Excelsior Correspondent
NAGROTA, Feb 8: Cautioning against the ill-effects of religion and caste based political discourse, Provincial president National Conference Devender Singh Rana today said secularism was the only way out in a multi-lingual and multi-religious nation like India.
“Confining ourselves in water tight compartments will retard our growth as a vibrant, progressive and prosperous nation”, Mr Rana said while addressing a gathering at Khanna Chhurgal in Nagrota Assembly Constituency this afternoon.
The Provincial president said the religion or caste based politics was fraught with the danger of fragmenting society into bits and pieces, which in turn will impede peace, progress and development, which forms core of the civilised world. “Having inherited this spirit from times immemorial, we are duty bound to bequeath this treasure for posterity, as they have to face the fast changing world with a sense of confidence”, he maintained.
In this context, Mr Rana referred to Jammu and Kashmir’s tryst with secular polity and said the State has prospered and progressed as a single entity only because of the tolerance and respect for each others’ identities. “This spirit has to be preserved and promoted at all costs and any attempt to deviate from the well chosen path decades ago will manifest in chaos and confusion”, he said and hoped that political class in particular will appreciate the significance of unity in diversity.
“Recent elections have unfolded the importance of a cohesive society, more than ever before, as the polarised electoral verdict has put the State into a virtual political stalemate”, he said and urged the political and social scientists to analyse the gruesome impact of myopic politics and ways to rid the society from this menace.
Prominent among those present on the occasion included Rehmat Ali Sarpanch, Din Mohammad Sarpanch, Girdhari Lal Sharma, Panch, Jamait Ali, Mohan Lal, Amir-ud-Din Kasana, Thakur Basant Singh, Bansi Lal, Ravi Baru and others.
Earlier, interacting with parents and teachers at annual day function of New Diamond Playwell School in the village, Mr Rana lauded private sector in supplementing the effort of providing quality education across the state, saying this has promoted competition, as a result of which youngsters were benefiting immensely.
“The effort would be meaningless unless it covers all segments of the society, especially the children belonging to weaker sections”, Mr Rana adding that good schooling holds key to healthy grooming of youngsters and creating a healthy base among them, which will put them in good stead in the process of learning.
The Principal of the Playway School, Kewal Singh presented annual report and briefed about the steps taken in terms of upgrading infrastructure and carrying out academic and other ex-curricular activities. The young students enthralled the audience by dance, skits and song recital performances.
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