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| The valiant Maharaja Hari Singh "As a ruler justice is my religion" | | editorial | |
The 112th birthday (111th birth centenary) of valiant Maharaja Hari
Singh, the last Dogra ruler of J&K state falls today, the 23rd
September. On this occasion, as an annual ritual, Amar Khashatray
Rajput Sabha is celebrating the occasion at their Raj Tilak head
quarters, where a few members of Rajput community alone and perhaps a
handful of other prominent citizens will gather to pay tributes to the
man who has a remarkable place in the history of Jammu and Kashmir and
who for his historic role played during his 22 years rule, in the
social, political and administrative fields, deserves recognition and
applause. Another function this year is being organized by Maharaja
Hari Singh Education and Social Foundation at SPM Rajput High School,
where his statue will be unveiled by Gen. S.K. Sinha, the Governor of
the State. Because of his qualities of head and heart as a person as
well as a ruler, his political sagacity, revolutionary decisions,
ahead of the times for the rulers of the princely states, under
British rule in India, Hari Singh deserves much higher tributes and
recognition cutting across the communities and castes in the state as
a whole and particularly in Jammu region, the land of Dogras, whom he
brought pride by taking historical decisions at the right moments,
disregarding his personal interests. Hari Singh does not belong to and
does not stand as an ideal figure for the Rajput community alone. He
is the pride of Dogras and Jammuites as a whole and hence his birth
anniversary every year needs be celebrated on a grand scale by the
people belonging to all the communities and sections in the state,
which he ruled most judiciously and efficiently, bringing in several
social and administrative reforms. His memorial, raised after 55 years
of his death, in the form of a statue, at a secluded place is a poor
excuse for recognition of his role. He deserves a befitting memorial
on a much grander scale at a highly central place in the winter
capital of J&K state, where the people at large hold him at high
esteem. The maharaja who on ascending the throne in 1925 declared that
all the religions are his own and as a ruler his religion is justice
(to his subjects), steadfastly stood by his profession and treated all
his subjects equally irrespective of their religions, castes and
communities. In view of the backwardness of Muslims in the state and
particularly in Kashmir, the Maharaja gave them the special
concessions in the fields of education and services to bring them at
par with their Hindu counter parts. Alas! He became victim of the
British conspiracy who instigated dissention against him among a
section of his Muslim subjects, under the leadership of Sheikh
Mohammad Abdullah and others, making them as tools in their game plan
to further their imperialistic designs in J&K state. Maharaja Hari
Singh who played a historic and revolutionary role in the Round Table
Conference in London, by openly supporting the Congress demand for
self rule in India, knowing well that materialization of this dream
will go against his interest as a ruler, was unfortunately treated
shabbily by the Congress rulers after country's independence and J&K
accession entered into by him. He was not only deposed, but also
forced to abdicates his state, to satisfy Pandit Nehru's obsession for
Sheikh Abdullah and his biased mind set against Hari Singh. Not only
this Hari Singh has been much maligned, denied appreciation for all
the good things he did and blamed for all the wrongs, which he never
committed.
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