Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 26: J&K National Conference, president Dr Farooq Abdullah has expressed grief and shock over the devastating earthquake that has wrecked Nepal and caused havoc in the north-eastern States of India.
Grieved over the casualties ranging above 2,000 when last reports came in, Dr Abdullah said India should extend all possible assistance to Nepal to deal with this situation.
“My heart goes out to those who have been affected by this devastating tragedy. The images and stories coming out of Nepal and various Indian States are heart rending. This is a major calamity that has not only taken a very serious toll on human lives in the affected regions but has also shattered public infrastructure and hundreds and thousands of residential houses in the region. “May Allah help the people to survive this calamity and may He give them the courage and resilience to re-emerge and re-build their lives”, Dr Abdullah said in a statement issued from NC headquarters in Srinagar.
The NC president said the Nepal earthquake had brought back painful memories of the Kashmir earthquake of 2005 in which nearly 90,000 people had lost their lives with around 3 million people having been displaced. “One gets reminded of the horrific images from the Kashmir earthquake of 2005 and the people of J&K can imagine the pain and suffering of the affected people in Nepal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. We offer the affected people our moral support and extend our solidarity to them. A lot of our brothers and sisters from Nepal work in J&K and a lot of Kashmiri traders live in Nepal and do business there”, the NC president said.
“I implore the State Govt to ensure all possible assistance and help to Nepali citizens working in J&K to get in touch with their families back home. This should be ensured on a priority basis. I also expect the State Government to reach out to all Kashmiri traders and businessmen working in Nepal and facilitate their identification, rescue and return to their families in Kashmir. The State Government should approach the Ministry of External Affairs and set-up special cells both in J&K and in Delhi to monitor the welfare of J&K residents in Nepal”, Dr Farooq added.
Follow our WhatsApp channel