Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Feb 18: Former Deputy Chief Minister and ex MP of People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Muzafar Hussain Beigh today expressed the hope that age -old peace and tranquility will be restored in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir so that the Union Government can fulfill its promise of restoring Statehood to it.
Addressing a function jointly organized by Pahari Welfare Culture Forum and Civil Society of Jammu here, the former Deputy CM and a political stalwart said “Let us pray and hope that peace will prevail in the J&K UT so that Statehood is restored to it”. He said Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister, Amit Shah had announced after the J&K was converted into UT that the Statehood will be restored to it after the peace and tranquility fully prevail in the trouble- torn UT.
The function was organized in honour of Beigh who was conferred Padma Bhushan Award by Government of India recently. The function was presided over by Justice (retd) K K Sharma who was also the chief guest on the occasion.
Beigh said J&K is like a garden in which people of all communities lived in complete peace and harmony for centuries together and “We are duty bound to maintain the same for centuries to come to give a blow to those forces who are trying to divide us”.
The former Minister, while expressing his concern over the Division of Sub Continent while taking a leaf from history accused Britishers in dividing Hindus and Muslims in 1858. He said the Britishers were responsible in creating a wedge between the two communities who otherwise lived in complete peace and harmony for centuries together.
He said this later led to the division of India in 1947 and creation of Pakistan. Later, the Sub Continent was divided into three parts after Pakistan further broke into two parts with the birth of Bangladesh.
He said when Ali Mohamed Jinah left Congress, he went to London. British Government asked him to seek separate land for Muslims and he agreed, he added.
Beigh regretted that had not the India been divided into three parts it would have been one of the strongest countries of the world today rather a power and it would have got first place in UN Security Council.
He also lauded the peace efforts of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi with neighboring Pakistan and alleged that the neighboring country did not reciprocate properly to his offers.
“It was Modi who went to Pakistan without invitation and breaking all diplomatic norms for the sake of peace in the Sub Continent but India’s efforts were not taken positively by that country, he added.
Beigh said that India and Pakistan leadership has to play their positive role for lasting peace in the South Asia particularly in Jammu and Kashmir. “It was Pakistan, however, which was thwarting the peace efforts of India”, he added.
Beigh without naming any one blamed some leaders for bloodshed in Kashmir and prayed for peace and brotherhood for the prosperity of the people and development of the UT.
The former Dy CM also lauded the role of Dogra rulers for securing the rights of State and its subjects and extension of boundaries of the State up to Tibet.
The function was also attended by senior Pahari leader and ex MLC Murtaza Khan, former Ministers, Gulchain Singh Charak, Abdul Gani Kohli, Talib Hussian, Mirza Abdul Rashid, Mustaq Bukhari, Ghulam Hussain a member of Civil Society Jammu, president Bar Association, Abhinav Sharma, ex president Jammu Bar, Advocate B S Salathia, ex-Advocate General, V K Jalali, ex-MLA Ashok Sharma, Raja Aijaz Ali, ex-IGP, Amjad Mirza, ex-SSP and many others.
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