Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 26: The J&K National Conference president and Member of Parliament from Srinagar, Dr Farooq Abdullah today asked people to stand up against the divisive forces that are trying to weaken J&K from within.
He made these remarks while addressing a meeting of delegates of Hazratbal constituency at the party headquarters here today.
“Unity is key to progress and peace. Societies who have withstood divisive forces have grown into great nations. We should stop seeing ourselves as Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. We have to shun narrow mindedness and hold on a single rope,” the NC president said.
“It becomes all the more important to preserve our culture, language and traditions in our families in wake of the attempts aimed at destroying it by forces inimical to our unique political identity. I am sure that people will foil all such attempts by keeping the flame of unity and brotherhood alive,” Dr Abdullah added.
“I see no way of achieving anything in J&K without a lasting unity between different sections of our society. We have to stop seeing ourselves as Hindu Muslim, Shia-Suni, Barelvi Deobandi. Unity in diversity must be our creed to last for all time and under all circumstances, otherwise, there is no end in sight to our common problems in the shape of poverty, unemployment, and under-development. Our mutual discord will make our descent into darkness,” former J&K Chief Minister said.
He asked the workers to remain steadfast in their mission of salvaging the people from the whirlpool of miseries by striking unity and looking beyond their personal interests.
Party general secretary Ali Mohammed Sagar said the current bureaucratic set up has pushed the people of Jammu and Kashmir into a whirlwind of despair, while the youth are frustrated and hopeless, unemployment and development deficit have crippled our people. Common people aren’t listened to, all the decisions and actions are devoid of public scrutiny, Sagar remarked.
Apart from party activities, organizational programs, people’s problems were also discussed in the meeting.
The meeting was organized by In-charge constituency Hazratbal Salman Ali Sagar. District president Srinagar Peer Afaq, Women’s Wing Provincial president Sabiya Qadri also addressed the gathering. Youth leaders Mohd Irfan Zehgeer, Abid Wani, Naseer Magrey, Inayat Bhat, Hilal Dar, Saleem Lone, Faisal Mir and others were also present.