Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said India wanted good relations with all neighbours, but Pakistan must honour its commitment of not allowing its territory to be used for training terror.
Tension on borders had hampered the developmental activities in J&K, he said, adding that that no government could carry out development smoothly unless there was peace.
“We want to have good relations with all. We don’t have any problem in talking with our neighbours, including our immediate neighbour (Pakistan), but they also have to reciprocate in a similar manner. Pakistan must give up its policy of supporting, aiding, abetting and training terror,” Naidu said while addressing scientists, students and staff of the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM) here on Monday.
The Vice-President said, “Pakistan must honour its commitment of not allowing its territory to be used for training terror. There should be zero tolerance on matters of national security and unity.”
Governor NN Vohra, Union Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta, Minister for Science and Technology Sajjad Lone, Minister for Higher Education Imran Raza Ansari and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
Referring to the Rs 80,000-crore Prime Minister Development Package announced for J&K, the Vice-President said, “Peace is prerequisite for progress. Peace and prosperity go hand in hand. If we have tension on the border, we cannot pay attention to developmental activities. The benefits of developmental activities worth Rs 1 lakh crore being spent by the Centre and state must reach the people.”
In the recent flare-up along the 198-km-long International Border with Pakistan, at least 11 persons, including two BSF jawans, were killed and over 60 injured in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts, besides forcing nearly two lakh border dwellers to migrate to safer areas in Jammu district.
In a word of caution to J&K, the Vice-President said, “The world is going fast and we are living in an era of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation. You can’t afford isolation…. When the world is progressing, other parts of country are progressing, why should J&K lag behind? This question should be put to ourselves.”
Naidu also laid thrust on taking lab research to the fields for farmers, saying that “the combination of science and technology and the practical knowledge of farmers will give good results”.
“Knowledge of the lab must go to the land. Merely doing research will not suffice. We (scientists) must spend time with farmers, who are also doing lifelong research. A farmer has practical knowledge and if we combine your science and technology and his practical knowledge, it will give good results,” he said.
Earlier, Jammu IIIM Director R Vishwakarama presented a detailed report on the functioning of the institute and its achievements.
Discusses security situation with Guv
Governor NN Vohra on Monday briefed Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu about various important matters relating to the internal and external security management. The Vice-President, who arrived in Jammu for his daylong visit, discussed various important matters relating to security management along with the growth and development of the state during his meeting with the Governor. Vohra particularly informed the Vice-President about the consequences of the recent recurring violations of the ceasefire agreement across the International Border and the Line of Control.
