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| Political compulsions impel Kashmiri leadership away from official function | | Unveiling of Maharaja Hari Singh's statue | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Apr 1: Even as long awaited unveiling of the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh at Tawi Bidge on Sunday was an official government function, yet entire Kashmiri leadership, including ministers of the National Conference, and the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah himself were conspicuous by their absence, or more appropriately had timed their absence from the function owing to obvious political compulsions.
While the long pending demand of the people of Jammu was met as the former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad unveiled the statue of the last ruler of the state who occupies a significant place in the realms of the history of the state, the Kashmiri leadership was ensuring that it did not hurt the sentiments of its vote bank in the valley by staying away from the official function.
Maharaja Hari Singh, the last ruler of the state who signed the instrument of accession making the state of Jammu and Kashmir an inseparable part of the union of India is revered in the Duggar land, but has historically been projected as a Hindu tyrant in Kashmir, who made Muslim majority state of Jammu and Kashmir a part of Hindu Indian state. The void in perception with regards to the Maharaja in Jammu and Kashmir regions can be gauged from the fact that the state celebrates Martyrs day even today to remembers those who were killed in the uprising against 'Tyrant Dogra Rule' and those who participated in the uprising are termed as 'freedom fighters' and get pensions from the government. Further, while Jammu celebrates anniversary of accession as Integration Day, it is celebrated as Black Day in the valley. Interestingly, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had himself challenged the accession of the state to the union of India the previous year from the floor of the legislative Assembly. MLAs of the opposition PDP also kept off the function lest their presence invited the wrath of their vote bank in the valley.
It is ironical that while statues of many a personalities were installed in the main rotaries of the city in recent years including those of Gen. Zorawar Singh, Mahatma Gandhi, Gen Bikram Singh, Brig. Rajinder Singh, Swami Vivekanand, Jai Prakash Narayan, Girdhari Lal Dogra, Subhash Chander Bose, Mian Dido, BR Ambedakar and others, the statue of one of the most towering personalities of state's history had to wait so long. The Amar Kshatriya Rajput Sabha had long been demanding that a statue of the benevolent ruler be installed in the city. "We express our gratitude to the government that they conceded to our long pending demand for installing a statue of Maharaja Hari Singh" said Narayan Singh, president of the sabha. |
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