Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Party President, Member of Parliament, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, and Vice President, Omar Abdullah, on Wednesday led party functionaries in offering Fatiha and floral tributes at the final resting place of Baba-e-Qoum, Sher-e Kashmir, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, on his 39th death anniversary at Qaid Mazar Hazratbal.
The leaders while offering glowing tributes to Sher-e-Kashmir said that he was one of the titans of the freedom movement for the restoration of people’s democratic rights.
Party Leaders pledged to offer every sacrifice for upholding and preserving the rights of the people of J&K. “Defending, upholding and preserving the unity of the people of J&K will be a befitting tribute to Sher-e-Kashmir,” said party leaders while paying tributes to Baba-e-Quom Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah.
“The life and struggle of Sher-e-Kashmir,” the functionaries said, “was emblematic of people’s genuine aspirations and that on his anniversary the best tribute to him would be to tread the path which he had left behind for all of us to follow.”
Lauding his vision of discarding communal politics, Party leaders said Sheikh Sahib’s ideals have universal acceptance. “He wished for a society where equal opportunities are available to all, irrespective of religion, region, caste, creed or color,” the party leaders said.
Recalling the immense contribution of Sheikh Sahib, like revolutionary Land Reforms Act, Single Line Administration, free education, adult franchise, party leaders said that after independence, the state rose to achieve new heights in terms of human development index and that the overall growth of the state on other vital development indices was also far ahead of other states in the country.
The leaders said that the feat could not have been achieved had not a leader of Sheikh Sahib’s stature been around. They asserted that Sher-e-Kashmir endeavors towards maintaining communal harmony at a time when the entire subcontinent was swayed by communal frenzy; it was in his efforts that Mahatma Gandhi had said that he sees a ray of hope in Kashmir.
Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah belonged to a tribe of leaders, who not just liberated the people from the shackles of bondage but also ensured evenhanded development of all sections of society post independence by investing heavily in gender neutral education, participatory grass roots level development, the functionaries added.
In Jammu, National Conference leaders paid glorious tributes to Sher-e-Kashmir Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah on his 39th death anniversary and took pledge to uphold and preserve the legacy of amity, brotherhood and communal harmony bequeathed by the towering leader of the sub-continent.
“Strengthening the bonds of amity and brotherhood will be biggest tribute to Sher-i-Kashmir, who strived all his life for harmony among different segments of society and unity between the regions and sub-regions of Jammu and Kashmir,” Provincial President Devender Singh Rana said while leading the party cadre and leadership in paying homage to Sheikih Sahib at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here this morning.
Describing Sher-e-Kashmir as one of tallest leaders of the era of Mahatma Gandhi and Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, the Provincial President said his secular and progressive outlook will continue to be a source of inspiration for generations.
