Baramulla, Jul 19: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday said Jammu and Kashmir possesses a unique heritage of coexistence and communal harmony that can serve as a model for the world. He called upon citizens to safeguard this legacy while joining hands to eradicate the growing menace of drug addiction.
Addressing a programme titled “Mulaqat” in Baramulla, Sinha said the people of the Union Territory must demonstrate unity through action rather than rhetoric and build a society based on shared heritage, shared culture and equal opportunities for all citizens, irrespective of religion, caste or community.
“If there is a place in the world that can teach the world that different communities, sects and religions can live together in peace, happiness and faith, that land belongs to Jammu and Kashmir, and that land belongs to India,” he said.
The LG said social and religious values form the foundation of a strong society and a developed India, adding that self-determination among the people is essential for economic progress, social development and securing the future of coming generations.
He stressed the need to strengthen inter-faith harmony and mutual cooperation so that poverty could be removed from every household and social cohesion strengthened across the Union Territory.
“If we want to encourage brotherhood, then we have to overcome the dreadful challenge of addiction,” Sinha said, adding that the message should reach every corner of Jammu and Kashmir.
Addressing the youth, the Lieutenant Governor urged them to believe in their abilities and shape a future better than the one inherited from the past.
“For a very long time, this land has seen terrorism, war and addiction. Many have lost their loved ones, and the dreams and future of young people were deeply affected. Today I want to say with confidence that that cycle is now over,” he said.
Sinha described the emerging transformation in Jammu and Kashmir as a movement towards “a new era of unity, entrepreneurship, innovation, spiritual awareness and national unity.”
He praised the volunteers of the Save Youth Save Future Foundation and said they have shown that meaningful change is possible when young people take responsibility for their own future.
The Lieutenant Governor recalled an incident from a visit to Uri during a period of crisis, saying that the Gurudwara Baramulla had offered accommodation and food arrangements to affected people.
“I believe this is our heritage. We have to carry this heritage forward,” he said.
LG Sinha concluded his address with a poetic appeal for harmony and said society today needed “a great deal of love” and urged people to reject hatred and work collectively for a prosperous, peaceful and progressive Jammu and Kashmir.
