PM Modi reaches out, offers J&K a new dawn

New Delhi: Aiming to quell any apprehensions in the minds of the people of J&K on the status of the region after Article 370’s revocation and the state’s bifurcation into two Union territories — J&K and Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing the decision as “historic”, said they too will get all the rights and benefits like the right to education, access to basic amenities as well as employment opportunities, which people in other parts of country have been availing since Independence.

In a 37-minute televised address to the nation Thursday evening, Mr Modi defended the decision to scrap Article 370 and said it was a historic one, as the contentious clause had not give anything except “separatism, corruption, terrorism and family rule” to the people of the region, and Pakistan had used it as a tool to spread terrorism.

However, he assured the people that they will now be at par with other citizens of the country, as all the laws and rights will be applicable on them too.

As security restrictions continue in the state, Mr Modi promised the government would make sincere efforts to ensure that people in the region faced no difficulties in celebrating Id-ul-Zuha, which falls on August 12. “I want to assure friends in J&K that the situation will gradually return to normal and their difficulties will ease,” he said. He also extended his Id greetings to the people.

Detailing his government’s development plans for J&K, Mr Modi said state government employees including the police will soon get benefits on par with employees of other Union territories and all vacant posts in J&K and Ladakh will be filled, creating new job opportunities.

“As J&K will see more and more development... I do not think it will remain a Union territory for long. However, Ladakh will remain a Union territory,” Mr Modi said.

The Prime Minister said J&K will still elect governments through elections, and the chief ministers and MLAs will be elected from among themselves.

Elections to panchayats too will be held democratically, he pledged, saying that ever since the state had come under Governor’s Rule, signs of improvement in terms of governance have been visible on the ground.

Listing the benefits of the Centre’s decision, the Prime Minister said the youth of the state will get employment opportunities as training and skill centres catering to various disciplines will be opened there soon.

Earlier this week, the Centre had revoked Article 370 to withdraw the special status of J&K and bifurcated the region into two UTs — Jammu and Kashmir & Ladakh.

The new mechanism came into effect after Parliament passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill 2019 earlier this week.

Mr Modi said his government respects the objections of those who were opposed to the decision and was working to address them. He, however, asked them to make the national interest supreme and to help the government give Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh a new direction. “Removal of Article 370 is a reality, and it was a well thought out decision,” he said.

The Prime Minister also asserted that no one had been able to justify how Article 370 and Article 35A was benefiting people in J&K.

Attacking Pakistan, which has termed India’s move as “unilateral and illegal” and strongly protested by downgrading diplomatic ties, Mr Modi said Pakistan used Article 370 as a “tool to spread terrorism”. He added: “In the last three decades, over 42,000 people had lost their lives.” He also said over 1.5 crore people of J&K were being denied the benefit of legislation meant for the entire country.

Mr Modi exhorted the film industry to start shooting films in Kashmir again, saying as the situation returns to normal, crews not only from India but abroad too will descend on the picturesque state. He recalled the times when Kashmir was a favoured destination for Bollywood film shoots. “There was hardly any film which was not shot in Kashmir ... Now the situation will normalise in J&K. Then people not only from India but the world over will go there to shoot movies,” he said.

The PM remembered several bravehearts from J&K who sacrificed their lives for the nation, saying they all wanted peace and prosperity in the Valley and “we have to realise their dreams”. Mr Modi spoke about Maulvi Ghulam Din, who had informed the Indian forces about Pakistani infiltrators during the 1965 war; and Rifleman Aurangzeb, who was abducted and killed by terrorists in Kashmir last year. He said Aurangzeb’s two brothers are now serving in the Army.