Describing abrogation of Article 370 as a landmark and path breaking political initiative in the history of independent India, Senior BJP leader Mr Devender Singh Rana today said the constitutional amendment by Parliament of the world’s largest and greatest democracy on August 5, 2019 was a step towards realization of the concept of ‘one nation, one people’.
“With this temporary provision gone, the citizens of India from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and North East to Kuchh are emotionally and psychologically connected as one people”, Mr Devender Rana said while interacting with student activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) from North Eastern States, currently on National Integration Tour under Students’ Experience in Inter-state Living (SEIL) at the picturesque Surinsar.
Mr Rana added: “Removing the discriminatory special status of Jammu and Kashmir gives a better shape to the ideology of one nation”.
He said the changing scenario across the country is manifestation of Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi’s urge to make India a global leader with his mission of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Pryas. This is only possible when Indians, irrespective of region, religion, caste or race mould themselves as ‘one people of one nation’. Much headway has been made in this regard during the past nearly nine years with everyone, especially the youth, working towards the progression of the country, he added.
Mr Rana recalled the scenario in the North East prior to 2014 and said the despair of yesteryears has been overtaken by hope and promise of a better tomorrow. The region has really come out of the era of instability and is fast steering towards stability and peace. He said the challenges faced to the North East and Jammu and Kashmir were not conducive years ago but the strong leadership at the Centre has made all the difference. While the NE is scripting a new saga of progress and development, J&K is at the threshold of becoming part of the country’s growth story. The nightmarish era of stone pelting and hartal culture in Kashmir is now history and the Valley is humming with economic activity and development like Jammu and any other part of the country, he maintained.
Mr Rana, however, cautioned against the elements inimical to India’s spirit of unity, who are engaged in the sinister machinations of dividing the people on the basis of religion and caste. He exuded confidence that the youth of India will play a decisive role in foiling their game plan by maintaining unity and tranquility.
Senior BJP leader Mr Rana hoped that the youth exchange under SEIL will provide an opportunity to the youngsters to know their nation better and understand its diverse character and the challenges ahead. The activists of the ABVP will have to play their designated role in bringing youth together under the banner of One India. The youth represent the aspirations of vibrant India, he said, adding that the decisive leadership of the Prime Minister is fully capable of satiating these as per their expectations.
He lauded the initiative of SEIL –founded in 1965 as an initiative of the then members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad under the presidency of Acharya Giriraj Kishore and hoped that such visits will promote the feeling of brotherhood between youths from northeast India and the rest of the nation.
The SEIL comprised the ABVP activists from North East, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Manipur.
Prominent among those present on the occasion included, Akshi Balioria State Secretary ABVP Jammu and Kashmir; Tilak Thakur, State Organising Secretary; Novjot Jasrotia, State SEAL Coordinator J&K, Nirdesh Khajuria, Jammu Mahanagar Organising Secretary; Chahat Anand, State Joint Secretary besides Sarpanch Surinsar Bodh Raj, Sarpanch Chilla, Krishan Singh, Sarpanch Nadore Rajinder Singh, Sarpanch Khanpur Mohd Iqbal, Sarpanch Pounthal Anil, Ex Sarpanch Subash Singh, Pritam Singh, Mohd Amin, Abdul Mehmood, Balbir Singh, Mohd Sadiq, Bhushan Singh and others.
