Tributes poured in for former Union minister Jagmohan in the Jammu region on Tuesday as the news of his death in New Delhi at 93 on Monday night broke. Jagmohan is known for his contributions to the Jammu region, including the creation of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB) when he was the Jammu & Kashmir governor.
The board was created in 1986 and the model has been emulated for the management of shrines and temples across India.
SMVDSB chief executive officer Ramesh Kumar said Jagmohan’s contribution is remarkable, and he will be remembered forever. “He was the man behind the creation of the board in 1986. The entire facilities and creation of infrastructure were his brainchild. He is the man behind what exists today,” said Kumar. “It was his vision of development...all the facilities that exist today are because of him.”
Kumar said they vow to carry forward Jagmohan’s legacy. “We will remember him forever. Earlier, only 10 lakh [one million] pilgrims used to visit the cave shrine every year but with his vision and creation of facilities, the footfall increased to one crore [10 million] per year. It was he who propelled this pilgrimage on the national and international map. We deeply condole his sad demise.”
Former Jammu & Kashmir police chief SP Vaid called the board a very big contribution of Jagmohan. “He will be remembered for it. Because of him, all the facilities came up and for that, he will be remembered by millions not only in Jammu & Kashmir but across the country.”
{{/usCountry}}Former Jammu & Kashmir police chief SP Vaid called the board a very big contribution of Jagmohan. “He will be remembered for it. Because of him, all the facilities came up and for that, he will be remembered by millions not only in Jammu & Kashmir but across the country.”
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Vaid called Jagmohan a very able administrator too. “[Jagmohan] worked in very difficult times in the early 90s when Pakistan-sponsored terrorism raised its ugly head and Jammu & Kashmir had all sorts of law-and-order problems, but he faced them head-on. He was a very able administrator.”
Former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta echoed Vaid. “He played an indispensable role in Jammu & Kashmir when terrorism was at its peak. Had he not been there, the Kashmiri Pandit community would have been wiped out. He played a proactive role in bureaucracy. A visionary leader and administrator, he created the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board that brought a sea change in the concept of pilgrimages across India. His model is still being studied by other shrines and temples...,” said Gupta. “He will be remembered for his indispensable contribution to Jammu & Kashmir.”
Ravinder Raina, the chief of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Jammu & Kashmir unit, said Jagmohan was a national leader. “When Jammu & Kashmir was passing through difficult circumstances, he was the one who dealt a severe blow to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. He gave his services like a true soldier of the nation… he conceived and speeded up developmental projects, created Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, and brought this pilgrimage on the international map. All these flyovers and big institutions were conceived and executed by him. Today, he may not be with us, but he will live in the hearts of the countrymen.”
Devender Singh Rana, the provincial president of the National Conference, said, “Jagmohan was the architect of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, which led to...ushering of a new chapter in the facilitation and management of the pilgrimage.”