Vande “Bharat” in Kashmir

Kashmir is jubilant and Kashmiris are in a celebratory mood as Vande Bharat is arriving in Kashmir today. This will be a historical milestone and will be cherished in the collective memory forever. It will end the miseries being faced by the Kashmiris in winters when it comes to traveling across the Pir Panjal during the severe winter months. And the credit for bringing the Vande Bharat to Kashmir goes to none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has been in the forefront of ensuring the mainstreaming of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of India. With the neutralisation of Article 370 and 35A he has made it clear that his mission and vision is not only confined to giving political messages but he wants to bring the people of Kashmir at par with their counterparts in the rest of the nation. So that Kashmir and Kashmiris don’t lag behind in the march of India towards the socio-economic resurgence. He has proved that means business. He has often said that he wants to end the distance between the hearts in New Delhi and Kashmir. Vande Bharat is the proof of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to integrate Kashmir with the national mainstream with an aim to bring prosperity and economic empowerment. Not only that, today the Prime Minister will be giving a significant and profound message that his government stands for the comprehensive development of Jammu and Kashmir. As he will dedicate to the nation the much awaited Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line(USBRL) project. Indeed this will be the first direct railway link to Kashmir valley that used to be detached from the rest of the nation during the disruption of vehicular traffic on the national Highway in harsh winters every year. This will enable the Kashmiris to have a sigh of relief. This whole project is an engineering marvel and has established new records in railway engineering, proving that it is the Indian age. The spin doctors are twisting the narrative that this project is Kashmir centric, trying to create a wedge between the two regions. But the reality is contrary to what is being projected. Jammu has been the rail head of Jammu and Kashmir for decades and has been catering to the needs of the entire Union Territory from the times when it was a state. This expansion will not only ease the passenger pressure on Jammu but will enrich the railway system with both regions strengthening each other. If this ambitious project has given Vande Bharat to Kashmir then it has also enabled the highest railway bridge in Reasi district of Jammu on the river Chenab(Chanderbhaga).This engineering marvel proves the genius of Indian engineers and enabled them to attract the tourist gaze towards Jammu region. If Kashmir is a paradise on earth then Jammu is amazing land with unique marvels and priceless heritage that is unexplored. All eyes will be fixed on Prime Minister Narendra Modi today and all ears are waiting to hear him. In recent times he is the most popular Prime Minister among the people of Kashmir who value his words and his ability to serve the last man in the last row. With the arrival of Vande Bharat in Kashmir a new era of development, resurgence and prosperity will dawn in the valley that has witnessed a continuous ethno-religious conflict due to Pakistan sponsored and patronised terrorism to destabilise Jammu and Kashmir. Pahalgam carnage had sent shock waves in Kashmir. Kashmiris rejected this genocidal attrition and sent a clear message to the entire nation by closing their business establishments to mourn the massacre of the innocent tourists who had arrived in Pahalgam from various parts of India. With the dedication of the Vande Bharat Express to the nation today by enabling the Kashmiris to connect directly with New Delhi, the Prime Minister has shown his unflinching faith in his people in Kashmir and in response Kashmiris are waiting to embrace their Prime Minister and his dream initiative.