J-K Governor appeals political parties, all stakeholders to work for peace

Ehsan Fazili

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 15

Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra on Wednesday said the state located at one end of the country was faced with many difficulties where steady growth and advancement suffered because of the continued violence during the past nearly three decades.

The governor was addressing at the main Independence Day function at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium under tight security arrangements here.

All routes leading to the SK Stadium were sealed off where the senior officers of the police and civil administration and other security forces participated in the celebrations.

Normal life was affected in response to the bandh call of separatists across the Valley today.

The governor unfurled the Tricolour and inspected the march past presented by various contingents of the police, other security forces and school children.

Those in attendance included National Conference president and Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah, former chief ministers, Omar Abdullah (NC) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), other legislators and political leaders.

“Our people in the Valley have been facing continuing difficulties and sufferings on account of the recurring disturbances,” the governor said.

He added that every call for a ‘hartal’ affected the functioning of public delivery systems, stoppage of transport, tourism, trade and business and closure of all educational institutions.

He lamented that almost every activity comes to a halt, with “consequential difficulties for the people and losses on all fronts”.

The recurring unrest, the governor pointed out, has most seriously affected the academic schedules and the future careers of the youth.

For the past nearly two months since the imposition of Governor’s Rule in the state, consequent to certain developments, the governor said that “it has been my unflinching endeavour to see that the functioning of the entire administrative apparatus functions with promptitude, efficiency and complete accountability”.

He also referred to the decisions taken to hold the elections for urban local bodies between September-October and panchayat elections in October-December this year.

The governor reiterated his appeal to the leaders of all the political parties in the state, and to all those at the helm of various social, cultural, religious and other influential organisations, to ponder 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.

“It also needs to be recognised 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,” the governor said.