What will be Modi’s Message from Kashmir?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Kashmir today to address the people in Srinagar. This visit comes at a time when the Lok Sabha Elections are scheduled anytime. This will be Narendra Modi’s first visit after the neutralisation of Article 370 and 35A that had insulated the people of Jammu and Kashmir from the national mainstream. Before this visit he had recently visited Jammu region and launched various projects and public welfare schemes worth Rs. 32,000 crore for the comprehensive development and welfare of the people. Today he is scheduled to announce the mega Rs.5000 crore Holistic Agriculture Development Plan (HADP) meant to boost agricultural economy and the agri-business initiatives of the union territory. Besides ensuring the skill development of about 2.5 lakh farmers through Daksh Kisan portal. This also includes the establishment of Kisan Khidmat Ghars. Tourism development will also remain the priority of the Prime Minister’s policy announcement. He is likely to launch 52 tourism related projects worth Rs. 140 crore under the ageis of Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes. This project also includes the integrated development of Asar-e- Sharief Hazratbal Shrine that has the holy relic of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH).Modi is visiting at a time when he is politically well placed to take critical decisions for the welfare and of the people and ensuring the peace and stability in Kashmir. People are euphoric as peace has been elusive to the valley due to ethno-religious conflict that has derailed the development and career opportunities for the youth. People are eager to hear the Prime Minister who has emerged as the strong leader and has delivered on all fronts to make India resurgent .Peace in Kashmir can be ensured when borders are secure and internal security is well managed. But the belligerent policy of Pakistan time and again has acted as a curse for the people of Kashmir leading to regression and turmoil. The patronage given to terrorism from across the border in Pakistan and the Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir(POJK) has made lives of the innocent people vulnerable. It has destroyed social fabric and developed communal fault lines that rendered numberless people orphaned and lakhs internally displaced as refugees. That includes the minority Kashmiri Pandits. Prime Minister must address these issues to bring Kashmir on the track and send a strong signal for progressive society where there is hope for social equilibrium. Restoration of the vandalised religious places and heritage monuments must get the traction. Besides he must focus on upgrading the education system whether at the school level, college level or the university level. So that the Kashmiri youth can be at par with their counterparts in rest of India to compete on the levelled ground. Though the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated the newly elected Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for taking his oath. But fingers have to be kept crossed.as in his maiden speech while addressing the Pakistan’s National Assembly; Shehbaz Sharif has raked up the Kashmir issue and equated Kashmir with Palestine to incite the hollow slogans of freedom. This is a euphemism for continuing terrorism. As has been already argued in the editorials of the Rising Kashmir. This sinister motive to escalate terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir must be given a strong message. So that Pakistan stops meddling in the internal affairs of India in Jammu and Kashmir. Indian representatives at the United Nations (UN) have given the befitting reply to Pakistan twice for the hateful remarks and propaganda against India just a few days ago. But it has not stopped Pakistan from raking up the Kashmir issue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi must give strong message from the soil of Kashmir that Pakistan must shun terrorism as its state policy and stop inflicting bloodshed and genocide on the people of Kashmir. Any attempt to inflict terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan must invite heavy price from India . That has to be the message. Prime Minister must make it unequivocally clear that Pakistan must vacate the illegally occupied areas of Jammu and Kashmir that is Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir(POJK) and stop using the illegally occupied areas as launch pads of radicalism and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.