Srinagar, June 11: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Tuesday said that the arrival of the Vande Bharat train in Srinagar marks the fulfillment of a long-awaited dream that even the ancestors of Jammu and Kashmir couldn’t see.
Speaking to reporters at Nowgam railway station after taking a ride in the Vande Bharat train alongside National Conference leader Dr. Farooq Abdullah, DyCM Surinder Choudhary called the moment historic and emotional.
“In the history of Jammu and Kashmir, there is a moment that our ancestors could not give,” he said. “But we are fortunate that the wishes of our ancestors have been fulfilled because the train started from Katra and reached Srinagar.”
He prayed that the train service would soon expand across the Kashmir. “We will pray that this train will reach many parts of Jammu and Kashmir and through this train, J&K will progress and reach heights we could not achieve in the last 75 years,” he said.
Choudhary also said the train would create new employment opportunities for youth and boost local industry. “With the arrival of this train, the employment of our children will increase, and industry will also grow,” he added.
Highlighting the importance of tourism for Kashmir, he said the train would help the Kashmir’s largest industry. “Tourism, our biggest industry, especially in Kashmir, will benefit. The train is safe, and unlike roads which get closed or air travel which is costly, this will be a cheap and reliable option.”
He also spoke about the emotional and cultural connection this development will create. “The poor who dream of seeing Kashmir will now be able to visit. They will experience the real Jammu and Kashmir, its brotherhood and unmatched hospitality,” he said.
“The world may see a different picture, but the people of Jammu and Kashmir are peace-loving,” he said. “They are still the people who live in a place where even the lion and the goat drink water together.”
“We’ve seen the train reach here, and now we pray that statehood will also return with it,” he added.
