud-Din, they said "while Vijay Kumar Chopra, Capt. S. Bana Singh, Amit Dutta and Ravinder Jamwal deserved the award for their contribution to their respective fields, the selection of Zahur-ud-Din stung them because of his controversial views on Jammu and Kashmir". When asked to explain further their point of view, they said that "Zahur-ud-Din, who had indirectly supported the cause of Kashmiri separatists for years, had advocated Azadi for the State some three years ago at Rajouri while participating in a function", and that "he had blamed India for all the troubles in Kashmir and accused New Delhi of not fulfilling the promises it had held out". They went on to say that "Bhim Singh insulted the entire Dogra community by selecting Zahur-ud-Din for the Dogra Rattan Award". This was their opinion.
It is for Bhim Singh and his party to appreciate or not to appreciate this sentiment of the Dogras. |
