Kapurthala State Its Past And Present

· 1921 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

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2His Highness laid the foundation-stone of a Hall, called the

3“Jubilee Memorial Hall.” At the State Banquet to which 50

4people had been invited, the Commissioner of Jullundur as- the

5principal guest proposed the health of His Highness the

6Maharaja “congratulating him on the highly successful period

7of 25 years of his rule which had been completed, and express-

8ing the cordial wish of the assembled guests that twenty_ : five

9years afterwards surrounded by prosperous, grateful and devoted

10subjects and with the same delightful joie de vivre which they

11saw that day, he would be celebrating his ‘ Golden Jubilee.’ ”

12A Darbar was held the next day, at which addresses were pre-

13sented on behalf of the officials and subjects of the State to

14which His Highness made an appropriate reply, in the course of

15which he said : —

16“ I have already expressed my appreciation of the faith-

17fulness that has consistently characterised my subjects and I

18feel that I cannot do enough to require it adequately. How-

19ever, as a mark of my further confidence and affection for

20them, I wish to announce that, in order to associate them

21more intimately with my administration, I propose sum-

22moning once a year probably on the occasion of my birthday

23Darbar, a selected number of- Zaildars^ Lambardars, Sahukars ,

24and other presentative people from the different tehsils, to

25meet here in a general assembly, when I can confer with

26them about general affairs concerning their welfare and when

27they will also be given an opportunity to submit' to me in

28a proper manner their grievances or other representations : such

29as are not personal but which touch the interests of the com-

30munity at large. This is only a rough outline of the proposal,

31but I hope in* due course to elaborate the Scheme which I trust,

32under divine guidance, may, further advance the moral and

33material progress of my people.” By the end of the year His

34Highness was able to inaugurate this Assembly. v

35The opening ceremony was performed with appropriate

36solemnity in an extraordinary Darbar at which His Highness

37delivered the following address : —

38'“Officials and Members of the Assembly, — You have met

39here' to-day by my command to assist me in the establishment

40of an institution which, modest though it be in its inception,

41may, in time to come, prove to be the forerunner of representa-

42tive institutions which should in my opinion be the goal of all

43civilised and progressive communities. It has v Jong been my

44aim to tak$ measures to assQciqtpmy subjects more intimately