Early Times Report JAMMU, May 4: National Conference Additional General Secretary and Former Minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra today called upon the youth to rise above divisive tendencies being perpetrated by vested interests and stand united to foil the machinations aimed at fragmenting the nation along communal lines, saying that such designs are contrary to the foundational ethos of India a nation that thrives on inclusiveness, collective growth, and the well-being of all sections of society. Addressing a day long Rally of Youth National Confernce at Samba which was organized by Chowdhary Hamid, Sadhotra said that the country is passing through a critical juncture. It is the youth boys and girls the torchbearers of tomorrow and the future of this great nation who must shoulder the responsibility to safeguard the unity, integrity and secular fabric of the country in general and Jammu and Kashmir in particular. "Unity must be preserved at all costs. Peace-disrupting elements must be isolated, and social harmony must be nurtured and strengthened", Mr Sadhotra said. Former Minister said history stands testimony how disunity weakens a nation and how the collective resolve of young people can steer a country to greatness. "We must guard against narratives that divide and distract us from our shared goals of prosperity and progress," he added. Adressing the Rally, Tejinder Singh Provincial President Youth National Conference said "Let us not allow hate and negativity to define our times. Let us be the generation that builds bridges, not walls. The spirit of India lies in unity, and it is upon the youth to protect and preserve this legacy", he said. Ch Hamid was appointed as Zonal President of Youth National Conference Central Zone (Jammu-Samba-Kathua) by Provincial President YNC. Provincial President asked newly appointed zonal president to constitute Block level Committes of Youth National Conference in consultation with District and Block Presidents of Parent body within three months. Sadhotra further highlighted the sustained efforts of the Omar Abdullah-led government towards youth empowerment, saying that National Conference has made it a policy priority to create avenues of employment and ensure that merit and transparency define the recruitment process. The present government is committed to filling vacant posts on a transparent and fast-track basis, said, adding that the era of scam-ridden recruitment is over. The National Conference government stands by its manifesto commitment of providing one lakh jobs to educated youth during its five-year term, he said. Sadhotra referred to multiple initiatives undertaken to enhance employability, skill development and entrepreneurship among youth across the regions of Jammu and Kashmir, saying the only aim is to ensure that every capable youth gets the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to society and the economy. Sadhotra while reiterating the party's long-standing commitment as envisaged in the Naya Kashmir Programme of the party to the welfare of youth, "From education to employment, from sports to start-ups, the National Conference has always believed in investing in the potential of our young generation." In view of serious concerns over rising unemployment, Dr. Farooq Abdullah Sahib and Omar Abdullah Sahib during their chiefministership have on spot police recruitment which gave thousands of youth opportunity to get employment and earn their livelihood. The National Conference Additional General Secretary also expressed grave concern over the growing menace of drug addiction among youth, describing it as a major threat to the future of the region. He lamented that hundreds of promising young lives are being lost to substance abuse and families suffering in silence and despair. He urged the youth to take the lead in combating this menace as Government efforts alone are not enough. Community awareness, family support, and youth leadership are key to defeating this crisis, he asserted. At the outset, Ayoub Malik Provincial Secretary introduced all the leaders with the youth who were accompanying Mr Sadhotra. Others who spoke on the ocassion are the Satwant Dogra Provincial President Women Wing Jammu, Suriya Begum Member DDC Samba, District Presidents Chander Mohan Sharma, Raghubir Singh, Ch Naresh Bittu, A G Teli President OBC Jammu Province, Nahar Singh Provincial President Labour Wing, Ayesha Gupta Women leader, Chander Udhay Singh Zonal Secretary, Ch Razak, Tarun Chowdhary District President NCSU Samba, Ch Abdul Aziz Khatana Gujjar leader, Sandesh Shan Zonal Secretary, Ch Aslam Khan, Gurnam Singh, Sandeep Singh Block Presidents, Shabir Samyal, Shoket Chowdhary, Veer Jee Bhat, Randhir Singh, Ex-Sarpanch Shamshad Begum, Som Singh Taroch, Retd. SSP Sewak Singh, Natish Goswami, Youth Provincial Vice Pesidents Vishal Parihar, Anju Dogra, Priyanka Dogra, Devender Singh, Jatinder Bhagat, Jagat Ram, Bhagat Ram, Muzamil Malik, Yasin Malik, Bilal Malik, Sachin Bhatti, Vishaw Samyal. Number of youth joined Youth National Conference on the ocassion. Prominent among those who joined are Ravi Kumar, Darbar Chand, Happy, Sanjeev Thappa, Deepak Kumar, Ankush Atri and Sahil Banotra. Sadhotra congraluated Ch Hamid and welcomed the new entrants and hoped that they will work with zeal and dedication and strengthen the hands of Jenab Farooq Abdullah Sahib and Omar Abdullah Sahib and our party Jammu and Kashmir National Conference. |