Lt Governor’s speech at 200th Raj Tilak Celebrations of Maharaja Gulab Singh
It is a matter of great privilege for me to be a part of 200th Raj Tilak Celebrations of Maharaja Gulab Singh. There have been very few kings in pre partition India who are not known by the boundaries of their kingdom but because of the vastness of their personality. I bow to the virtuous memory of Maharaja Gulab Singh ji, epitome of bravery, strength, benevolence and spiritual light. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest warriors of his time and has a special place in every Indian heart. My greeting and best wishes to the people on his 200th coronation ceremony.
In the 18th century, there were many kings and Maharajas, but in the 19th century, Maharaja Gulab Singh was the only great personality who started his life as a soldier and conquered large states with his strength and determination.
Whenever one gets to read the example of bravery and dedication in history, then there will definitely be mention of Maharaja Gulab Singh who shines on the top in the list of mighty warriors.
Jammu and Kashmir is proud to have a towering personality like Maharaja Gulab Singh. Due to the Mahalwari system of the East India Company, there was an outcry in that period from the North East Province, Central India, Punjab to the Ganges Valley. At such a time, Maharaja Gulab Singh had made Jammu the pivot of new kingdoms by establishing the Dogra Dynasty with his indomitable personality.
When Maharaja Ranjit Singh crowned Maharaja Gulab Singh, two things happened. On the one hand, bravery was rewarded and secondly, Maharaja Ranjit Singh had found a way to get rid of quarrels between small states and jagirs.
Maharaja Gulab Singh established order in Jammu and was successful in taking the border of undivided India to the boundary of the former Soviet Republic for the first time. He did not bogged down despite suffering personal family loss and after acquiring Kashmir in 1846, the history of Jammu and Kashmir is known as a new history.
Friends, for 70 years after independence, we have heard the difficulties and problems of a very large section in Jammu and Kashmir, which was largely burdened by separatism, corruption and rule of a limited number of families. On 5th August 2019, the Honorable Prime Minister of the country, Shri Narendra Modi ji got us rid of that mismanagement and all kinds of helplessness in Jammu and Kashmir.
Friends, this is Jammu and Kashmir where 8-9 thousand projects were completed in a year by spending thousands of crores before 2019. We have completed 51,000 projects in the last financial year. This is the result of a fear-free, corruption-free system.
By eliminating separatism, destroying the ecosystem of terrorism, today the administration is making every effort to fulfill the hopes and dreams of the common citizen. Jammu and Kashmir used to be at 13th and 14th place in terms of road construction in the country. Today we are at third place in the whole country. Earlier, in Jammu and Kashmir, 6 km of road was built daily, whereas today 20 km of road is being constructed every day. In 70 years, investment of only 15 thousand crore came in Jammu and Kashmir, but in just one year we have been able to bring investment of 51 thousand crore rupees.
Under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister, one lakh crore rupees are being spent on road and tunnel infrastructure. Today the farmer of Jammu and Kashmir is selling his fruits and vegetables not only in Delhi but also in markets of Dubai. The aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir have been linked with the aspirations of the country.
Friends, this is the change that is visible to all and I am sure that the future generations will remember how much hardwork was done in taking the crown jewel of the country to the pinnacle of development.
I once again convey my best wishes to all of you on the 200th coronation day of Maharaja Gulab Singh, the pride of Jammu and Kashmir and the whole of India.
Jai Hind!
