Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 21: With active participation of Arya Pratinidhi Sabha J&K and Ved Prachar Mandal, Rajouri, Arya Samaj Jammu organized “Vir Ram Chander Shaheedi Mela” at village Batehra near Akhnoor, to pay homage to the first and the only Shaheed from the State who sacrificed his life to protect the honour and social status of Dalits.
Vir Ram Chander, resident of Hiranagar, was posted at that time at Akhnoor. He was a staunch follower of Maharishi Dayanand Sarswati, a great saint and social reformer of 19th century. He was greatly impressed by the Arya Samaj movement and was very much worried about the worst social conditions of Dalits. This was the reason for which the people of upper caste were after the blood of Vir Ram Chander and on January 20, 1983, he was mercilessly beaten up to death by some upper caste people.
The day started with pious Yagya in the morning followed by tributes to Shaheed Vir Ram Chander by Bharat Bhushan Arya, president, Arya Pratinidhi Sabha J&K, Dr Ved Kumari, a renowned scholar, Justice ( Retd), MM Gupta, Prof Prabhushoor Arya, Brijesh Shastri, Pawan Shastri, Ashok Chaturwedi and many others. The occasion was also graced by bhajans by Pt Sukhdevpal, Sukriti Chowdhary, plays and patriotic songs by children of Arya Veerangna Dal, Kanya Vidyalaya Jammu, Vasudev Kutumbkam and Batehra School.
Arun Gupta, president, Arya Samaj, Dayanand Marg, welcomed the distinguished guests while Balwan Singh, secretary, presented vote of thanks.
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