KL News Network
SRINAGAR
The Rajouri Sarpanch, who led a delegation of Panches from J&K to the Prime Minister Narindra Modi, must be happy now. His meeting was acknowledged by Modi in his Mann Ki Baat, his once-in-a-month radio broadcast.
“Village heads from Kashmir visited me earlier to discuss the issue of development in their respective villages, but I conveyed them to turn their focus on the schools being burnt in the Valley and save the bright future of our children,” Modi said in the 26th edition of Mann Ki Baat on Sunday.
Modi said the approximately 40-50 village head from different villages spent a long time talking to him. He said since the meeting was taking place in the backdrop of unrest in Kashmir, he talked to them about arson, school and many other things.
“I had asked them to go and focus your attention on the future of these children whose schools are being burnt. The Pradhans were as pained as rest of the countrymen over the issue of burning of schools in the valley. They felt that not only schools but the future of the children had gone up in flames,” Prime Minister said. “Today I am pleased that all these leaders from the Valley who had promised me, kept their word”.
“Recent board exams saw 95 per cent attendance in Kashmir. This huge attendance shows positive mindset of the youth in the valley,” Modi said. “The youths of J&K aspire to rise in life through education. I commend the students for their enthusiasm. I also commend the parents and teachers of the students and extend my thanks to the Gram Pradhans as they made the people aware of the situation.”
Interestingly, the delegation of Sarpanches was taken to Prime Minister by journalist turned political activist Shafiq Mir from Rajouri. The Pir Panchal Valley had no tensions as far as school burning is concerned. Almost all the 23 schools that went up in smoke were reported from Kashmir Valley which is separated by Pir Panchal and accessed through Mughal Road from Srinagar.
Mir is happy. “It is the matter of great pleasure that PM has mentioned our meeting with him during his Man Ki Baat programe today,” Mir wrote on his Facebook “. Our delegation had met him on 5th of November 2016 at Delhi.”
Modi had told the 30-member meeting that apart from humanitarian approach to address problems concerning J&K, Vikas and Vishwas will be the cornerstones of his government’s development initiatives for the state hit by the unrest.
The delegation had apprised the prime minister of the prevailing situation in the state while strongly condemning the burning of schools by anti-national elements. They had also submitted a memorandum urging the prime minister to consider extension of the 73rd and 74th Amendments of the Constitution of India — which pertain to local bodies — to the State of J&K.
