Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, June 3: National Conference president and Member of Parliament Dr Farooq Abdullah today said that his party will continue the peaceful and democratic struggle for restoration of Article 370 and Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah said this during a 5-hour long virtual meeting of the party’s provincial committee members today.
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“Being fashioned in the heroic mould of Sher-e-Kashmir, we won’t give in on the peaceful and constitutional struggle for the restoration of our rights. Our priority will remain the restoration of Statehood and Articles 370 and 35-A”, he said while addressing the meeting.
Abdullah said that political aspirations and development have to go hand in hand in Jammu and Kashmir.
“The idea of fostering peace, prosperity and development in J&K is elusive until people’s infringed Constitutional rights aren’t restored. The political aspirations of the people and development have to go hand in hand. There is no shift in our party agenda on serving people, and protecting the unique political and cultural identity of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
“People of the State are caught in a deadly quagmire of economic and political uncertainty. Administrative unaccountability and development stagnation have become the norm of the day. The mislaid rules, regulations, and off-hand orders have put Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh on the path of terminal alienation. It is the youth that are facing the major brunt of the unconcerned attitude of the incumbent Government. Nobody other than us in the National Conference can realize the amount of beleaguerment; Jammu and Kashmir has suffered at the hands of the present ruling regime, since it was the National Conference which had firmly established the State on democratic and Constitutional foundations. The seeds of an empowered Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh were sown by us,” he said.
Abdullah also exhorted the party functionaries to give all support to the efforts of Administration in the battle against COVID-19 and asked the party functionaries, workers and delegates to help people in whatever way they could.
Extolling the party functionaries and MPs for their efforts against the ravaging impact of Covid on J&K economy, he asked the members to deepen their bond with the people by sharing in their worries and taking up the issues faced by them at all appropriate forums.
“We haven’t won the battle against COVID yet. We are halfway towards eliminating it, the war is on. It requires strengthening of testing, tracing and treatment mechanisms. Stepping up of vaccination drives also holds the key towards improving the herd immunity. Administration is doing its best in combating the menace, a lot needs to be done. But people cannot absolve themselves of their duties”, Abdullah said.
He also stated that the party MPs have been devotedly releasing MP-LAD funds to strengthen the efforts of the administration in the battle against COVID-19. “The funds were released to make good of the deficiency of critical COVID care equipment, oxygen plants, and other facilities. I had even shot a letter to LG as well seeking augmentation of facilities at COVID care centers across J&K”, he added.
On the issue of the party’s membership drive and youth body elections, the NC president said the exercise has suffered a temporary halt due to COVID. “Once the situation assuages completely, the process will pick up again with the same vigor and vitality. It is the well-being of people that matters to us first and foremost,” he said.
NC vice president and former CM Omar Abdullah in his interaction with the provincial members and special invitees said the party hasn’t accepted August 5 measures as fate accomplice. “We haven’t changed our stance on the measures of August 5. We haven’t relinquished our peaceful, constitutional, and non-violent battle for the restoration of our constitutional rights. We will fight prudently. Our agenda based on integrity and service remains unchanged as well”, he said.
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