JAMMU: National Conference Provincial President Devender Singh Rana on Monday said that secularism was under severe strain with reactionary and fascist forces working overtime to divide the nation on religious, regional, ethnical and caste lines.
“Compartmentalizing society on religious lines is against the idea of India”, Rana said while paying homage to Baba-e-Quom Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah on his 111th Birth Anniversary at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here this morning. Prominent among those who paid floral tribute to Sheikh Sahib also included former ministers Mohammed Shaffi Uri, Surjeet Singh Slathia and Ajay Kumar Sadhotra.
He said beneficiaries of polarized politics might have derived short term dividends but continuation of this trend could prove detrimental to the larger national interest. In this context, he referred to the malicious outburst of the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat recently in Jammu about India being a Hindu Rashtra, and said such a myopic mindset will impede country’s growth as a vibrant, forward looking, progressive and dynamic nation, capable of emerging as a world leader at the strength of its glorious civilization and human resource.
Emphasizing crucial need of strengthening and sustaining time tested unity; the Provincial President reminded secular forces of their responsibility in isolating divisive elements for overall good of the nation. He said no society will progress if its foundations are laid on myopic considerations. “This (secular bonding) is the spirit which has all along guided National Conference”, he said while recalling the cherished slogan of ‘Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Buddhist ethos’ raised by Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah during horrendous era of the Partition. He said National Conference has never deviated from the path of secular traditions, which is why the people, irrespective of caste, creed and colour were feeling secure under its umbrella.
“Maintaining secular ethos is the best and befitting tribute to Sheikh Sahib, a towering among tallest of leaders of his times in the sub-continent”, Rana said and urged the people to foil the machinations of all those conspiring to divide the state. “Single entity of the state is guarantee to progress of Jammu and Kashmir”, he declared.
Paying tribute to Sher-e-Kashmir, former minister and Sr State Vice President Mr Surjeet Singh Slathia recalled the glorious role of Sheikh Sahib in strengthening amity and regional unity at a time when the entire sub-continent was in communal frenzy. He lashed out at the PDP-BJP dispensation for landing Jammu and Kashmir into unprecedented crisis, saying while unrest is taking alarming proportions in the Valley, Jammu is braving the brunt of border skirmishes and terror attacks.
Earlier, floral tributes were paid to Sher-e-Kashmir by Syed Mushtaq Ahmed Shah Bukhari, Mohammed Yousf Taing , Rattan Lal Gupta, Th Kashmira Singh, Th Rachpal Singh, Vijay Bakaya, Rahim Daad, Haji Mohammed Hussain, Qazi Jalal-ud-Din, Bimla Luthra, Satpal Lakhotra, Sheikh Bashir, Depeender Kour, Vijay Laxmi Dutta, Choudhry Haroon, Gurdeep Singh Sasan, Anil Dhar, S Peter, Satwant Kour Dogra, Vijay Lochan, Abdul Gani Teli, Dharamveer Singh Jamwal, Pradeep Bali, Chander Mohan Sharma, Warris Gil, Ayub Malik, Rakesh Singh Raka, Somnath Khajuria, Ch Rehmat Ali, G.H Malik, Dilshad Malik, Daljeet Sharma, Rashida Begum, Ashok Dogra, Anju Grover, Veena Oberoi, Rohit Bali, Rohit Kerni, M.L Munshi, Yashu Vardhan Singh and Somraj Taroch
JKPCC Chief G.A Mir, while paying rich tributes to Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, described him as a visionary and one of the tallest leaders of the country with a great political wisdom.
Mir said Sheikh Mohd Abdullah was a great person with a great political acumen, under whose leadership the State of J and K developed in every respect.