Separate Jammu State with article 371 is the need of the hour: Ch Lal Singh
KATHUA August 27 : Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan Party organized a One-Day Seminar on the topic The Jammu State: Reclaiming the Lost Identity of Jammu (A Faithful Blend of Local and National Interest) at E Square Banquet Hall, Opposite Kartar Public School, Barnoti Kathua. The seminar was attended by prominent lawyers, intellectuals, social activists, retired Army Officers, leading businessmen, politicians, and prominent members of the civil society of district Kathua.
Dr Hari Dutt Shishu, general Secretary of the organisation, in his opening remarks of the seminar spoke about the significance of the series of seminars organised by DSSP to bring various serious stakeholders from Jammu Province to to a platform to discuss various issues facing people of Jammu and the ways in which their lost political as well as socio,-cultural rights can be restored. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Arvinder Singh Amn, former Additional secretary, J and K Academy for Art Culture and Languages emphasized the preservation of languages, cultural practices of people of Jammu to strengthen their sense of belongingness and identity. Dr Pardeep Kumar, a professor from University of Jammu, stated that the regions like Doda, Bhaderwah, Ramban, Poonch and Rajouri, have increasingly been sidelined and ignored by different local and national goverments by dividing them on the name of region, religion and language. There is a need, he said, of an inclusive approach by ensuring the equal development of the regions of Doda, Kistwar, Poonch and Rajouri.
Ch Lal Singh, Chairperson, Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan, in his presidential remarks stressed that people from all the regions of Jammu including erstwhile Doda district, Poonch and Rajouri must come together for the demand for a separate Jammu State with article 371. The privileges like dogra certificate was a unique symbol of regional identity of people of Jammu which was snatched from them. The Jammu State, said Ch Lal Singh, has to be developed as a purely tourist state with emphasis on horticulture, agriculture, power generation and spices. Ch Lal Singh further said that the exploitation of natural resources should be stopped immediately and the land rights and jobs should be protected by the Govt. The illegal toll collection at Sarore continues and there is no road and young boys are arrested when they raise their voice in democratic manner. He further said the demand of the DSSP is to separate Jammu state with article 371. Rajinder Singh Babbi, MC Kathua, Advocate B.B. Mahajan, Advocate Kirti Bhushan, Brigadier Dr Vijay Sagar Dheman, Advocate BS Jamwal also spoke on the occasion.
