Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 10: Cautioning against machinations of straining the time tested inclusive and pluralistic ethos of Jammu, Senior BJP leader Devender Singh Rana today called for identifying, exposing and isolating the elements inimical to peace and tranquility.
“Jammu’s tryst with harmony is strong enough to withstand the vicious onslaught of hate mongers”, Rana said while interacting with the people at Palpad during his to the area.
He said pluralistic Jammu’s ethos of inclusiveness and harmony is the strong citadel against forces who want to disturb the secular fabric of Jammu region.
Rana said the people, irrespective of region and religion, are sagacious enough to see through the attempts of dividing the society and resolute enough to thwart the designs of peace-breakers by maintaining unity and brotherhood. Mutual trust and better understanding of each other’s religious beliefs is a hallmark of the Jammu ethos that has surmounted the challenges of times with courage and fortitude. This spirit is actually the guiding force behind the way of life of the peace-loving people, he added.
The BJP leader said the vicious cycle of hate is a threat to civility and detrimental to the spirit of co-existence. Such tendencies have the potential of creating a wedge between different segments of society that is alien to the composite ethos of this region, he said and urged the people to sustain this legacy to bequeath harmonious Jammu to the posterity. He said the region has all along cherished the great values of the pluralistic ethos that has actually been a binding force between various religions. This spirit has not only to be sustained but promoted in a big way to keep at bay the divisive and reactionary forces, he added.
Rana said that those trying to divide people will not succeed in their game plan as coexistence is Jammu’s DNA and any attempt of trampling it will face stiff resistance by the society at large. The people cannot be dissuaded from their chosen path by any incitement or provocation. He decried the maneuvers to generate a sense of fear and apprehension in pursuit of furthering sinister agenda and said that the BJP’s solemn pledge about ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Priyas holds promise for a peaceful, prosperous, progressive and inclusive Jammu and Kashmir.
Rana emphasized the role of peace-loving forces in sidelining elements inimical to mutual co-existence, saying this can be achieved only when those in public life become role models by dint of their selfless service to people, especially poor and the downtrodden. Since opinion leaders enjoy larger influence in the society, they should rise to the occasion and supplement the efforts of maintaining harmony between various segments of society.
Prominent among those present on the occasion included Hameed Choudhary, Babu Ram, Shah Mohammad, Abdul Mehmood, Abdul, Fared Ahmed, Mushtaq, Mohd Saleem, Jamat Ali, Sobat Ali, Khalim Ali, and others.