Asserting that the flag of Jammu and Kashmir is the expression of state’s historical unique identity,National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said the youth of J&K must come forward to protect and uphold its sanctity.
“We have faced lot of challenges over the years as far as the protection of our identity is concerned. Thankfully we have defeated them but we must not lower our guard. We as a society must come out as a united unit irrespective of region or religion and give the communal forces a befitting reply. Youth and women have to play a major role in this,” Dr Abdullah, who is the MP from Srinagar, said while addressing two separate delegations at NC headquarters Nawa-e-Subah, Srinagar.
“The question arises what shaped the unique identity of our state? The answer to this query lies in the long history of ours. It is this individuality of ours that reflected in the efforts of Sher-e-Kashmir, who lent immense sacrifices for preserving the individual character of our state. Art 370 and Art 35 A are the embodiment of this unique character of ours which was astutely incorporated by the makers of the Constitution of India,” said.
He said it is youth that has to come forward now and shoulder the responsibility of protecting our unique character as guaranteed by the constitution of India. “They have to carry forward the ideals that have been guiding us all along since the inception of NC,” he added.
Urging the youth to maintain a healthy lifestyle, Dr Abdullah said, “To youth I want to say that hard work, persistence and perseverance leads to success. The youth of a nation are the trustees of posterity. Youngness comes once in life, so they must keep away from bad habits and utilize their full potential for the betterment of their family and nation at large.”
Meanwhile, addressing a women delegation, Dr Abdullah said the women are no way inferior to men. “They (women) have proved to be as vibrant, sincere and perfect in many fields. Their role in shaping a nation’s destiny is no less. Women of our state and Kashmir in particular are resilient enough to face all odds. Realizing the power of women our party gave 33 percent reservation to the women in Panchayat and reserved 50 percent seats for women in medical colleges,” he said.
“Our party has been a strong votary of having women in politics. We are lucky to have many educated and industrious women in our party. Once in power our party will roll out effective policies for the empowerment of girls and women. A progressive society is what our party aspires for and the idea of making progress cannot be achieved without giving women their due share in every field,” he added. (UNI)
