Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Apr 24: As a novel and path-breaking initiative, with a view to enforcing age-old tradition of peace and mutual co-existence of Jammu region and for greater brotherhood and good relations amongst people, an inter-biradri meeting of Gujjars and respectable Hindus of the area, was convened at Chak Manga, near here today.
The participants were of the unanimous view that mischievous forces, under a well-spun plan have tried to destabilize the peaceful atmosphere of Jammu region and create a gap between communities. Inter-religion brotherhood and respect tolerance has been the hallmark of Jammu region. Being a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic political entity as created by Maharaja Gulab Singh, the people of the State, by and large, have a proud legacy of not falling a prey to politics on the basis of religion, region or caste.
Ranbir Singh Pathania, MLA Ramnagar in his address said that given the train and trajectory of developments in the last few days, it looks as if some disgruntled, mandate-less and spent up forces, both on this and that side of the tunnel, have ganged up to spur up communal tensions in the State. Sorry and surprising to observe that people and leaders who neither have ever lived or visited the area nor have any care or concern for the inter-religion brotherhood of the people of the area, are trying to fan communal passions and breed rancor amongst communities.
While making a pointed reference to controversy pivoting around alleged murder-cum-rape at Rassana (Hiranagar), Pathania emphasized for an objective and professional handling of the case. While, on one hand, full justice should be done to the deceased victim, on the other side, it should be ensured that no innocent is unnecessarily harassed or dragged into the case. “Justice should not only be done but it should appear to have been done also”.
D. K. Manyal, MLA Samba also addressed the meet and asked for maintaining communal harmony. Forces within as well as outside the country, inimical to India, have ganged up to damage the peaceful atmosphere of the State and derail the present dispensation from its plank of ‘peace and development.’ Wisdom and dexterity demand that such forces have to be fought diehard and the idea of peaceful Jammu where lion and goat were spotted drinking water together needs to be preserved and propagated for times to come. Ghulam Ali Khatana, prominent Gujjar leader also addressed the meeting calling upon the people to beware of rumours and canards which amount to jeopardizing communal brotherhood and peace.
Jangbir Singh Cheeku, Mohd Din, Nek Mohd, Kuldeep Singh, Shiv Ram, Col. SD Sharma and a host of local leaders addressed the meeting and expressed congruence with the developing opinion. They also called for organizing such other meetings in the area.
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