Dogra pride resurgence became more pronounced after PM Modi came to power: Dr Jitendra

Jammu, Dec 22: Union Minister of State in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh Sunday stated that the resurgence of Dogra pride became more pronounced after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power during the last ten years.

“This resurgence has specific reasons as under the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister Modi, the government took historic decisions, fulfilling long pending demands viz., declaring holiday on the birthday of Maharaja Hari Singh; observing the Accession Day of Jammu and Kashmir and inclusion of Dogri as an official language,” he said.

“Another remarkable achievement was that in my parliamentary constituency (Kathua), at the entry point of Jammu & Kashmir, Lakhanpur, where party ideologue Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee was arrested under a well-crafted conspiracy, for the first time a majestic statue of Maharaja Gulab Singh, the founder of Jammu & Kashmir State, was established in recent years,” he recalled.

The Union Minister was speaking to the media persons on the sidelines of a programme organised to observe “Dogra Diwas” commemorating the inclusion of Dogri language in the Indian Constitution and the “International Dogra Legacy Excellence Awards 2024”, here.

“I was impressed to notice the feel and verve with which this event was celebrated. This delineated people’s love and pride for their mother tongue. It also gave us an opportunity to have a peep in the long-drawn struggle to achieve a well-deserved coveted place for “Dogri.” Generations struggled for it. As youth, we too had participated in this struggle. It’s time to remember all those who made their monumental contribution to bring Dogri a respectable place among recognised languages and its inclusion in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution,” Dr Jitendra said.

However, one should not stop there, he said. “We need to move forward and Dogra legacy should be our power-house. Drawing strength from this rich heritage, it is time now to make a mark in the global world of which India has already become an essential part after 2014. Efforts should be made to take this legacy forward by our children, our youth riding on the power of technological interventions,” the Union Minister said and exhorted the Dogra community, particularly the youth, to be part of the mainstream growth story of India.

“At a time when we have risen to global rank 3 in the world start-up ecosystem and when we are ahead of many others in Quantum Technology and Biotechnology, would we be doing justice to our Dogra legacy if we keep ourselves isolated and not be a part of the global journey of India as is seen in several other states,” he asked.

Earlier, while addressing the gathering, he said, “Dogra legacy has always been rich. Even after partition, it produced some internationally acclaimed icons like the famous space scientist and founder ISRO Prof Satish Dhawan and renowned singer of the Indian subcontinent Mallika Pukhraj or musicians like Shiv Kumar Sharma and Ustad Allah Rakha, though this may not be a very widely known fact in some sections.”

“While celebrating the legacy gives us inspiration and confidence, nevertheless to keep the legacy alive for prosperity, it is equally important to carry it forward to the next destination which, in today's context, would imply Dogra contribution in the making of Viksit Bharat of 2047,” he said.

Dr Jitendra said that there was no dearth of talent or potential in Dogra youth but what was required was the change of mindset and liberation from the obsession for “Sarkari Naukri” (government job).

“Sometimes I feel pain to see youth on indefinite protest for a Rs 6,000 government job when the Modi government has rolled out a series of attractive schemes, which promise a more lucrative source of livelihood. One of the examples is the ‘Purple Revolution’ or the ‘Lavender entrepreneurship’ right in our immediate neighbourhood,” he stated.

“As India today stands among the league of frontline nations in the world, it offers an opportunity to the Dogra youth to draw strength from their rich legacy and seek recognition for themselves across the country and beyond. Taking inspiration from the Dogra legacy, it is time for them to leave their own mark on the world,” the Union Minister said.

He said, “This legacy should lay the foundation of giving further impetus to the journey for perfection, and enable the youth to play a visibly meaningful role in the making of a Vikisit Bharat.”