New Delhi, May 14: In order to sensitise countrymen about the security problems of the border areas and people living there, BJP veteran L K Advani today flagged off a unique 'Border Darshan' pilgrimage.

 

"Border Darshan is an effort to focus attention on the areas which have been in the forefront of the country's defence. Border areas like Kashmir and Northeast need special care and we have to ensure our defence preparedness to face challenges emerging from various factors across the border," Mr Advani said at his residence here.

 

First of the 15,700 km-Border Darshan will be started from Munsiyari in Uttarakhand.

The BJP will observe 110th birth anniversary of Jana Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee as a year of 'Border Darshan'.

It will be visiting inaccessible border areas of the country in all the four directions commencing from May 14 to April 17, 2012.

 

Speaking about the Darshan yatra, Mr Advani said the BJP was a product of the sacrifice of the Jana Sangh founder who laid down his life for the sake of integrating Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian Union.

 

Protesting against the prevailing permit system for Indians even to visit for tourism purposes, he walked into Jammu and Kahmir from Punjab but returned dead under mysterious circumstances in 1953. It was after this supreme sacrifice, things changed in J and K and the President, Supreme Court and Election Commission could get to exercise their powers in the state.

 

BJP Rajya Sabha MP and Dr Shyama Prasad Mukerjee Research Foundation Director Tarun Vijay said the yatra would touch border areas like Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal, Nathu La Pass in Sikkim, Bara Hoti in Uttarakhand in the areas bordering China.

 

In the west the yatra would touch Okha, Gujarat, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, Uri in J and K, and Moirang in the eastern state of Manipur.

The yatra would touch Lakshadweep and Andaman Nicobar islands on the eastern and western coasts of India.

He said for the participants of the yatra the unanimous resolutions adopted by Parliament after the Chinese aggression in 1962 and on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in February 1994 would be the guidelines and the nation would be apprised about the resolutions passed in the regimes headed by Jawaharlal Nehru and P V Narasimha Rao on two separate occasions.

 

During the yatra, the participants will meet the ITBP/BSF jawans, pay tributes to the martyred soldiers and understand the difficulties they face in their day to day life and their perception of the challenges from across the border.

 

The BJP will also prepare a Border Status Report through the Border Darshan yatra.

 

The Sikkim Times

Sunday, May 15, 2011

BJP's Border Darshan yatra to Nathu La Pass

 

New Delhi, May 14 : In order to sensitise countrymen about the security problems of the border areas and people living there, BJP veteran L K Advani today flagged off a unique 'Border Darshan' pilgrimage.

"Border Darshan is an effort to focus attention on the areas which have been in the forefront of the country's defence. Border areas like Kashmir and Northeast need special care and we have to ensure our defence preparedness to face challenges emerging from various factors across the border," Mr Advani said at his residence here.

 

First of the 15,700 km-Border Darshan will be started from Munsiyari in Uttarakhand.

The BJP will observe 110th birth anniversary of Jana Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mukherjee as a year of 'Border Darshan'.

It will be visiting inaccessible border areas of the country in all the four directions commencing from May 14 to April 17, 2012.
Speaking about the Darshan yatra, Mr Advani said the BJP was a product of the sacrifice of the Jana Sangh founder who laid down his life for the sake of integrating Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian Union.

Protesting against the prevailing permit system for Indians even to visit for tourism purposes, he walked into Jammu and Kahmir from Punjab but returned dead under mysterious circumstances in 1953. It was after this supreme sacrifice, things changed in J and K and the President, Supreme Court and Election Commission could get to exercise their powers in the state.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP and Dr Shyama Prasad Mukerjee Research Foundation Director Tarun Vijay said the yatra would touch border areas like Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal, Nathu La Pass in Sikkim, Bara Hoti in Uttarakhand in the areas bordering China.

In the west the yatra would touch Okha, Gujarat, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, Uri in J and K, and Moirang in the eastern state of Manipur.

The yatra would touch Lakshadweep and Andaman Nicobar islands on the eastern and western coasts of India.
He said for the participants of the yatra the unanimous resolutions adopted by Parliament after the Chinese aggression in 1962 and on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in February 1994 would be the guidelines and the nation would be apprised about the resolutions passed in the regimes headed by Jawaharlal Nehru and P V Narasimha Rao on two separate occasions.

 

During the yatra, the participants will meet the ITBP/BSF jawans, pay tributes to the martyred soldiers and understand the difficulties they face in their day to day life and their perception of the challenges from across the border.

The BJP will also prepare a Border Status Report through the Border Darshan yatra.

