Ø UT witnessed all round development since Article 370 abrogation
Ø People accepted changes effected after August 5 decision
Ø Successful G20 meet proved peace prevails in Kashmir
Srinagar: Union Minister of Home and Cooperation Amit Shah Friday appealed Jammu & Kashmir’s youth to participate in the process of progress, saying that there is no future in stones, guns, but in the process of development. He added that the democracy has returned to Jammu and Kashmir.
“I appeal to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to get involved with the process of development. There is no future in stone pelting and wielding a gun. Our future is in getting involved in the process of development. The nation and the whole world are waiting for you. You should lead development and change and give new dimensions to it. The people who handed you guns and stones are not your well-wishers. The government is giving you laptops, electricity, roads and developing tourism because they want your future,” Shah said while inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of several development projects worth more than Rs 500 crore.
“I visit Jammu and Kashmir after every 8 or 9 months. People come and meet me. But no one ever raised demand for amenities like schools colleges, roads and water supply facilities. They never believed that they will receive them. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi made these facilities available to them because of his commitment to giving new life to the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
“Whenever a critical illness strikes anyone the family spirals down the path to indebtedness. But in Jammu and Kashmir, the government has ensured health insurance up to Rs 5 lakhs to every resident. In the other states of India, this facility at the government cost is available to the poor only. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured that every resident of Jammu and Kashmir receives this benefit by extending its coverage to everyone here,” he said.
He added, “When I receive letters of appreciation from the poor my mind is filled with bliss. What a people-oriented governance means is seen by the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the last 5 years after a long period. This has happened under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
“I have seen a taunt-laced appeal from Abdullah Sahib where he said that India is the mother of democracy but it ends in Jammu and Kashmir. He is correct. But it happened during his father’s and grandfather’s rule. It is a matter of the past now. It was a time when democracy was held hostage by three families. They did not allow the elections of panchayats to take place preventing people from becoming Panchs and Sarpanchs. They did not allow the tehsil and district panchayats to be formed. But now democracy has returned to Jammu and Kashmir where 35,000 elected representatives are now scripting the future of their villages, tehsils and districts by themselves. From them tomorrow Jammu and Kashmir will find their MPs, MLAs and even national leaders. But some people do not like this change because they want to have control of politics. Narendra Modi ensured that the culture of democracy percolate to the ground and thus fortified democracy. This is possible when the heart is full of commitment to democracy,” he said.
“We have seen a drastic dip in the number of incidents of stone pelting. Strikes, bandhs and bomb blasts that disrupt normal public life are now under control. Today schools and colleges are running smoothly, new industries are being set up and 1.88 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir in the year 2022 which is the highest figure of tourist footfall in independent India,” he said.
“When I came here once we were told by an association that not everyone was allowed to buy a taxi. Only the people whose fathers had a taxi could be the proud owner of taxis and earn a living. But now anyone who gets security clearance can buy a taxi. This is a very important source of employment. In the last two decades, no new hotels were built in Jammu and Kashmir. But I can assure you that in the next five years, especially in the valley, the number of hotel rooms will increase by more than three folds,” he said
“Modi Ji sends Rs 6,000 to 12.45 lakh farmers of Jammu and Kashmir every year. Prior to this no farmer ever received any funds from the government. This money is his input cost. Today farmers need not take loans. In the last three years, the farmers of Jammu and Kashmir have received Rs.100 crore as crop insurance benefits.
Prior to that they never received such benefits. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission 11,96,000 water supply connections have been given. There were 13,80,000 families who did not have toilets in their homes even after 70 years of independence. In the last five years, this has been achieved. Similarly, 65,91,000 people receive 5 kilos of rice every month and 1.86 lakh people have received homes in villages and urban areas. They did not have any homes at all. Under the DBT scheme in the last 4 years, Rs. 23000 crore has been sent to the bank accounts of beneficiaries,” he said.
