National Conference President and former Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah on Saturday expressed his deep disappointment with the PDP-BJP dispensation for backtracking from promises made to people, pre-and-post-2014 elections, thus forcing different segments of society to take to streets for fulfillment of their demands.“A peculiar situation is prevailing across Jammu and Kashmir with people feeling a sense of deprivation and neglect from the government which is working at cross purposes”, Dr Farooq Abdullah said while addressing striking workers of the Public Health Department at Katra this afternoon.He expressed solidarity with casual, daily, seasonal and need based workers of the department who were on continued strike in support of their demands and asked the Chief Minister to understand their plight as their careers were at peril. “Their demands are justified and need immediate redressal”, he said, adding that National Conference appreciates the agonies and miseries of workers, who are feeling hard pressed to support their families. He stressed the need for regularising different categories of workers on immediate basis.Dr Abdullah was accompanied by Provincial President National Conference Devender Singh Rana.
Earlier, addressing workers at Bamyal, the former Chief Minister called for a collective effort to combat growing tendencies of religious intolerance across the country, saying this was biggest challenge to very idea of India. He emphasised the crucial need of amity and harmony, describing these pivotal for progress and prosperity of the country.Dr Abdullah said those fighting in the name of religion were ignoring that fundamentally every religion preaches peace, tranquillity, amity and brotherhood. “Unless this spirit is imbibed and promoted, there will be no harmony in the society”, he maintained.
The National Conference President underscored pivotal role of people at large in promoting spirit of inclusiveness in diverse society, especially at a time when some elements were out to destroy the time tested fabric of religious harmony and unity.“As long as we remain united, nobody will be able to weaken us”, Dr Abdullah said while recalling the enormous role of National Conference during most testing times in keeping the flag of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh unity aloft.“We have to keep this spirit alive”, he said and urged the party workers to take pledge of spread the message of communal amity and brotherhood in every locality. He also urged the Gujjars and downtrodden segments of society to concentrate on education of their children, saying this alone can put them in good stead to face the most competitive world with confidence.Dr Abdullah appreciated resilience of people in fighting disruptive and communal forces by maintaining age old ethos of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. (KNS)