Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 23 : National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah today claimed that the honour of Jammu and Kashmir is under attack and called upon the Opposition parties to come together and demolish the walls of hatred to safeguard the country.
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He cautioned people against attempts in near future to garner support on religious pretext and also expressed his displeasure over hurling of abuses on Congress leadership including former Prime Ministers Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.
In an apparent reference to the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile State into two Union Territories in August 2019, Dr Abdullah said: “it is an attack on our honour…we will lost our land and our children will be left without jobs as people from outside will come and take the jobs”.
He recalled that Maharaja Hari Singh introduced state subject laws to safeguard Dogra culture. “If the people will come from outside, he was aware that his subjects are poor and cannot safeguard their land,” he said, adding when the people will come from outside, will they (local youth) get jobs in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, Punjab or Haryana.
Dr Abdullah was speaking at a function organized by J&K National Panthers Party (JKNPP) to observe its 40th foundation day here, where the party founder Bhim Singh was unanimously elected its president for next three years.
Pointing towards Singh and his nephew and NPP chairman Harsh Dev Singh, the National Conference leader said “he is sure that these lions will stand up to the challenge posed by the divisive forces but added that Congress which is a national level party has become weak.
“My party (NC) and his party (JKNPP) are not there (in rest of India). Congress is everywhere and they have to stand up to the challenge, look into the problems of the people instead of staying at their homes and counter the threat to our nation,” Farooq said.
Praising Bhim Singh for his secular credentials, he said “we have to strengthen our parties and stand united for our people and the country. We have to fight those powers who want to divide and break us.”
Referring to the bifurcation of J&K into two Union Territories, he said “you divided the regions but our hearts which are connected beat for each other. Why not I am a Muslim and he a Hindu…his voice is same as is mine and his god is also the same as mine”.
Why Maharaja Hari Singh did not join India at once in 1947 when the country got its independence? he questioned and said he wanted his State to be independent but it was Pakistan which attacked and sent its people because it wanted J&K to be its part because of Muslim majority.
“How much love it shows us today, it is this country (Pakistan) which ruined us. National Conference leadership decided and went with Bapu’s (Mahatma Gandhi’s) India where Hindu, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians are all one,” he said.
He said National Conference had not forced out Hindus and Chrisistans.
Cautioning the people about future challenges, he said they (BJP) are masters in spreading propaganda.
“They propagated that they (Rohingya Muslims) will take over your land and will force you out. We clarified that nobody will come and live here without the permission of Delhi. They misled you. Tomorrow, they will come to sell Ram and they will say he (Ram) is in danger. They will not tell you that they are in danger and their chair is in danger,” he said.
He said neither Ram nor Allah require votes. “We need votes…I am forewarning you to remain cautious, especially my sisters who go to the temples and mostly fear god.”
“We have to stand united to fight this tornado. We have to safeguard J&K, our unity and our honour. We have to sacrifice ourselves for this country and the people without thinking who is a Muslim, a Hindu or a Dogra. We are all one,” he said, adding “we have to safeguard this State, unity, proud, we have to sacrifice ourselves for this country and the people. Don’t consider, we are Hindus, Muslims and Dogra … we are all one. They will bring law after law and we have to throw these laws on their face.”
He said they have built the walls of hatred and “we have to dismantle these walls”.
Referring to the first Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru, he said who was aware that he will come and hoist the tricolor on the Red Fort which was possible due to sacrifices.
“Today they are remembering Gandhi, the father of the nation, but the reality is that they are the one who were his biggest enemies. Nehru who laid the foundation of this country for 17 years, though he sent my father to jail, had done a lot for this country and I cannot forget it. His daughter Indira made the country rich in food grains following which we started exporting it to the world which was not the case earlier when we used to beg food from America,” he said.
He advised the people not to forget the good deeds of anyone even if he is your enemy.
“The one who is on the chair is being praised and the one who is out of power is being abused. This is not our tradition,” he said.
Calling for self-introspection, he said the world is faced with calamities like Coronavirus because “we have forgotten our creator and indulge in wrong doings.”
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