Srinagar: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on Saturday while announcing a special package of Rs. 80,000 crore for all-round development of Jammu and Kashmir said that the State which suffered enormously during past two and half decades would be taken back to its previous glory.
“Kashmir has suffered a lot over the years. Its’ two generations have seen their dreams being crushed. I have come here with a conviction to take Kashmir to its previous glory and I can see that day is not too far,” he said.
Mr. Modi, who was addressing a ‘mega’ rally at Srinagar’s Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium amid unprecedented security arrangements, said that in order to realise the dream of new and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir the Centre has decided to give the package of Rs. 80,000 crore.
“This is not end of it. This is the beginning. Delhi will open its treasury for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and to rebuild the State,” he said, evoking tremendous applause from the audience which included many seasonal labourers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states. Also, policemen in civvies, daily-wage and anganwari workers of the government had been asked to ensure their presence at the rally.
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“This is not end of it. This is the beginning. Delhi will open its treasury for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and to rebuild the State,” he said, evoking tremendous applause from the audience which included many seasonal labourers from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states. Also, policemen in civvies, daily-wage and anganwari workers of the government had been asked to ensure their presence at the rally.
This was the Prime Minister’s first visit of Jammu and Kashmir after the PDP-BJP coalition came to power in March this year. He also addressed another public rally at Chanderkote in Ramban district of the State’s Jammu region where he inaugurated the 450MW Baglihar-II hydroelectric project on Chenab River later during the day.
Mr. Modi said the Centre will walk shoulder to shoulder with the Jammu and Kashmir government to help the people and bring every family out of the crisis. “I want to tell the youth that this Rs 80,000 crore package should be used to change your destiny, should empower you and build a new Kashmir, a modern Kashmir. With this dream I have come to you and let me tell you this is not the end, it is just a beginning,” he said.
The Prime Minister reiterated he has deep affection for Kashmir and its people and pledged to address the issues within the framework of ‘democracy, humanity and Kashmiriyat’-the ethno-national and social consciousness and cultural values of the Kashmiri people-as was envisaged by legendary BJP leader and former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
“It was only here that Vajpayeeji spoke about addressing the issues within the framework of Insaniyat, Jumhooriyat and Kashmiriyat. My vision for Jammu and Kashmir is based on this very thought,” he said adding that not just Kashmir whole of India was incomplete without Kashmiriyat.
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Mr. Modi said, “Kashmir is the land that gave birth to Sufism “which taught us to bring everyone together”. He added, “No matter how much the world advances, without humanity we are nowhere”. He also said that ‘democracy, humanity and Kashmiriyat’ are the words of Mr. Vajpayee that have made special place in the hearts of people of Kashmir and have ignited a hope in every Kashmiri youth about better future.
He also pledged to bring back those days when, he said, everyone in rest of the country used to look forward to visit Kashmir. “I want to see those days back when every family used to save money to visit Kashmir on their vacations. I want to bring back those days when they will feel your love and enjoy your hospitality and the gifts of mother-nature here again,” he said.
He said that 1.75 crore people go out of India on their vacations and that if five percent of them come to Kashmir it would effect a huge positive change in the tourism sector of the State. “Besides tourism, I want to go towards our traditional development models - pashmina, saffron and apples-and also work in the direction of the agriculture sector for which Kashmir is uniquely endowed,” the Prime Minister said adding that special attention is being given towards improving the infrastructure of the State including spending Rs. 34,000 crore on Jammu-Srinagar Highway which would cut the journey time between the twin capitals of the State from 11 to 3.5 hours.
He added that his dream of rebuilding Jammu and Kashmir would be realised soon as he has in his life seen that no matter how big the challenges they can be overcome. In this connection, he cited the example of earthquake-hit areas of his home state Gujarat and said that within three years the worst-affected regions were back on the rails.
“That's why I think we can help Kashmir too, and I can see that day when Kashmir is happy and prosperous,” he said adding that he would not rest in peace until his mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' touched the state as well because “if any corner of India is not united and remains bereft of development, then my dream of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' remains incomplete.”
Mr. Modi said that it was his endless love for Kashmir that brought him over here during the September 2014 floods. “It would have been easy for me to celebrate Diwali with my friends in Delhi, but I decided to come here and be with the people,” he said adding “When the Chinese President visited India, he had plans to celebrate my birthday but I said when my friends in Kashmir are struck by floods, I can't celebrate.”
He also said that on his birthday every year he would visit his mother to seek her blessings and she used to give him Rs. 5 or Rs. 11 as a token gift “but last year she gave me Rs. 5,000 and said ‘Son, take this money for the flood-affected people of Kashmir.” The Prime Minister said that it was this sanskar (culture of upbringing) that inspires him and gives him the strength to care for the people.
He said that the solution of all problems lies in the employment of the youth of Jammu, the Valley and Ladakh regions of the State. He was quite happy to note that the youth of Kashmir are faring the best in all the competitive exams including IAS and IPS in the country in the last few years.
Mr. Modi said that the last One Day International in this stadium (the venue of his rally) was played twenty years ago and, he thinks, time has come to renew its lost glory by organising an international mach here. “The state which has Parvez Rasool, why shouldn't there be an international match? That day should come soon when international cricket resumes here in this stadium,” he said. He added, “Sehwag and Sachin Dhoni- whoever sent the ball out of the park, they did it with the willow of Kashmir.”
Srinagar gave the look of a virtual fortress ahead and during the Prime Minister’s visit with thousands of gun-wielding policemen and members of CRPF and other central forces enforcing a stick security lockdown to hold back separatists ‘million march’ as a parallel show. Columns of Army were also part of the tight security arrangement around the rally venue which was also being surveyed by air.
Mobile internet services in Kashmir Valley were blocked in the morning as a precautionary measure. Officials said that all service providers were directed to disconnect the mobile internet services from 10 AM till the Prime Minister leaves the Valley. However, broadband services on BSNL were working.
Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid alias Engineer Rashid was detained for holding a black balloon protest near the venue of the Prime Minister’s rally. Earlier in a major crackdown, the police took over 300 separatists leaders and activists into ‘preventive custody’ whereas senior leaders like Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq were placed under house arrest. Mr. Geelani was detained and removed to nearby Humhama police station when he along with several party men emerged of his besieged Hyderpora residence in the afternoon.
The crackdown against separatists began soon after Mr. Geelani announced a parallel rally would be held at Srinagar’s TRC grounds which are located at less than 300 yards from Sher-i-Kashmir Cricket Stadium, the venue of the Prime Minister’s rally.
He invited all other prominent separatist leaders including the Mirwaiz pro-independence Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Muhammad Yasin Malik to the proposed rally in a display of unity and said that the ‘Million March’ would be aimed also at showing the outside world that “Kashmiris are against Indian occupation.”
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