First time after 1947 Govt acknowledged Jammu’s emotions, sentiments: Team Jammu

Preparations going on to pay befitting tributes to Maharaja Hari Singh

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: Hailing the decision of the administration of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to declare September 23 as a public holiday as a mark of respect for last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, Chairman of Team Jammu Zorawar Singh Jamwal on Tuesday said that first-time after 1947 government at the helm of the affairs respected aspirations and emotions of the residents of Jammu Province.
“The historic decision by LG Administration is a beginning and has vindicated the stand of Team Jammu taken in 2015, that a day would not be far when, J&K’s narrative would be set from Jammu,” said Team Jammu chief Zorawar Singh Jamwal while addressing the volunteers, during the meeting, convened for mass mobilization of general public to make September 23 as grand celebration in every nook and corner of Jammu region. Youngest DDC Member, Pancheri-Moungri and volunteer of Team Jammu, Jasvir Singh also attended the meeting and expressed his views.
“Although Maharaja Hari Singh is respected across J&K for taking pro-people initiatives during his regime, emotions of the residents of Jammu region are attached with the last ruler of the Dogra dynasty”, Zorawar Singh said and added, “First-time after 1947 residents of Jammu are feeling that those at the helm of the affairs have respected their sentiments and emotions.” He, however, regretted that the successive democratically elected regime of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir overlooked peoples’ emotions just for petty political reasons.
Team Jammu chief said that this year September 23 would be celebrated in a big way to give befitting tributes to Maharaja Hari Singh who merged the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir with the Indian Union on October 26, 1947, by signing the “Instrument of Accession”. He recalled that since its inception Team Jammu has been celebrating September 23 through different means to remain people about the contribution of Maharaja Hari Singh.
“Taking a big initiative, Team Jammu on December 31, 2016 had issued the first calendar in which September 23 was declared as a holiday”, he said, adding, “Since then every year calendar depicting September 23 as a holiday is issued by the Team Jammu with a pledge to continue our struggle for getting an official holiday on the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh”.
He further mentioned it was the initiative of Team Jammu that members of all other communities be it traders, social organizations or student groups were involved to make this issue as a demand and mass movement of the entire Dogra community irrespective of caste, creed or colour. Zorawar Singh also highlighted that Team Jammu has been supporting the youth leaders of Yuva Rajput Sabha, who were spearheading the agitation.
“Since its inception, Team Jammu distributing Halwa and taking the pledge is a regular annual programme of our organization”, he said.