In his Independence Day message, Jammu and Kashmir Governor, N. N Vohra said that problems of the State can be resolved only through dialogue and discussion and by making sustained sincere efforts towards promoting reconciliation and communal harmony.
“Ever since I came to serve this State, which is now over ten years ago, I have been repeatedly urging that the pursuit of divisive and confrontationist approaches can never lead to the resolution of any of our problems. As we have seen for ourselves, such approaches have only generated vested interests which have fractured our society and severely damaged our centuries-old syncretic values and traditions,” Vohra said.
“Today, yet once again, I appeal to the leaders of all the political parties in our State, and to all those at the helm of various social, cultural, religious and other influential organizations, to ponder most seriously over what exactly has been gained from the endless turmoil, the continuing human and economic losses and the sufferings which our people have been undergoing in the past several decades,” he said.
“ It also needs to be recognized that the activities of all those whose sole objective has been to stoke unrest have resulted only in branding our State with a negative profile which has discouraged tourism, external investments and adversely affected the economic advancement of the State”, he said.
“ To pull the State, and all our people, out of the prevailing environment of suspicion, fear, distrust and growing cynicism it is of crucial importance that all the stakeholders â whatever be their political convictions or religious ideologies â close ranks and muster the courage to accept that our problems can be resolved only through dialogue and discussion and by making sustained sincere efforts towards promoting reconciliation and communal harmony,” he said.
However, the Governor blamed Pakistan for lack of growth in the State saying that Jammu and Kashmir have suffered because of Pakistan’s continuing proxy war and its unceasing campaigns, for the past nearly three decades now, to perpetrate violence and destabilise Jammu and Kashmir.
“In the past year, our western neighbour attempted to infiltrate an unusually large number of trained terrorists across the International Border and Line of Control. Our Army and Police Forces carried out effective operations and neutralized perhaps the largest ever number of terrorists in the past many years. Side by side, we also suffered the loss of Security Forces personnel and civilian lives,” he said.
“During this year also there has been progressive increase in the attempts at infiltration across the LoC. And till June this year there were repeated ceasefire violations by Pakistan which caused manifold sufferings for our people living in the villages along the LoC,” he added.
He said elections have just been concluded in Pakistan and a new Prime Minister shall be soon taking over. “I very much hope that the new leadership in Islamabad will recognize the futility of continuing with its terrorist agenda in J&K and accept that peace between our two countries will contribute towards the establishment of fruitful relations, growing trade, prosperity and all around mutual benefits,” he said.
He, however, said the recurring unrest has most seriously affected the academic schedules and the future careers of our youth. “Whenever I have had the opportunity of visiting any educational institution I have been appealing to the teachers, parents and the community leaders to take every possible step for protecting the interests of the younger generation. It is extremely important that the anger of our youth, for whatever reasons it may arise, must not lead to their getting involved in violent activities.”
He said in the past year, a number of youth, some of whom were pursuing professional studies, were influenced to pick up the gun and join groups which perpetuate violence. “It is gratifying that some of these young men have since returned to their families. I appeal to all our community leaders to exercise their utmost influence to get all the young men who have deviated from the path to return home and pursue their careers,” he said.
He said his administration is working assiduously to ensure that the resources available under the Prime Minister’s Development Package of Rs 80,000 crore and under the various pan India Flagship Schemes are efficiently utilized to timely implement the various infrastructure and development projects and welfare promotion programmes for which the government is receiving assistance.
