Jammu, September 23:
The birth anniversary of Maharaja Hari Singh, the pride and glory of the Dogra dynasty, will be celebrated with great pomp in Jammu on September 23rd.
Furthermore, if Operation Gulmarg had not failed, Jammu and Kashmir could have been saved. Retired General Govardhan Singh Jamwal says that September 23rd is not only his birth anniversary, but also the special day when the Maharaja ascended the throne.
In 1947, Operation Gulmarg was launched, and Jammu and Kashmir was attacked. It was Maharaja Hari Singh who fought with approximately 7,000 soldiers. Deployed along the 800-kilometer border from Lakhanpur to Leh. Having been part of the army, I understand the geographical and strategic challenge. I can say with confidence that if Maharaja Hari Singh had not thwarted Operation Gulmarg with his strong will, Jammu and Kashmir would have become a part of Pakistan. He did not accept Pakistan’s ownership .
The retired general says that when Viceroy Mountbatten and Churchill visited Kashmir. They pressured the Maharaja to join Pakistan. They offered the lure of protecting the Dogra rule if he did so. Aware of the British tactics, they said no. I don’t care about what history says. What I learned from them personally is what I believe is true. Every Dogra should know this.
The first and last general of the Maharaja’s army, Govardhan Singh Jamwal is 93 years old. He says he was commissioned in 1947 during the Maharaja’s reign. He participated in several wars, including the 1947-48 Jammu and Kashmir War and the 1965 Khemkaran, Punjab War, before retiring in 1984.
