Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 26: Govenror, N. N. Vohra, today called upon all the stakeholders and the people at large to join hands for strengthening communal harmony and brotherhood for securing sustaining peace and recovering the past glory of the State as an abode of peace and tranquility.
The Governor was addressing about 120 office-bearers and Executive Committee members of the Jammu and Kashmir Peace Foundation, from all over the State, who called on him at Raj Bhavan here today.
The Governor observed that sustained normalcy and peace is pre-requisite for progress and prosperity, adding that every necessary step must be taken to restore lasting peace and tranquility in the State. Referring to the unfortunate situation that obtained in the State in the past years, he said that this had led to heavy human and economic losses and severely damaged high traditions of communal harmony, secular ethos and value systems. He said that in the wake of the partition of the country in 1947 when the entire sub-continent was in the grip of a communal frenzy, it was in Jammu and Kashmir State that Mahatma Gandhi had seen a ray of light, observing that we have to fully restore and strengthen the same spirit of reconciliation and accommodation.
Observing that sustained peace and normalcy is an essential pre-requisite for rapid progress and prosperity, the Governor said that it was, therefore, necessary that all of us should contribute to secure the objective of peace and harmony so that Jammu and Kashmir becomes a frontline developed State in the coming years. He said that significant breakthrough has been made in the past few years to restore this glory of the State and hoped that we would recover the entire lost ground.
He said that the J&K Peace Foundation has been contributing bit by bit for the promotion of peace and harmony by organizing peace conferences, seminars, discussions and other such programmes and assured his full support to the Foundation in its activities aimed at promoting peace and strengthening harmony in the State.
Ghulam Hassan Mir, Minister for Agriculture, who is the Patron of the Jammu and Kashmir Peace Foundation, said that the State has had high traditions of communal harmony and brotherhood. He said that there is a need for a strong peace offensive for fully restoring and strengthening the high traditions of Kashmiriyat, adding that youth can play a vital role in this effort.
Sheikh Ghulam Rasool, MLC, emphasized the need for associating youth with the activities of the J&K Peace Foundation in a big way and invited Mr. Bhat to organize a Youth Peace Conference at Ganderbal in the coming months.
Farooq Renzushah, Director Information, who is the Chief Advisor of the Jammu and Kashmir Peace Foundation, said that all the Sufis and Saints have given the message of peace and harmony. He said that organizations like J&K Peace Foundation are rendering a great service for disseminating the message of peace and harmony and one and all should work for achieving the objective of lasting peace and normalcy in the State.
Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, Chairman, J&K Peace Foundation, in his welcome address, gave details of the activities of the Foundation undertaken in the recent past and its future roadmap. He stated that the Foundation will organize a Women Peace Conference in June and a 3-day International Peace Conference at Srinagar in August, which will be followed by a Sadbhavana Rally from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in October this year.
Shahzadi Simon, President, Women Wing of the Foundation, while throwing light on the activities of the Foundation, said that women in large numbers should get associated with these initiatives as they have high stakes in peace and normalcy.
K. K. Khosa, Vice Chairman, Jammu and Kashmir Peace Foundation, presented a Vote of Thanks.
Navin Kumar Choudhary, Principal Secretary to the Governor, was present on the occasion.
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