KPs to J&K govt: Declare Maharaja's birthday as state holiday

Roots in Kashmir, a youth organisation of displaced Kashmiri Hindus, today batted strongly for declaring the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh as a state holiday.
"Roots in Kashmir (RIK) demands that state government should declare the birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh as a state holiday," Amit Raina, RIK member said.
RIK in a meeting had passed a resolution to request the government to declare the birth anniversary of Hari Singh as a state holiday.
Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council in January passed a resolution to declare the birth anniversary of the erstwhile ruler as a state holiday.
The members applauded the role of Hari Singh as a modern ruler, who was a progressive thinker and a social reformer.

Anoop Bhat, Coordinator Roots in Kashmir, said that Hari Singh did not discriminate between his Hindu and Muslim subjects.

He gave importance only to meritocracy and appointed the best from his subjects irrespective of their religion in his court, administration and the army.
Raina said the king was remembered as a social reformer who abolished untouchability, Sati, child marriage and prostitution.
He promoted education by making it compulsory and making primary and secondary education free. He was a great supporter of women education.
Munish Jalali, a young RIK activist said that "our elders survived the wrath of exodus, thanks to the maharaja who not only made education compulsory but also offered it free through government schools".

All members agreed that Maharaja Hari Singh was a king of many "firsts", setting up a world class hospital, flood control department, price control department and the revolutionary Jammu and Kashmir Bank in 1938.
The resolution also stated that the maharaja was a "great Indian patriot, who chose India, a secular nation over a failed state Pakistan".