‘Viksit Bharat can only be reality when every region develops’
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Mar 3: Strongly condemning the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today asked which law gave United States and Israel the right to attack.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO
Talking to reporters on the sidelights of a National Conference on “Holistic Development of Districts: Transforming Governance for Viksit Bharat” organised by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances Government of India, Omar appealed the people of Jammu and Kashmir to exercise restraint, not let their emotions control them and express their anger and grief through lawful and peaceful means.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
“The people of Iran must be the ones to decide their own leadership, without external interference. I condemn the killing of Khamenei and his family. What law gave America and Israel the right to do this? I also urge the people of Jammu and Kashmir not to let the situation worsen,” Abdullah told reporters.
Referring to the recent violence that has gripped the Valley in the wake of Khamenei’s death, Abdullah said that if there was any excessive use of force or misuse of power by the police or Central paramilitary forces that resulted in injuries, it would be understandable for the people to feel intense emotions.
“I request the people of Jammu and Kashmir not to allow the situation to deteriorate. Some people are trying to spoil the atmosphere, and reports of incidents are coming in from certain places. I do not want any misuse of force by the police or the Central Paramilitary forces here, resulting in people getting injured or, God forbid, anyone losing their life. That would be deeply unfortunate,” the Chief Minister said.
Asserting that he understood the public sentiment, he added, “I can understand their emotions, because how can one not feel angry? But in such circumstances, it is most important to control emotions.”
He appealed to the community and to religious leaders to guide people towards maintaining peace. “You have every right to express your anger, resentment and your faith, but you must keep the law in mind. Please do not take the law into your own hands,” he said.
Regarding the situation of Indians in Iran, Abdullah said that the Jammu and Kashmir Government was in close coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs. “Most of our students and other people who are in Iran have been moved to safe areas. Some of our final-year students who are in hospitals are not agreeing to leave,” he said.
He urged them to follow official advisories. “I sincerely request them to follow the embassy’s guidelines, advice and recommendations. If the embassy says we should move to a safe area, then we should go to a safe area,” he said.
Abdullah also mentioned the tensions in the region, highlighting that Pakistan and Afghanistan are already in conflict. “War is not the cure for any problem,” the Chief Minister said, adding that if people in any country are unhappy with their Government that remains a separate internal matter.
Earlier addressing the conference which was held in collaboration with J&K Government Omar asserted that the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 can only become a reality only if development reaches every corner of the country, asserting that progress confined to few states or regions would remain “a dream and slogan only.”
Omar emphasised that progress confined to select pockets would leave the national dream unfulfilled.
In his keynote address, the Chief Minister said, “The truth is that Viksit Bharat or a developed India will only be a reality if entire India develops. A developed India will not become a reality if that development is confined only to a handful of states or regions.”
Stressing the importance of balanced growth, he remarked that from Jammu and Kashmir in the North to Assam in the East, Gujarat in the West and Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the South, every region must experience tangible progress. “Unless all of us see that development and that progress, Viksit Bharat will remain a dream and merely a slogan,” he cautioned.
Highlighting the pathway to national transformation, the Chief Minister advocated a bottom-up governance model. “India develops through conferences like this and through taking a ground-up approach rather than a top-down approach,” he observed.
He underlined that development must be anchored in good governance at the district level. “If our districts perform, our states and Union Territories perform. If our states perform, our country performs. And if our country performs, the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047 may perhaps be realised even before the timeline we have set for ourselves,” he said optimistically.
The Chief Minister noted that such conferences help policymakers and administrators avoid “Reinventing the wheel” by facilitating the exchange of successful models and innovations.
“For far too long, we lived in silos where sharing information was discouraged rather than encouraged,” he reflected, adding that recent years have witnessed more collaborative and holistic governance practices.
However, he cautioned that governance challenges rarely have universal solutions. “There is no quick fix solution. What works in one State may not work in another. What works in J&K may not work in Gujarat or Maharashtra. But we can certainly adapt and modify successful practices to suit our local conditions,” he said.
The Chief Minister, who was the guest of honour on the occasion, also spoke extensively about the transformative role of technology in governance. Referring to the shift towards digital administration, he said, “One reform that has made a huge difference is the e-office system is that paper files have virtually disappeared. We have come a long way to a point where I rarely see a paper file.”
He emphasised that elected representatives and administrators share a common objective. “Whether it is myself, Dr. Jitendra Singh or the MP, we have the same goal as you – to ensure that people receive what they expect from us in development, governance and services,” he stated.
He said citizens deserve a Government that delivers on its promises in education, health, infrastructure and every other sector.
Expressing gratitude to the Union Minister for choosing Jammu as the venue, the Chief Minister extended an invitation to hold future conferences in Srinagar.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
