Will now fight to ensure history of Dogras in curriculum: YRS
Jammu Tawi, Sep 23: A large number of enthusiasts on Friday took out parades across the city to celebrate the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of Jammu and Kashmir.
The main event was held at Maharaja Hari Singh's statue near Tawi Bridge, where a large celebratory procession led by Yuva Rajput Sabha paid glowing tributes to Maharaja Hari Singh.
Members of the Rajput community on two-wheelers, tractors, cars and even horses took out victory processions from the Ban Talab area of the city outskirts.
Adorning colourful turbans and holding flags of their organisation, several members of the in these rallies raised slogans glorifying Maharaja Hari Singh and brandished swords as part of the celebrations. Several gunshots were also heard during the rally.
On the other hand, people at large faced immense hardship of the worst traffic snarl as the celebrations were primarily centralized at Tawi Bridge that has put life to a grinding halt.
The commuters had to face traffic jam right from Satwari-Digiana to BC Road-Fly-over, from Bohri-Talab Tillo to Narwal Chowk as the celebrations were going on mainly over the Tawi Bridge to celebrate the first holiday declared on the Birth Anniversary late Maharaja Hari Singh.
Long queues of vehicles stranded in miles and the worst traffic snarls were witnessed all over the city the entire day. In the evening, commuters had yet to face massive traffic jams in the town. The traffic police had to divert the vehicles to alternative routes while those directed ways too were choked. Many commuters took alternate routes passing through narrow residential lanes that were a terrible experience.
“Our continuous agitation yielded results and the government has announced a holiday on the birth anniversary of the Maharaja after 75 years,” said Rajan Singh Happy, president YRS.
He thanked everyone who had supported the agitations and said that next movement is to ensure the chapters on Dogra warriors including Maharaja Gulab Singh, Former Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, General Zorawar Singh , Maharaja Partap Singh and Maharaja Hari Singh in school curriculum from next academic session.
The Lieutenant Governor Administration had recently declared the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh, which falls on September 23, as an annual holiday in the Union Territory.
The celebrations started with the great grandsons of Maharaja Hari Singh, Vikramaditya Singh and Ajatshatru Singh offering prayers at the Bawe Wali Temple and Ranbireshwar Temple in the city early in the morning.
“We want to congratulate the people of Jammu and Kashmir on the 127th birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh ji. Grant of holiday on his birth anniversary is a victory for all the people of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the youth of Jammu,” grandson of Maharaja Hari Singh and former legislator Vikramaditya told reporters.
The celebrations by the Yuva Rajput Sabha (YRS) that began on Thursday night continued on Friday as a large number of their members assembled at Tawi Bridge and Maharaja Hari Singh Park to pay tributes.
At the Tawi bridge, the BJP leadership led by its president, Ravinder Raina danced to tunes of drum beats amid slogans of ‘Maharaja Hari Singh amar rahe'. Sweets were also distributed among the people while medical camps were organised at several places in the city.
Congress party led by its working president Raman Bhalla also took part in the celebrations and asserted that it was time for the central government to fulfil another demand of restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.
Former minister and MP Choudhary Lal Singh also took out a victory rally and said it was time to fight for restoring Jammu and Kashmir's statehood. Senior BJP leader Rajeev Charak led the celebrations at Bahu Fort-Gujjar Nagar Bridge.
Reports of similar celebrations were also held in Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar and Rajouri districts. In Kathua, some public transporters offered free travel to passengers as a tribute to the Maharaja.
