In the run-up to the much-anticipated G20 Leaders Summit, India finds itself at the center of global attention. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a recent interview with PTI, addressed objections raised by China and Pakistan regarding the choice of Jammu and kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as venues for certain G20 events. The Prime Minister’s response was unambiguous: India’s vast, diverse landscape naturally lends itself to hosting G20 meetings across the nation, showcasing its cultural richness and regional diversity on a global stage. The PM underlined India’s commitment to upholding its sovereignty while welcoming the international community.
He expressed his surprise at such objections, stating that the question would only be valid if India had refrained from conducting meetings in these venues. In May 2023, India hosted the third G20 working group meeting on tourism in Srinagar, attended by delegates from all G20 countries except China and a few other countries. In March, a significant number of G20 delegates visited Arunachal Pradesh for another G20 event. These moves were not intended to provoke, but rather to celebrate India’s pluralistic identity and promote global cooperation.
Besides, these meetings have translated into increased arrivals of tourists, particularly so in Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir’s tourism sector has witnessed a remarkable 59 percent surge in foreign tourist arrivals since the recent G20 event, compared to the previous year, according to government figures. This also includes foreign tourists, of whom 15000 visited the Valley in the first six months of this year. The G-20 meeting in the Valley was attended by participants from various countries and the delegates returned home with a favorable view of the region
The G20 meeting was one of the most significant international events held in Jammu and Kashmir since the nullification of Article 370 in 2019. By hosting this event, the union government showed that most of the major world powers not only endorsed the move but also acknowledged the prevailing normalcy. The effort of both the central government and the LG administration is now to build on the gains in peace and use it to bring more tourists to the region.
PM Modi in his interview stressed that during India’s G20 Presidency, the nation will host over 220 meetings in 60 cities, spanning all 28 states and 8 Union Territories of India. The global event will welcome more than 1 lakh participants from 125 nationalities, which will display India’s diversity on a global platform. The G20 summit also marks the culmination of a banner year for India, It follows a series of international events and above all the moon landing in recent past. The summit itself will therefore signal India’s arrival on the global stage.
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