DP Dhar’s death anniversary today

Srinagar, June 11: The 46th death anniversary of Durga Prasad Dhar, a prominent Kashmiri politician and an Indian diplomat is being observed today.

Dhar was born in 1918 at Safa Kadal area of Downtown Srinagar. He completed his schooling from Rang Teng school in Downtown. He later earned Bachelor’s degree from the University of Punjab. He completed his LLB from the University of Lucknow.

   

Dhar remained a member of J&K’s Constituent Assembly (1951-57) and later in the next term up to 1967. Dhar headed the policy planning cell of the MEA in 1971.

Dhar was also a keen lover of Urdu poetry. He wrote Urdu poetry and had adopted the pen name ‘Raunaq’.

Dhar died on June 12, 1975. He was conferred with the Liberation War Friendship Honour (posthumous) in 2012 in recognition of his role in concluding the 1971 Indo-Soviet Friendship Treaty; mobilising international support in favour of Bangladesh and playing a special role in support of the Liberation War.

“He was the first non-UPite who became the president of Lucknow University. That is where he met Pandit Jawahar Lal and both became close. Dhar sahib’s main concern was education. He believed that education will enable Kashmiri children to come up in various spheres of life and integrate them with rest of the country. To perpetuate his memory, I opened a trust in his name and started a very successful school,” said DP Dhar’s son Vijay Dhar who is chairman of DPS Athwajan.

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