 Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 26: The 72nd anniversary of this seminal event was celebrated in two cities-London and Jammu-in events organized by Voice of Dogras (VoD), an NGO working towards upliftment of Dogra culture.
"The events leading to this day and the long-term implications of it, which includes our proud citizenship to the Indian nation is not given due attention and often misrepresented. Due to this, the immense contributions and sacrifice of many JKians including Maharaja Hari Singh, in making Jammu & Kashmir an integral part of India is overlooked. To address this, VoD organised the commemoration of the 71st year of the signing of Instrument of Accession," said Manu Khajuria, founder director of VoD.
The event in London was organised in the House of Commons in UK Parliament on 25th October 2018. The event was hosted by Labour MP Virender Sharma with support of Bob Blackman, a Conservative Member of Parliament, England. A well-researched documentary, detailing events and complexities leading to the signing of Instrument of Accession, was also screened as part of presentation made by Manu Khajuria and Dr Chandan Kotwal, a member of Kashmiri Pandit Community. The documentary will be soon made public for the benefit of the people.
"We will be marking this as J&K state day since it was on this day since the independent princely state of Jammu & Kashmir became a legal and integral state of Union of India," said Lalit Sharma, director of VoD. Both the MPs supported and praised the efforts of VoD to set the right narrative in a background of strong anti-India activities centered around J&K. Blackman also brought with him, for the event, the original Instrument of Accession that has been adorning the walls of his office. On 26th October, the second part of the event was held in Amar Mahal, Jammu, organized by VoD Jammu Team Leaders Sahil Verma and Vaibhav Sharma. The venue, Durbar Hall, accommodated an enthusiastic audience over double its capacity. An enriching and rare discussion on the Instrument of Accession was held by an eclectic panel moderated by Prof Dipankar Sengupta who specializes in international political economy.
The panelists came from various professions and persuasions, and included a professor of modern Indian history, Prof Shailendar Singh; Dr Mahesh Kaul, a post-doctoral fellow with Indian Council of Philosophical Research, and poet, writer and veterinary doctor, Dr Radhika Sharma. Maj Gen Goverdhan Singh Jamwal was presented with "Sirmaur Dogra", a lifetime achievement award in recognition for his service to the state. This award was presented by Mr Devraj Gupta, Father of Martyr Capt Tushar Mahajan. The event concluded with Dr Karan Singh's message, especially penned for the occasion. "… I send my warm greetings to the entire team at Voice of Dogras. I appreciate the initiative of Voice of Dogras and their partners towards highlighting the significance of this day around the world," Dr Singh's message read. His son, Vikramaditya Singh was also in the audience along with many respectable members of the Jammu civil society and youth. |