“Earlier too money came but the beneficiaries did not receive them. Many people have palatial mansions in foreign countries. How did they own them? What is their business? People should ask it. How did they spend 45 to 60 days on foreign vacations? This money which is now sent as DBT was earlier lost to corruption,” he said
He added that Dal Lake is envisioned as a prime tourist location in India. Primarily a project worth Rs.85 crore has been allocated. Similarly, Tatto Ground will be constructed in such a way that every child in this country will be raring to come here. Srinagar Smart City Limited has begun multi-level parking, smart lighting, unified command and development of parks and many other such projects. Many degree colleges, nursing colleges, IIMs, IITs, and IIITs have also started. Recently G20 summit was also held. Many people made many predictions about it. But Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha proved every prediction wrong. G 20 was the biggest opportunity to market the change that has taken place here. Now Panchayat is receiving money directly.
Amit Shah highlighted the all-round development in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370.
Addressing an event after the inauguration of the three-day Vitasta Festival here, Shah said those who have known only the history of Jammu and Kashmir in the last four decades think that this is a disputed or disturbed area.
“But Kashmir is a land which has borne the brunt of bloodshed in the past and emerged victorious and more stable and peaceful,” he said, adding that this land saw nearly 40,000 deaths due to terrorism in the last three to four decades but today the same Kashmir is celebrating Vitasta Festival and marching ahead.
The home minister chose the occasion to call upon the youth of Kashmir to think about the rich cultural heritage of the valley.
“Those who handed over arms and stones to you, they were never your well-wishers. You should have pens, laptops and books in your hands and not stones,” he said, in an apparent reference to stone-pelting protests in the past.
He compared Kashmiri culture with the Vitasta (Jhelum) river and said, “If one knows the right history of Kashmir, hate has never been its part. Whosoever came to Kashmir was welcomed with open arms.” The home minister also highlighted the all-round development in Jammu and Kashmir since abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to the erstwhile state, in 2019.
The festival is being organised on the ground of Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) located on the bank of the famous Dal Lake.
Amit Shah also said that Jammu and Kashmir has accepted the changes effected after the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019.
He also said those who are only aware of Kashmir’s history in the last 40 years think of it as a disputed territory.
“Jammu and Kashmir has accepted the changes after the abrogation of Article 370,” Shah said addressing the “Vitasta Cultural Festival” here.
“Some people who know Kashmir’s history of only the last 30-40 years think it is a conflict, a disputed territory. It has seen many conflicts in the past. The same Kashmir is celebrating Vitasta,” he added.
Shah said 150 artistes from outside and 1,500 from Jammu and Kashmir are participating in the event.
“There will be cultural exchange,” he noted.
The home minister also said those who brought guns to Kashmir were not well-wishers of the people here.
The Union Home Minister said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was peaceful now and the successful hosting of a G20 meeting in Srinagar proved it.
Inaugurating or laying foundation stones of various development projects in Kashmir Valley, Shah said that development funds used to go into the pockets of a few earlier but now all those deserving are getting the fruits of development.
He said that when it was decided to hold a meeting of the G20 in Srinagar, many people offered various comments and some, including former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, made various predictions.
“But all these predictions were proved wrong as the G20 meeting in Srinagar was held successfully,” he said and appreciated the Jammu and Kashmir administration headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for it.
He also said the successful hosting of the G20 meeting would give a big boost to the tourism industry in Kashmir.
The meeting of the G20 tourism working group was held in Kashmir last month.
The home minister claimed that during earlier regimes, funds meant for the poor and farmers used to go into the pockets of a few.
“Many in Jammu and Kashmir have big houses in foreign lands and many used to go for 45-60 days’ vacations in foreign countries. From where this money came? This was money meant for the poor,” he said.
Now development funds are reaching actual beneficiaries through direct benefit transfer (DBT), he said.
In the last four years, the government built about 1.86 lakh houses for people in Jammu and Kashmir and Rs 23,000 crore was given to beneficiaries of various schemes through DBT.
The home minister also appealed to people to come forward and join hands in the march for development and fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of a peaceful and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir.