New Delhi- Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha attended the Special Session on Jammu Kashmir at Global Summit organized by TV9 Network at New Delhi , on Tuesday.
Sinha talked at length about the changing face of Kashmir where the people now have the freedom to celebrate their respective festivals without any fear. Sinha also talked about the changing picture of Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 under the Modi government.
He said that it was after 34 years that the Muharram procession was taken out in Kashmir. “I feel that, like in the entire country, the people of J&K should also have the independence to celebrate their festivals, and this is what happened in J&K,” Sinha said.
While talking about the changes that Kashmir has witnessed in his tenure, the LG said, “J&K was that place where even the President of India could not buy a piece of land, nor could an Indian soldier , who could lay down his life to protect the people but…, could not construct even a small house there. An immense change has come now in this regard. Now 1.25 crore people of J&K have been empowered under PM Modi. The refugees who have come from west Pakistan had all the rights as citizens in other Indian states but J&K. Now they have been empowered. Secondly, J&K girls who got married outside the state lost the right…now they are empowered, so the Kashmiri Pandits have become empowered.”
The Backward Classes had quotas in jobs etc in other states but not J&K. Now they have got this and even the tribals of J&K and about 14 lakh pahadis also got quota.
Sinha added, “On the economic front, activities have started in Jammu and Kashmir and also the tourist influx has increased. The G20 also saw an increase in foreign tourists by 2.5 times.”
While talking about the changing face of Kashmir, Sinha stressed that “the state tax revenue is better than the average of other states, while in terms of infrastructure development today, Rs 1.5 lakh crore worth of highways and tunnels is going on in the state. Additionally, the state is working at a speed of 10 times more than the national average in completing projects.”
He said, “The land laws in the state were regressive but now we have digitised the land records which are available in three languages namely Hindi, English and Urdu.” Similarly while talking about the agricultural development of the state, Sinha said that stress has been laid on a “holistic agriculture development plan after which the state is fifth in terms of the earnings of farmers”.
To a question on peace in the Valley, the LG said, “Today, the youth in Kashmir play guitar on the banks of Jhelum river at 11 pm. Kashmir has changed a lot after the removal of Article 370. Peace can no longer be bought here. There is good governance here. Pattharbazi is a thing of the past.”
He recalled that a group came to meet him and thanked me saying that they got their graduation degree in three years against seven years.”This is because earlier on the direction of Pakistan, things used to remain shut after bandh calls given by the neighbours. It is history, as now Pakistan does not give bandh calls but the J&K government releases the education and religious calendar and not Pakistan.”
“There has been a huge reduction in terror activities in J&K and now the youth of J&K are taking out Tiranga Yatra and shouting slogans like Bharat Mata Ki Jai. This change many will not understand. Even the deployment of forces has reduced a lot in the past. These are some indications that things are changing. Now you can enjoy nightlife in the state.”
He added, “The government is trying to end the entire terror ecosystem. Soon we will be able to end it completely and people will see that J&K has been rid of this problem. Earlier, we used to buy peace in the Valley by talking to those who impeded peace. But now things have changed. The families of big terrorists were in government jobs but we changed this and threw them out.”
Sinha went on to say, “Many terrorists from Pakistan enter by taking advantage of the ceasefire, but these terrorists now carry out incidents just to register their presence.”
On the question of talks with Pakistan, Manoj Sinha said, “Talk and terror can’t go together. We will only talk to the youth of Kashmir and the people here and try to give them all help and all the facilities they want.”
Regarding the question of statehood, LG Sinha said, “Election preparations are an ongoing process and after removal of Article 370 the work of delimitation started, now the voter list has been revised, names added and soon Lok Sabha polls will take place. After this, hopefully by September this year, Assembly polls will take place. A full team of the Election Commission is coming to J&K on March 12. I am sure that the government of India will give statehood at an appropriate time.”
He also refused to talk about PoK saying, “It is MEA’s work and we should let it do the work.” He also added that there is complete freedom to everyone for political activities in the state.
Sinha told the gathering that “the state’s sports budget is the highest in the country”. He said that Sachin Tendulkar who was on a visit to Kashmir told him that ‘Kashmir badal gaya hai’!”
Temple renovation in J&K is on and for the restoration of heritage sites Rs 200 crore have been earmarked, be it temple, church, mosque or gurudwara. He also said, “Pakistan polls do not have any effect in J&K and the people of the state are aware that their future is only with India. Pakistan has only misguided the youth here, killed innocents and done nothing.”
LG Manoj Sinha signed off by saying, “I have an important work of J&K which I am doing with honesty. I feel it is Mata Vaishno Devi and Baba Amarnath’s aashirvad that I have been given this work. It will be great for me if I am able to make Jammu and Kashmir like another state of the county.”
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