Following the successful parliamentary legislative 'historical' action pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir on Aug 5 last year, India remembered those heroes of the nation who created the beautiful annals of history by their perseverance, vision, and commitment. It was the Praja Parishad Party’s nationalist approach and dedicated efforts that became instrumental in shaping the destiny of Jammu and Kashmir towards national unity. The Praja Parishad leaders did not want to accept anything for Kashmir that was divisive in nature and thus their movement led by the revered leader Pt. Prem Nath Dogra created history in the erstwhile J&K State that stands written in golden letters.

 

 

 

Advocate Nanda along with Dr. Saif-ud-Din Kitchloo of Punjab and some other lawyers appeared before the commission to plead the public cause. On basis of findings of this commission two police officials were dismissed from service and the then Prime Minister Shri Haksar had to lose his job.

 

 

Because of advocate Nanda’s services to the public cause in early 1949, he was entrusted the task to lead the Praja Parishad in a difficult situation when Pandit Dogra along with few others was arrested and detained in Srinagar Jail. The then Section 50 was imposed in the city to deny the Praja Parishad from holding meetings. Keeping in view this ban, a big public meeting was organised at Ragoora, in Jammu Tawi. This meeting was presided over by Ch. Mira Baksh.

 

This successful gathering caused an alarm in the hierarchy of the new rulers. In 1949, Satyagraha movement seeking release of detained leader Pandit Prem Nath Dogra was going on despite torture and excess to terrorise the Praja Parishad activists, the Government leaders as a tactic released Shri Nanda amidst several rumours. But to clear the air and keep up the morale of the agitators, Shri Nanda's elder son, Shri Madhav Lal took out a procession defying the prohibitory orders and courted arrest the same day and suffered jail in terrible conditions. Shri Madhav remained in Jail till Pt. Dogra and others were released.

 

The Praja Parishad party came into being at a crucial period in the history of Jammu and Kashmir to espouse the cause of complete integration of the erstwhile state with the Union of India. The emergence of Praja Parishad, its clear-cut stand on major issues, and its main nationalistic objectives as also role and contribution have over the years been inspiring as much as informative in laying the foundation of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, that it is today.