National Seminar on General Zorawar Singh Concludes at JU

JAMMU, October 21: The two days national seminar on “General Zorawar Singh: Revisiting his Life, Legacy and Legendary Conquests of the Himalayan Territories” organized by the Department of History, University of Jammu in collaboration with the Maharaja Gulab Singh Research Centre, Jammu, concluded here today at the Brigadier Rajinder Singh Auditorium, University of Jammu. The chief guest on the occasion Padma Shri Prof. K.N Pandita said that considerable topics were discussed during the seminar. He applauded the Department of History in Jammu University and said that under the leadership of Prof. Suman Jamwal and Prof. Shyam Narayan Lal the department is working hard to acquaint the youth with the greatest warrior General Zorawar Singh as per the demand of contemporary times. 

During his presidential remarks Ashutosh Bhatnagar said, “We must preserve our history as we have no option to forget our past.” He raised question on how will we move forward if we forget our  roots. Such seminars are a reminder of the sacrifices made by our soldiers on the borders and this needs to be retold to our future generations. He emphasised that, “We need to train youth about our territories with much clarity so that the contributions made by our great warriors can be reclaimed and give them their due positions respectfully in the Indian history. Earlier, Major General Goverdhan Singh Jamwal during the seminar highlighted the shift in societal conversations by stating, “Since the 90s we witnessed a lack of discourse regarding our ancestors, but today, it’s encouraging to see that our syllabus has incorporated their stories and teachings.” Dr. Rakesh Sharma, Assistant Prof, Sardar Patel University, Himachal, shared “General Zorawar Singh kaa sudur Himalaya abhiyan” through pictures.

 Capt. Alok Bansal shared the valedictory address and said, “History is the cornerstone of establishing narratives. In the age of social media history is the casualty. He quoted Daniel Patrik Moynihan and said that “everyone is entitled to opinions but not to facts”. He asked scholars to stick to facts as history has to be objective. “Very few people outside J&K know about the phenomenal achievements of General Zorawar Singh. He should be part of folklore and people from Kashmir to Kanyakumari should know about him,” he added. Prof. Suman Jamwal presented the opening remarks during the valedictory session and said that all the sessions were very productive. She appreciated the freshness being brought forward by the scholars in terms of preservation of historical monuments and their importance in history. She further expressed her gratitude to the Army guests including, Brig. Dr. Vijay Sagar Dheman, SQN LDR Anil Sehgal, Brig. Patel, Col. Susheel, Padma Shri Prof. K.N Pandita, Ashutosh Bhatnagar, Director, Center for J&K Studies, Prof. Umesh Rai, VC, Jammu University,  Prof. Satnam Kour, Chairperson, Utsaah Club of Jammu University, participants and other university colleagues for the success of the seminar.

Prof. Shyam Narayan Lal shared the overview of the seminar and shed light on the multifaceted aspects of General Zorawar Singh’s legacy. He briefed on the different academic sessions that featured a total of 45 papers, with a significant focus on the birthplace of General Zorawar Singh, his regional affiliation, and his encounter with Maharaja Gulab Singh. He highlighted that chronological narration of the conquests of General Zorawar Singh that took the centrestage during the seminar. Prof. Shyam Lal appreciated the contributions of the participants for embracing a wider range of mythological references and constructing new arguments on the legacy of legendary General Zorawar. He added that the need of the hour is to question the established sources and venture beyond the known to unveil untapped information on General Zorawar.

The academic pannels included discussions on various topics such as, General Zorawar Singh’s Conquest of Ladakh, Balistan & Tibet, Myth and Reality: Depictions of General Zorawar Singh in Folklore & literature and Structural Remnants of General Zorawar Singh in District Reasi: Conservations & Challenges, etc.

A riveting documentary highlighting the life and achievements of General Zorawar Singh made by Sheikh Saadi, student of Department of History, Film Club, was also screened during the seminar. The aim of the documentary was to raise awareness among the people about the incredible historical figure. Dr. Anu Mankotia from the Department of History shared the vote of thanks.