Assailing overt and covert attempts of dividing people on the basis of region and religion, National Conference on Sunday asserted that a whole-hog campaign will be launched across the Jammu Region to isolate peace inimical forces and to ensure dignity of all segments of society, irrespective of caste, creed and colour, a statement of the part said.
“NC has offered enormous sacrifices in the past and will not hesitate to do so to preserve and promote amity, harmony and camaraderie between Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians”, the party functionaries said in a joint statement.
The National Conference came down heavily on the BJP for harassing people on selective basis ever-since it donned the mantle of governance with the PDP and referred to various such incidents, which could have vitiated the atmosphere but for the peace-loving and secular people of the region. The statement stated that the BJP has gone terribly wrong in comprehending the general mood of the people, who might have mandated them to power during euphoric 2014 elections but are secular from core of their hearts. “Not once but during most testing times of the state’s turbulent history, the people have risen above regional and religious bonding and kept the flame of secularism aloft”, the statement added.
The signatories to the statement included Provincial Vice President Ch Haroon Rashid Khatana and Haji Mohammed Hussian, ex-MLC besides Abdul Gani Teli, Haji Farid Phabra of Samba, Choudhry Sadiq of Reasi, Haji Mein Bokda of Jandrah, Bashir Khatana of Gujjar Colony, Rehmat Ali, former Sarpanch Bajalta, Haji Mohammed Hussain, Bajalata, Ghulam Nabi Kandal, Kathua, Bashir Ahmed Chauhan, Sidhra, Haji Ashraf Konshe, Mansar, Mr Qasim Khatana and Haji Rashid, both from Udhampur.
The statement reiterated the resolve of National Conference to carry forward the message of amity and brotherhood to length and breadth of the region, as the state was passing through a most difficult time. For bringing Jammu and Kashmir to present crisis, they squarely blamed the PDP-BJP dispensation and cautioned that any misadventure to break the traditional bonding will meet stiff resistance of the people.
“Unity in diversity has been strength of this unique state”, the statement stated,, adding that those trying to trample it were actually distorting the idea of Jammu and Kashmir.
The National Conference functionaries advised the BJP to desist from provocative posturing and instead work for empowerment and welfare of each segment of society. “By creating barriers and sowing seeds of mistrust and hatred, they were doing disservice to the nation”, they maintained.
They recalled the role of NC during most turbulent times and made a pledge, “We will fight tooth and nail the elements hell bent upon dividing society and work towards ensuring dignity and honour of each segment of society”, they said, hoping the NC cadre to work towards agenda in their respective areas as per the path shown by Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah.