Srinagar: In his I-Day Message, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha has extended greetings and good wishes to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“My dear brothers and sisters, Warm and heartiest greetings to all of you on the auspicious occasion of the 74th Independence Day,” LG said in his I-Day speech.
“Jammu and Kashmir has always been an integral part of the existence of India in each and every respect – culturally, politically, socially, and spiritually. Jammu and Kashmir has a time honoured tradition of assimilating and embracing every religion and tradition right from Kalhan’s Rajtarangini to Shankaracharya’s Advaita, Sufi Islam to the Buddhist philosophy of Mahayana. And this peaceful and syncretic co-existence is reflected in the lives of the inhabitants of this land,” he said.
“Although this cultural mosaic has suffered many attacks, yet nothing has succeeded in annihilating its existence. The people of Jammu and Kashmir dissociated themselves from the communal riots of partition, and fully immersed themselves in upholding the spirit of national integration. We are all familiar with the contribution and role of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the struggle for India’s liberty. Innumerable heroes from this land of Jammu and Kashmir offered the ultimate sacrifice in service of Mother India.”
“This land of Jammu and Kashmir has given birth to brave hearts like Mahavir Chakra Awardee Martyr Brigadier Rajinder Singh. History is a witness that in 1947 when invaders lay siege to Uri sector, Brigadier Rajinder Singh stood like a rock in the path of the enemy to repulse their attack. Till his last breath, he saved the land of Jammu and Kashmir from the enemy. He was hit by many bullets, but that hardly deterred him as he stood firm and upright like a rock in the path of the enemy. The enemy was forced to beat a hasty retreat in the face of such valour,” he said.
“Unfortunately, some wrong decisions were taken after independence. These decisions inevitably led to resentment in the hearts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and distanced them from the rest. This distancing led to the widening of fissures and cracks. Generation after generation was sacrificed at the altar of hatred. Instead of countless doors that should have opened for the people in Independent India, numerous doors closed upon the people, and distances increased,” he said.
“Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee laid great emphasis on Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat. But humanity conceded defeat to terrorism for decades in Kashmir, democracy suffered at the hands of vested interests, and Kashmiriyat was massacred to appease the hatred that ensued. It is a matter of great sorrow that the legacy of cultural syncretism has been eclipsed by the vicious story of sectarianism,” he said.
The LG said after the constitutional change enacted in 2019, “the central government took not one or two, but historic 50 decisions to transform the face of the region.”
“A new era of normalcy and development has dawned due to the changes effected in the last year; a new journey has been undertaken. To ensure that this journey allows us to reach our destination quickly, the government has earmarked five targets to be achieved. Firstly, we wish to put in place a just and transparent system of governance, which will be dedicated to empowering the marginalized and weaker sections of society.Secondly, we want to establish a thriving grassroot level democracy. Thirdly, we wish to ensure maximum welfare by ensuring that every person benefits from government schemes. Fourthly, we are committed to accelerate the development of Jammu and Kashmir. Lastly, Economic development, creation of employment opportunities and livelihood will be our primary priority,” he said.
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