Maj Gen Goverdhan Singh Jamwal
Article 370’s reading down has been viewed globally as a landmark decision. It certainly serves as a watershed in the way artificial walls were broken away to achieve total union of Jammu Kashmir with the Union of India. However, since 2019, there are several questions that continue to come back and haunt the people of Jammu, reminding them of the days when the struggle to hold on to Jammu’s identity was herculean.
One critical area where the identity of Jammu was continually under assault was the space of heritage. From the very moment Sheikh Abdullah came to be at the helm of affairs, what has been seen is a systematic decimation of all symbols of Jammu and Dogra rule being perpetuated on the grounds of ‘cruelty’ across Jammu and Kashmir. Of course, the irony could not be lost on the observer, as the very formation of Jammu and Kashmir in its then avatar was a result of Dogra rulers and their daring endeavours.
Be it artefacts disappearing from museums to end up as decor in some eminent homes, or total neglect of structures to the point of several grand heritage buildings getting burnt down, including some getting totally destroyed in mysterious fires, for which no accountability was fixed, prove witness to how administration after administration had a ‘devil be damned’ attitude about Dogra architecture, history and legacy within the State. Condition of the museums and archives in Jammu remain unknown, while several archaeological sites that fall under the jurisdiction of the State Archaeological Department remain neglected due to lack of funds and inadequate manpower distribution.
The reading down of Article 370, following a long drawn seven decade struggle, was seen as a ray of hope by many who were struggling against the blatant attempts at erasure. However, what has followed has been a mixed bag of sorts. There have been attempts to restore the heritage of Jammu in the form of projects like Devika River restoration at Purmandal and revival of Dogra era temple structures across the Kashmir valley. Big ticket projects like the conservation of Mubarak Mandi, however, have generated more disappointment than happiness among the people of Jammu. Besides the continued slow pace of restoration, it has also repeatedly drawn flak from the eminent voices of Jammu for the gross attempts at commercialisation of the pride of Jammu. The news of Expression of Interest being floated for turning a Protected Monument like Mubarak Mandi into a Hotel sent ripples of shock and dismay amongst the people of Jammu. The expectation was that the plan of creating a luxury hotel out of parts of Mubarak Mandi palace complex, would be rolled back but it has not happened as yet.
The history of Mubarak Mandi is literally the history of Jammu. First built when Raja Dhruv Dev shifted here from ‘Purani Mandi’ in the early eighteenth century AD, it was the seat of the high culture of Jammu during the reign of the glorious Raja Ranjit Singh Dev. Mubarak Mandi served as the seat of power under Maharaja Gulab Singh, under whose leadership the boundaries of our great nation were extended all the way across Ladakh, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Chitral. Such has been the importance of the Mandi that it was the main seat of Jammu Kings till 1925, and even the coronation of Maharaja Hari Singh, under whom Jammu Kashmir Tibetadi Desh acceded to be part of the Union of India, took place here.
Attempts at commercialisation of the parts of the complex are once again reviving memories of the past 70 years of rule in Jammu and Kashmir, where Jammu’s identity was always on the margins. Moreover most importantly how can a protected site be converted into a hotel. Mubarak Mandi is a symbol of the Dogras’ Historical Heritage and, perhaps, is the only one left now, after the State has been converted into a UT, that can show something about what the Dogras had done to create the largest of the 565 States of India having an area of 84000 sq. miles. There is no other place where we can show to the World and to the Country the contribution by Dogras and how they went across the Himalayas to create a State which gave strategic depth to India, as no other ruler or general in the country had gone across the frontiers of their own country. Mubarak Mandi is perhaps the only place where this could have been planned and done. It housed the Army Headquarters of the State Forces of Maharaja Gulab Singh, General Zorawar Singh and finally Maharaja Hari Singh and Brig Rajinder Singh who put a stop to the British engineered invasion of the State in 1947, losing thousands of Dogras in the process.
Mubarak Mandi is an iconic historical site, and Heritage combined with History cannot be reflected via a Hotel. In fact, conversion into a hotel will result in the 100 years of Dogra history being lost, and Mubarak Mandi will also lose its importance and value. With it the Dogras will lose their History and Heritage of several centuries. There are hundreds of hotels all over but there is no place with such a background vintage where the Dogra History can be displayed in each room. We need to take a cue from what happens in America where the history of their War of Independence or other wars fought in their country like the Civil War is preserved as precious heritage. Therefore, Mubarak Mandi must continue to be a Heritage building where the Dogra History is displayed with Artefacts and with paintings, photographs, short films and videos.
It is also rather strange that no widespread stakeholder consultations were conducted before this decision was taken. Such unilateralism only reinforces the stereotype in the minds of the people of Jammu that Jammu’s history and culture is still not a priority. The subject becomes even more ironic when one fails to get answers on attempts to recover the heritage that was lost over decades. Last year, Jammu witnessed the unfortunate incident of a peaceful protest by the state’s youth facing lathi charge from the police administration, all for seeking a holiday for Maharaja Hari Singh’s birthday. Memory can play games, especially those that remember people being rewarded for stone pelting and wanton violence in Kashmir valley. Instead of parity for a nationalistic Jammu, there is an increasing sense of alienation yet again being witnessed among the people of Jammu, with the unilateralism on Mubarak Mandi, Jammu’s collective pride and identity, becoming its latest symbol.
This compels us all to ask – is our country’s glorious history, of the northern most region, Jammu, up for sale? Is a hotel worth our collective history and pride?
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