Noting that sustained peace and normalcy is vital to the future of Jammu and Kashmir, state Governor N N Vohra today called upon all stakeholders to work shoulder to shoulder for resolving the issues through dialogue and discussions.
"They should also work unitedly to see that Jammu and Kashmir achieves speedy progress and secures its rightful place at the vanguard of the nation," Vohra said in his Independence Day message.
Greeting the people on the eve of the 68th Independence Day, the Governor said the people of the state have faced varied serious difficulties and gone through a long period of pain and suffering. He said despite the problems created by terrorists and the continuing intrusions from across the LoC, there has been a significant improvement in the overall security situation.
"We owe gratitude to brave officers and men of our security forces who have been sacrificing their lives for protecting our country's territorial integrity," he said.
He asserted that sustained peace and normalcy is important to the states future and asked all stakeholders to work shoulder to shoulder for resolving all outstanding issues through dialogue and discussions.
The Governor said the steadily-enhancing environment of peace and normalcy has contributed towards the revival of economic activities and added that there has been a significant increase in tourism, including the two major pilgrimages in the state. He said well over six and a half million visitors have already come to Jammu and Kashmir since the beginning of this year.
Talking about the upcoming state polls, he said,"In J&K, elections to the Assembly are to take place later this year. I trust that the electorate, particularly the young first-time voters, shall turn out in the largest-ever numbers to freely exercise their franchise and elect a government of their choice," he said.
"To achieve this objective and ensure a peaceful transition, it would be of crucial importance to ensure that normalcy is maintained in the coming months," he said.
Vohra said the leaders, activists and candidates of all political parties and voters and the people of the state shall need to play a responsible role for ensuring that the polls engender an outcome which enhances stability and enables Jammu and Kashmir to achieve rapid progress on all fronts.
The Governor said like all youth, the bright young boys and girls of Jammu and Kashmir have dreams and aspirations and added that it is the responsibility of those who are elected to manage the affairs of the state and take all required steps to ensure that the educational system is not subjected to repeated disruptions which it has suffered in the past years.
