Sir,
I attended 114th Dogra Sadar Sabha Annual Convention on 10th November 2018 in which Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh, a renowned columnist and former Lt Governor of Andaman-Nicobar and Pondicherry was the chief guest. The event was reported in your popular daily on 11 November. But I found no mention of chief guest’s remarks in the coverage. For me it was a treat hearing Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh, talking very high of Dogras. Hence I thought, I must say what the chief guest said. He said “I am sorry to say that the nation has not given the Dogras their due and also sorry to say that the greatest and oldest institution of Dogras, the Sadar Sabha, established in 1904, has also not mentioned much about their heritage in this function”. He further said that being a keen student of history and a writer, as a non-Dogra, he has read and written a lot about Dogras but fail to understand why Dogras themselves under-rate their heritage. “First Param Vir Chakra of India, Maj Som Nath Sharma is a Brahmin Dogra, 1st Overseas Param Vir Chakra by the UNO, Capt S S Slaria, is a Rajput Dogra, Capt Bana Singh, Param Vir Chakra, is a Sikh Dogra and ‘Dil Mange More’ fame warrior of Kargil War Capt Vikram Batra, Param Vir Chakra, is a Khatri Dogra, all this is your heritage and you seem to have forgotten it”, he stated. He further said that while we revere Maharana Pratap Singh, Chhatrapati Shivaji and Maharaja Ranjit Singh, why has the nation forgotten great empire builder Maharaja Gulab Singh and his legendary Gen Zorawar Singh, ‘the conqueror’ and Brig Rajinder Singh, ‘the Saviour of Kashmir’. While all others indeed were great warriors but they fought the adversaries within their own areas but it was Maharaja Gulab Singh and Gen Zorawar Singh who fought beyond own lands and went on conquering upto Central Asia and controlled the so called silk route. His question to Delhi was, “You claim J&K as an integral part and call it Crown of India, why do you disown the heritage of that very J&K? Why don’t you speak about those who created J&K and gave it to you”, he asked. Dogras are not only warriors but have great distinctions in all other fields, be it music, art & culture, education, spiritualism, environment, adventure / other sports, he reiterated. They have outclassed the world in many fields. Why don’t you publicise that, he asked. He said he fancies Dogra history and culture because it has very less parallels. He summed up saying that what he has discovered about Dogras is that they do a lot but don’t tell. Times have changed, he said and changed for you too. He advised Dogras to project their heritage loudly and forcefully, lest the race is confined to oblivion.
Dogra Swabhiman Sangathan (DSS) leadership has taken upon itself to re-establish Dogra Identity and restore its pristine glory, the glimpses of which were demonstrated during Independence Day and Maharaja Hari Singh Birthday Celebrations in Jammu by the Sangathan. Other such organisations and academic institutions are also expected to get a cue from Gen Bhopinder Singh’s wise counsel and act accordingly. I, as a lay Dogra, feel that the charity must begin at home and must begin fast. Had Gen Bhopinder Singh not said what he spoke, the entire event would have been a lackluster.
Col J P Singh
Chairman, DSS ESM Cell
Jammu
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