Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 28: As a part of 130th Foundation Day of the Congress Party, Pradesh Congress Committee today organised various functions across the State to celebrate the event.
An impressive function was held at PCC headquarters Shaheedi Chowk, Jammu to celebrate the 130th Foundation Day of the party, which is being celebrated all over the country and in the State by the Congress workers.
The function was presided over by former Minister and senior vice president of PCC Sham Lal Sharma and was attended by several senior leaders including former PCC president and former Minister Peerzada Mohd Sayeed, Aijaz Ahmed Khan deputy CLP leader; vice presidents PCC Mula Ram, Raman Bhalla and Kanta Bhan; senior leaders Gurmukh Singh, Ravinder Sharma, Rajnish Sharma, Ex-Minister Abdul Majid Wani, Balwan Singh, Dr Manohar Lal Sharma, Manjit Singh, Vikram Malhotra, Manmohan Singh, Namrata Sharma, Faqir Nath, Indu Pawar, Shiv Dev Singh, Girdhari Lal Chalotra, Ch Bashir Naaz; Kuldeep Raj Verma, Anil Chopra, besides senior functionaries of DCC, Blocks and frontal organizations like Mahila Congress, Youth Congress, Seva Dal, INTUC & NSUI.
Addressing the function senior leaders of the party threw light on the history of Congress party and its contribution and sacrifices for the freedom of the Country and achievements towards nation building in the post-independent period. It was on this day in 1885, the Congress was founded and during its 130 years of the service to the nation, the Congress party remained committed to the principle of secularism and socialism and for strengthening the unity and integrity of the nation.
They said it was the Congress party under whose banner the entire countrymen irrespective of caste, creed, colour or religion unitedly fought against the mighty British rulers for the freedom of the country and countless number of countrymen including several senior leaders of the party underwent great sufferings and gave supreme sacrifices to achieve freedom for the nation.
Sham Lal Sharma referred to the historical role of the Congress party and said that it is the sole party which can ensure equitable development and balanced treatment to all three regions of the State and meet the challenge posed by the communal and divisive forces. The Congress party will emerge stronger in the country and the State and urged the party workers to carry out the programmes and achievement Congress party to the masses more vigorously in the wake of coming elections to the Urban Local Bodies .
Prominent among others who attended the function included Shiv Kumar Sharma-president INTUC; Balwinder Singh Sambyal-(Seva Dal), Pranav Shagotra-president PYC, Hira Lal Pandita-chairman Migrant Cell; Hari Singh Chib, Subash Bhagat, YB Sharma, Nek Ram Manhas, SS Shingari, Shashi Sharma, Thomas Khokhar, Neeraj Gupta, Manjit Singh Jatt, Pawan Singh, Anuradha Andotra, Sanjeev Sharma, Mohd Sultan Mandoo, Haji Mohd Sadiq, Uttam Singh, BBGupta, Madan Lal Malagar and Dr Ramakant Khajuria.
In Srinagar, similar function was held at the party office under the leadership of PCC vice president Mohd Anwar Bhat. The speakers while paying tributes to party leaders who selflessly worked to make the Congress a largest democratic party of country with secular ideology, threw light on the history of Congress party and its achievements towards nation building.
Paying rich tributes to Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, India Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and other top leaders, the speakers said that the services rendered by the Congress party towards and its leaders and never be ignored and their sacrifices would always lead the nation to the path of development and prosperity. Senior leaders Amreen Badre, Farooq Andrabi, Gulam Nabi Mir Lasjan, Nazir Ahmed Khan, Shameema Iqbal and Abid Kashmiri also spoke on the occasion.
Similar functions were held all across the state including Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Poonch, Kathua and Udhampur.