 

BJP set to launch 'Border Darshan' Yatra

FnF Correspondent , May 12, 2011, 21:35 pm IST

New Delhi: BJP will undertake a 'Border Darshan' yatra which will cover 13 spots including Uri, Chushul, Tawang and Nathu-La, aimed at drawing attention to "the dangers at India's frontiers".

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Tarun Vijay, who has taken this initiative, said the campaign will be flagged off on May 14 by senior party leader L K Advani from his residence. The first destination is Munsiyari, followed by Nathu La, Moirang (Manipur), Tawang, Port Blair, Lakshdweep, Okha, Jaisalmer, Lahaul and Spiti.

Bara Hoti (Uttarakhand), Uri, Chushul and Dehradun will be covered early next year. The campaign will end in Dehradun on April 17, 2012.

"We want the youth of this country to become aware of the dangers lurking at our borders," Vijay told reporters at a curtain-raiser programme.

The aim is also to create awareness about the border disputes and issues related to them.

 

Garhwal Post
Tarun Vijay plans ‘Border Darshan’ campaign
Friday, 13.05.2011, 02:36pm

Dehradun, 12 May: The BJP MP and National Spokesperson, Tarun Vijay, has announced a unique National Campaign named ‘Border Darshan’ aimed to creating awareness about the threats the borders face from various factors and to prepare a report on the status of borders.

 

In a statement issued, today, he has stated that many of such areas had been abandoned by the inhabitants due to various reasons, thus posing another aspect of a dangerous trend. The journey would also be to express solidarity with the soldiers. The Border Darshan Campaign, being led by Tarun Vijay is being formally flagged off to mark the 110th birth anniversary of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee on 14 May by BJP veteran LK Advani. A series of such programmes is being organised all over India to pay homage to the ‘great martyr’ Dr SP Mookerjee. Advani will visit some of the Border Darshan ‘pilgrim’ sites like Port Blair in the Andamans and Chushul in Ladakh. Many of the senior party leaders, veteran officers of the Forces, decorated soldiers and young Indians will join the programme at various places.

 

Spread till next April 2012, the Border Darshan Pilgrimage will visit Munsiyari, Nathu La, Tawang, Moirang, Port Blair, Lakshadweep, Okha, Jaisalmer, Uri, Lahaul and Spiti, Barahoti, Chushul and finally terminate in Dehradun to be addressed by Dattatreya Hosabale, ‘Sah Sarkaryavah’ of RSS and many other national stalwarts. The first phase, to Munshiyari and Milum Glacier will start on 14 May at New Delhi, reach Haldwani on 15 May and move towards Munshiyari the same morning with a gathering to be addressed by Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, BJP State President BS Chufal, state BJP incharge Thawar Chand Gehlot and the leader of the campaign Tarun Vijay.

 

The Pioneer
DEHRADUN | Monday, May 16, 2011
SPMRF undertakes year long border darshan pilgrimage
Rajendra S Markuna | Haldwani

 

In a bid aware people about the increasing threats to India’s borders from cross border terrorism, illegal infiltration and more importantly, Chinese alleged presence in Kashmir, the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation (SPMRF) has undertaken a year long Border Darshan Pilgrimage.

To begin with a pilgrimage team-led by senior BJP leader and MP (RS) from Uttarakhand, Tarun Vijay began the border pilgrimage from Pithoragarh’s Munsiyari region here on Sunday. The team was flagged-off by veteran BJP leader LK Advani in Delhi on Saturday.

 

After a brief break in Pithoragarh, the Border Darshan Pilgrimage team would visit Nathu La in Sikkim from August 16, said Tarun, adding that the primary objective of this pilgrimage is to know about the actual situation of our borders.

 

More so, he said, it would help us to understand the problems being faced by the people and by the security forces living in border areas.

 

The matte of concern is that today it seems there is no policy how to secure our border from external threats. Poor communications as well as poor transport networks in these areas only make these borders more vulnerable, Vijay regretted.

 

An Ill-equipped security force fighting new challenges on these borders is not less concerning. The matter of concern is that the security forces don’t have even artillery guns. That only shows what our border management policy is, he wondered.

 

At the same time, he informed that after visiting Nathu La in August, the pilgrimage team would also visit other important border points like Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh from September 20 followed by Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands from October 18, Lakshadweep and Okha in Gujarat from November15 and Jaisalmer in Rajasthan from December 15.

 

Similarly, we have also decided to visit other important border points like Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Pradesh from December 20, Bara Hoti in Uttarakhand from March 6, 2012, Uri in Jammu and Kashmir in March 2012, Chushul in Jammu and Kashmir from April 3, 2012 and the border pilgrimage would be concluded at a function at Dehradun on April 17, Vijay further informed.