MGSMT celebrates Gulab Singh’s birth anniversary

JAMMU: Maharaja Gulab Singh Memorial Trust (MGSMT) today organized a grand function to commemorate 219th Birth Anniversary of great visionary and the shrewdest diplomat that India has produced, Maharaj Gulab Singh.
Maharaja Gulab Singh Memorial Trust Management Committee Chairman Dr. Karan Singh, Trustee M. K. Ajatshatru Singh, Minister for Health Mr. Sham Lal Sharma, Member Parliament Mr. Madan Lal Sharma, Major General Retd Govardhan Singh Jamwal, members Harjeet Singh, Dr. Ved Kumari, Prof. Suman Jamwal, Prof. Zahoor-ud-din Zahoor, and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
On the occasion, the present dignitaries paid rich tributes to the first king of Jammu and Kashmir. They dwelled in detail upon the various facets of the adventurous, eventful and politically and historically significant life of Maharaja. From the Battle of Gumat to coronation at Jia Bota, Akhnoor, Intrigue at Lahore, Treaties of Amritsar and Chushul and conquest of Gilgit, Baltistan, Skardu, Suru Valley, Kargil, Tibet and Multan, Battle of Saidu, Maharaja’s tenure as first ruler of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh is a saga of dare-devilness, diplomacy, statesmanship, political steadfastness and pragmatism with no parallel in the annals of history, he added.
They said that biggest tribute to the great Maharaja is that we should strive to keep the state of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh as one political entity as was handed over by the Maharaja to the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
Paying homage to Maharaja Gulab Singh, Dr. Karan Singh said that contribution of Maharaja for the state of Jammu and Kashmir, is incomparable in coming time and described him as a visionary and great human being who believe in justice to all.
Speaking on the occasion, Member Parliament announced that soon a library on the name of Maharaja Gulab Singh will be constructed at Akhnoor.
In addition, Maharaja Ranbir Singh scholarships have been presented to three students Arvind Sharma, Neetika Verma and Munish Chopra.
Mr. Balwant Thakur, a noted theatre Director was awarded the sixth Maharaja Gulab Singh Award by Sole Trustee Dr. Karan Singh Ji which carries a cash amount of one lakh and a citation.