Jammu, October 28: The joining of hands by Kashmiri Pandits and Dogras’ of Jammu living in United Kingdom to create awareness among British Parliamentarians about the ground realities of Jammu and Kashmir by organizing the first ever historic seminar commemorating the 68th year of the signing of the Instrument of Accession of Jammu & Kashmir to the Union of India by the then Maharaja Hari Singh is a right step in the right direction and needs more follow-ups across the globe in other Western countries to remove the misconception created by biased media and Pakistani propaganda around the World.
The seminar jointly organized by the Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society and Voice of Dogras was supported by All Party Parliamentary Group for British Hindus led by Bob Blackman, MP. It was the first ever attempt in the UK that saw the coming together of Kashmiri Hindus and Dogras from Jammu in highlighting the accession of Jammu & Kashmir to the Union of India in 1947 and the ratification of this decision in 1954 in the State Assembly establishing the finality of the decision made by the Maharaja.
It was also perhaps for the first time that Kashmiri Pandits and Dogras of Jammu joined hands outside the country to tell the truth about J&K to the world and needs appreciation as it is Kashmiri Pandits and Dogras who are not only the real stakeholders of the state but also the original aborigines of the state who have been sidelined till now by the successive governments and the powers that be.
It was a welcome step and should be followed up by organizing such seminars around the world in other Parliaments and Senates like USA, Australia, Germany and other influential countries to tell the world what the real stakeholders of the state think about the accession and how the problem can be resolved.
While Kashmiri Pandits have faced forced exile from their birthplace and the land that belongs to them Dogras of Jammu have been discriminated right from the day Instrument of Accession was signed by sidelining them in every decision making process thereby creating a super political class of Kashmiris’ who have been ruling the roost till now even though the new government is an exception.
What we need to emulate is to join hands here in Jammu and rest of India to give support to our brethren outside the country and appreciate their efforts that will have long term effect if followed up with similar seminars continuously across the globe.
The representatives from across the Jammu & Kashmir and some parts of India and abroad participated in this historic seminar while Bob Blackman MP, Chair APPG for British Hindus hosted the seminar along with Lord Popat of Harrow, Virendra Sharma MP – Vice Chair, APPG for British Hindus & Chair, APPG for India, P K Patel, Ist Secretary, High Commission of India and various community leaders and representatives.
Speaking on the occasion Lakshmi Kaul, Founder of Kashmiri Pandits Cultural Society highlighted the significance and need for conducting this seminar in the UK saying, “In the UK as well as other parts of Europe there is a growing anti-India lobby that is making people believe that Kashmiris’ want the right of self-determination. This lobby has targeted and attempted to eliminate the very identity of any other minority communities in the region”.
Prof Harbans Singh Sambyal spoke at length on the misconceptions surrounding the background of the Accession. He explained the diversity of the State in geographical, cultural and religious aspects making the decision to accede to one or the other dominion difficult and added, “The State had been peaceful for a century till Pakistan who depended on communal polarization stoked communal violence at the border. The hordes of refugees coming into the State incited further communal frenzy. The Maharaja wanted to wait to take a decision in calmer times but Pakistan jumped the gun and attacked Jammu Kashmir. Maharaja Hari Singh knew that if the minorities of the State had to be protected, the Kashmiri Pandits and Sikhs of the Valley, Buddhists of Ladakh and Hindus from Jammu Kashmir must accede to India which had adopted a secular Constitution. Hence the accession was the only, just and final decision.”
At Earth News we congratulate the people behind the initiative and extend our full help in whatsoever way they need to create awareness among the world leaders and expose Pakistani propaganda about J&K to mislead the world about the ground realities of Jammu and Kashmir.