Jammu, April 23, 2005 (Express News Service)

WHEN the decision to fence the Jammu and Kashmir border was taken, some people had criticised it. Today, the fence has emerged as a formidable line of defence along the 750-km border, paving way for peace in the sub-continent, said Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt Gen S K Sinha (retd).

Addressing a gathering at a civic reception accorded by Jammu Municipal Corporation to former Chief of Army Staff, Gen N C Vij (retd), on the occasion of naming the Kachi Chawni road after him, the Governor described Gen Vij as the architect of border fencing. Describing the fencing as an engineering marvel completed in a little over a year, the Governor, amid applause, said it should in fact be called ‘Vij Line’.

He said by honouring the son of the soil, the Jammu Municipal Corporation and the people of Jammu have honoured the entire Army. He termed the City of Temples as the ‘City of Warriors’, which is witnessing yet another event tonight to remember Dogra pride General Zorawar Singh.

Then he went on to enumerate measures taken to open goodwill schools, hold medical camps, take up work under the civic action programme and conduct student tours. He added that the ‘‘allocation under Operation Sadbhavna has been raised from Rs 10 crore to Rs 56 crore’’.

Later, the Governor and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed together pushed the button to inaugurate the road near Panjtirathi. The inauguration was screened on a huge screen in Abhinav Theatre.

Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma complimented Gen Vij for opening a new chapter in civil-Army cooperation in Jammu and Kashmir. Housing Minister Ghulam Hassan Mir said the fact that the newly-constituted Jammu Municipal Corporation started work by adopting a resolution to name Kachi Chawni road after Gen Vij shows their admiration for the son of the soil.

Later, speaking on the occasion, Gen Vij said: ‘‘I am a soldier and soldiers value respect and honour most.’’ Soldiers, he added, value the honour of their motherland, the Army and the platoon they belong to. Jammu and Kashmir, he said, has taken the lead to show how to honour its armed forces.

He also referred to measures taken in the last 15 years to combat militancy and provide a sense of security to the civilian population. He said a change is visible in the overall security scenario in the state and is reflected in the arrival of over five lakh tourists, four lakh Amarnath pilgrims and ‘six million yatris to Mata Vaishno Devi last year.

Gen Vij attributed the success of the Army to the cooperation of the people. The Army will always remain a friend of the people, he said expressing optimism that the peace process between India and Pakistan will continue and that the state will once again emerge as the ‘‘paradise on earth’’.

Mayor Kavinder Gupta presented a citation to Gen Vij and Deputy Mayor Rani Gargi Bloreia presented him an album of Basholi paintings.

Among others present were Chief Secretary Dr S S Bloeria, Army Commander Lt Gen Hari Prasad, senior civil, police and Army officers as well as JMC councillors.