Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah on Thursday, in view of the observance of International Red Cross Day, asserted that the contribution of the Red Cross movement in providing first-line disaster response services is immense.
The party President, in his message on Red Cross Day, said it was a privilege for him to have his mother, Madar-e-Maharban Begum Akbar Jehan Abdullah, as the state head of J&K Red Cross society from 1947 to 1957. “She used the platform of the Red Cross to help the people across the state. She organised peace committees in Srinagar in 1946 and established the state branch of the Indian Red Cross Society in 1948-49 and was its first president. She worked for the welfare of the children and the women, established J&K Mahaz- e- Behboodi e Khwateen, Miskeen Bagh in November 1975,” he said.
While laying emphasis on the involvement of youth in Red Cross programs and extending services to people, Dr Farooq said, “The youth of today should voluntarily come out for such service whenever they get a chance to serve ailing and those in need.”
The Red Cross, he said, is a body dedicated to the help and welfare of the poor and destitute. “I take this opportunity to applaud the role played by the Red Cross during calamities and hours of challenge. Moreover, the society should make students more aware of the activities of the Red Cross and encourage them towards serving the cause of humanity,” he said.
