First things first! Going viral over the internet as Srinagar’s stunt girl, Nusrat Fatima could be seen riding her Royal Enfield with a popular song from Shahrukh Khan’s movie Ra. One “Where You Go Girl I’m Gonna Follow” playing in the background. The Srinagar girl hit more than thirty-five thousand likes, almost ten thousand viewers retweeted her this tweet and over two thousand comments flooded her post wherein she wrote, “Today I proudly wanna say that my Kashmir has changed a lot not only for the boys but also for us. It was not possible before abrogation of Article 370 & 35 A. Thank you GOI”.
Though her motorcycle was claimed to have been seized for violating traffic rules, yet the girl was able to make a point that there is a freedom in the air – freedom to pursue dreams and not get cowed down by threats of separatists or terrorists, who used to snub young boys and girls for breathing in fresh air only to chase their long-cherished imaginings of driving, singing, painting, vlogging, starting businesses, partying or even watching films and listening to their favourite songs.
Today, Nusrat and her likes have established that Article 370 is passé, dumped and forgotten forever. The way she made moves on the running bike, played a song in the background and did some stunts, sent a clear and bold message across the world that peace, prosperity, newly-earned freedom, a sense of security and road to success by pursuing individual dreams is what Kashmir is looking for. There are no Hartals (Strikes), stone pelting is over and encounters that erupted to scare people or send shivers down the spines of youth are history now.
On 5thAugust 2019, the Union Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated Article 370 and ensured that peace will dawn in Jammu and Kashmir, women and west Pakistani refugees besides Valmiki samaj will get their due share and respect and terrorism will be rooted out. Today, peace has dawned here, terrorism has been nailed, misguided youth are being educated about their future and an atmosphere of prosperity has been created to provide people a level playing field. Now when these things have started to surface and development in Jammu and Kashmir is becoming visible, all doubts stand cleared.
Interestingly, from here onwards young boys and girls of Jammu and Kashmir have taken over the task of projecting Kashmir’s cultural ethos, nature’s best locations, development that is sweeping the entire region, the beauty of meadows and the hospitality of the people of Kashmir to the entire world through their vlogs, social media posts and events that have started attracting tourists and even locals to the newly redone markets like Polo View Street or famous Lal Chowk. A whole new generation that was stuck between violence and separatist moves is today out on the streets of Kashmir to breathe in a fresh air and display their talent.
An ongoing photo exhibition titled –“Nostalgic Kashmir” – wherein very rare photographs showcasing Kashmir’s life over a century ago collected by Showkat Rashied Wani and his son Wasim Showkat is attracting a lot of enthusiasts. Young people are showing their keen interest in visiting Kashmir’s heritage and history through these valuable and rare pictures. Such exhibitions were never seen on the canvas of Kashmir that was spilled with the blood of innocent people by separatists and their mentors across the borders.
Today when historic places of Kashmir, its art, culture, crafts, and people besides religious places are on display, people are thronging the place like never before. Divided into forty different sections, these 800 rare photographs taken between 1850 and 1950 are a rare sight. The way these activities have picked up, it clearly indicates that the era of violence in Kashmir is over. Such a good exhibition must travel to Jammu and other parts of the country so that people can see changes that have been felt in Kashmir through photographs.
Prior to this, a young vlogger from Kashmir highlighted the music event organised by local youth in the heart of city and out in open. This Kashmiri musical gig that was a big hit at Polo View Street, Srinagar attracted tourists as well as locals. All this could become possible after the entire street was redone and thrown open for general public during the visit of G20 nation delegates to Kashmir. Large number of vloggers caught this show in their cameras and mobiles and the videos going viral are speaking about the changed Kashmir and enthusiastic youth who until yesterday were snubbed and confined to their homes.
Another set of vloggers are going gaga over the new look that Kashmir’s famous Ghanta Ghar at Lal Chowkis wearing today. When illuminated at the night, it becomes the first choice of vloggers to capture the mesmerizing view in their phones and cameras only to be posted on social media and showing the world how beautiful Kashmir is and how peaceful it has become post abrogation of Article 370. Unable to digest this calmness, some politicians are still continuing to instigate youth and issue statements that according to them might create some kind of unrest and reverse this development that is not going down their throats.
Sorry to say but neither the vicious dreams of these politicians are going to come true nor Article 370 is going to be revoked and for their information, not even the youth which has found their new-earned freedom is going to cow down. An era of peace and prosperity has begun and its reins are in the hands of new generation which is unstoppable. Any good politician will now swim with the current, take youth forward, provide them a platform where they will establish their businesses and breathe in a free air. For the moment, it is being done by none other than our Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has a special place in his heart for the people of Kashmir.
Ever since August 2019 when Article 370 was abrogated, Jammu and Kashmir has seen massive changes in terms of peace that has dawned here, development is going on unprecedently, cross-border terrorism that stands nailed, world view which favours India’s actions, separatism that’s nowhere to be seen, terrorism that’s on its last leg and most importantly, the perception of common people who whole-heartedly believe that they can breathe in a free air that was earlier made toxic with deaths and destruction.
Today, there has been a steep decline in cross-border terrorism, infiltrations have almost stopped and Pakistan is terribly engaged in its internal conflicts rather preparing for general elections that are nowhere to been seen. On the other hand, Indian security agencies have made the borders almost impossible to infiltrate by intruders and there has been a steep decline in terrorism related incidents. A strict vigil on those indulging into stone pelting at the drop of a hat is also winning hearts of the masses who are now pursuing their businesses and other routines without any fear, even late in the evenings.
This is just a glimpse of changed Kashmir and more is in the offing that will transform the region completely and bring it at par with any other developed state or UT in the country. Something similar is happening in the Jammu region too and that is for the next time. Meanwhile, a message for those politicians who are daydreaming: “Rome was not built in a day” and similarly a ‘New Kashmir’ of the ‘New Generation’ is also being built brick by brick by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is going to handover the keys of this peaceful and prosperous Kashmir into the hands of our next generation which is having a progressive vision and is capable of contributing to the economy in a big way. They all deserve accolades!
(The writer is Bharatiya Janata Party J&K Executive Member. Email: [email protected])
