Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 21: J&K Citizens Advisory Forum, a Jammu based civil society of intelligentsia today appealed for peace and normalcy in Kashmir and sought strong action against Kashmir separatists who are inciting Kashmiri youth for anti-India violence.
During a public interaction at Gandhi Nagar here today, a well-attended meeting adopted a resolution and asked the separatists to “mend their ways and desist from anti-India tirade” and ” spreading venom against the nationalist forces” and said that such element have no place in secular and democratic India.
Expressing concern over Kashmir situation which is affecting Jammu people as well, the Forum “urged State and Central Governments to deal sternly with anti-India elements”. It strongly criticized the State Govt for dropping the proposal under the pressure of separatists for setting up separate colonies for migrant Kashmiri Pandits and demanded that Kashmiri Pandits be resettled in Kashmir in well protected area.
The Forum also appealed all people to maintain communal harmony and not to get carried away by rumours and provocation.
Today’s meeting was held to discuss “Kashmir unrest and it’s reflection on Jammu”. The former Judge of J&K High Court, Justice K K Gupta, Patron-in-Chief of the Forum presided over the meet. The chairman of the Forum, I C Jandial, former Chief Engineer, introduced the subject and said that Jammu is feeling the heat of Kashmir unrest and cannot be mute spectator to alarming situation developing in Kashmir and it is a duty of the intelligentsia to ponder over the situation and contribute for restoring normalcy in Kashmir and strengthen the nationalistic forces.
The chairman said that JKCAF is a body within the civil society that would function as a grievance redressal forum for issues confronting common and downtrodden citizens of society on health care, drinking water facility, power, sanitation and hygiene, education and social justice.
K B Jandial, former Member J&K PSC and Raman Mattoo, former Minister delivered lecture on “Kashmir unrest and it’s reflection on Jammu”. They touched different aspect of the unrest, forces responsible for such periodical cycle of violence, historic events and willful mischievous interpretation given to certain documents including Instrument of Accession and Article 370 to turn the youth against India. They stressed the need for bringing normalcy in Kashmir and effectively countering Pakistan and other anti-India elements in their efforts to poison the youth with secessionist tendencies, through mutli-pronged and multi-layered strategy.
Other speakers, who spoke on the occasion, raised their concern for discrimination with Jammu in almost every field and sought urgent correction in Govt policies.
The main speakers included CP Gupta, Jugal Mahajan, noted businessman and activist, Kiran Wattal, former Municipal Commissioner, S Peter, Dr C L Gupta, Vinod Sharma, a retired engineer and SP Langer.
A galaxy of prominent citizens and office bearers of the Forum participated in the interaction.