Kashmir unrest: Guv warns against confrontational methods

Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra today cautioned against confrontational approach being adopted to resolve the problems in the state as it could lead to serious consequences, even as he patted the youth for excelling in various fields depsite the Valley unrest.
"In the past several years, I have been repeatedly cautioning against the serious consequences of a confrontationist approach being followed to resolve our problems", Vohra said.
The governor made the remarks after unfurling the national flag at a Republic Day function here.
"I yet again appeal to the leaders of all social, cultural, religious, political and other organisations in the state to seriously ponder over the happenings in the past months and recognise that the recurring agitations are causing varied adverse consequences for our people, particularly those who live in the Valley," he said.

Vohra said the time has come for the leaders of various movements in the society, and all those who follow them, to accept that the continuation of hartals and violent protestations will yield no other result except the state and its people to slip further far behind.
"As we have seen for ourselves in the past few years, despite the severe constraints arising from recurring spells of disruption and disorder, our youth has been doing very well in almost every arena," Vohra said while addressing the the function here.

Vohra hoisted the national flag and took salute at an impressive parade at the Maulana Azad Stadium here.

He said that a matter for even greater pride, in the past year is that "our young boys and girls have won medals in various sports at National, Asian, Common Wealth and World Championships".
Patting actress Zaira Wasin of Dangal fame, Vohra said, "and, more recently, one of our bright young girls from the Valley has made an excellent beginning in the fiml industry.
He expressed unhappines over the loss of lives during the
last year's unrest in the Valley and said the protests were only hurting the wheels of progress.
Pakistan is engaged in unceasing ventures to destabilise democratic framework and perpetrate terror to seize Kashmir.

"In the country's forward march to attain growth and development, our state has not been able to achieve its goals because of our western neighbours unceasing ventures to destabilise our democratic framework and perpetrate violence and terrorism to seize Kashmir," Vohra said.
"Since the attainment of freedom, despite varied serious challenges, our country has taken great strides and we are not only the largest democracy in the world but also the fastest growing economy on the globe", he added.
The governor said "our Prime Minister, soon after taking charge in 2014, launched vigorous initiatives for re-inforcing friendly and mutually beneficial relations with all our neighbours, particularly with Pakistan".

"The prolonged disturbance in the Valley last summer resulted in large human losses and an unprecedented number of Security Forces personnel were injured.
"I share the grief of all those who have lost their dear ones", Vohra said.
"The recent disturbances caused irreparable damage to the functioning of the educational system. The studies of over 14 lakh school going children and nearly a lakh college and university students were severely disrupted," Vohra said.