Nip secessionist talk in bud: Dr. JP

Lok Satta Party President Dr. Jayaprakash Narayan today appealed to human rights activists not to endanger the unity and integrity of India by lending legitimacy to forces seeking self-determination in the name of religion.

Paraphrasing George Santayana, Dr. JP said that if we fail to learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. He recalled that the Partition of India in the name of religion in 1947 saw 15 million people being uprooted from their homes, a million butchered, 600000 maimed and 300000 women molested. In the recent past, balkanization of the erstwhile Yugoslavia resulted in genocide and anarchy. Pakistan and Sri Lanka had gone through similar strife following secessionist demands. In contrast, India despite many hiccups has remarkably succeeded in preserving its unity and integrity.

Dr. JP was reacting to the speeches made at a seminar titled ‘Azadi: The Only Way’ in New Delhi on October 21 by Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and others.

Dr. JP pointed out that India has a marvelous Constitution, which can accommodate the hopes and aspirations of people belonging to all regions, speaking diverse languages and professing different religions.

Dr. JP wanted both the Union and State Governments to act firmly against forces that are out to dismember India by. “Indians can have peace, prosperity, and human rights only when the country remains one and united. Political parties should not fish in troubled waters in their quest for power and votes. Let not the sacrifices made by freedom fighters and efforts put in by visionary leaders post-Independence in building India of today go in vain.”