When Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 7 visited Srinagar and addressed thousands of people at Bakshi Stadium offering solutions to every prevalent problem of Jammu and Kashmir with full guarantee, the local political parties had no point criticizing his historic visit. The visit of Modi was not long discussed in the media though it may have been on cards for a long time, but his unanticipated arrival in Srinagar was disclosed barely a week before. Narendra Modi was the only prime Minister in India’s politics from 1947 who despite his party having not a single seat in Kashmir chose Srinagar as one of his venues to address the political rally ahead of Lok Sabha elections. His predecessors’ would normally choose Jammu as their political campaigns last point , but his arrival at Srinagar at this crucial juncture had a loaded message to all his opponents that Kashmir is truly in his thoughts and mind and he will continue to work to regain its cultural, social and historical glory marred by the violence of last three decades.
The charisma of Modi’s politics is that he doesn’t carry a bag full of political dolls to offer in political rallies. He, however, promises with full guarantee sustainable economic solutions that don’t only help people to grow independently, however, also contribute to India’s growth chart.
At Bakshi stadium in front of a jam packed crowd, he stressed on strengthening Kashmir’s core economy including horticulture and tourism. Both are serving as its backbone and offering jobs and livelihood to over seventy per cent of the population.
Modi asked his country fellows to visit Kashmir and buy its indigenous projects that will help its people to run their economics and secure their livelihood. The art and craft related to tourism in Kashmir is world famous and its promotion by the Prime Minister would certainly help it to grow.
“The aim of Narendra Modi is to make the economy of the country self sustainable so it is targeting potential economic spheres of every region and promoting it to ensure people have less dependency on outside products and government jobs,” said Bashir Ahmad, a former bureaucrat who had recently joined BJp in Kashmir.
“Modi has turned this terrorism capital into the tourist capital of the world,” said Advocate Farooq Reshi, a retired police officer. “We have all come to greet our pM. He restored peace, built infrastructure, challenged dynastic rule and showed the right direction to our youth who were misled and exploited by some people for their political gains.”
Thousands of people were thronged to the venue cutting across the age and social barriers. While youngsters were upbeat to greet the Prime Minister for building diverse economic opportunities, restoring peace, the elderly were thankful for ensuring social security in their waning years of life.
“I receive the old age pension while my wife got a surgical treatment at private hospital after I have shown them Golden card,” said Ghulam Mohammad Reshi who had come all the way from pattan, Baramulla to attend the rally and hinting towards Ayushman Bharat mission scheme, launched by Modi to provide free treatment to all the citizens of the country.
The speech of Modi in Srinagar was filled with compassion and commitment to set the new dawn of peace and prosperity in Kashmir. He has succeeded in eliminating terrorism from the soil to a significant level; the infrastructural development is also going on in full swing with international and national companies setting up their outlets across the city.
The food chains like Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut and the number of retail chains like Big Bazar, Trends, V Mart, Vishal Mart and many others have already set up their ventures in Kashmir post Article 37 abrogation. This has helped to contain the growing unemployment in Kashmir, though there is a lot more needed to address this soaring problem.
The efforts of BJp in Jammu Kashmir are yielding its fruits now and it has succeeded in showing the world how peace can be restored. It has changed entirely the goalposts of politics making it difficult for all those parties habitual of exploiting sentiments and politicizing coffins to climb the ladders of power centres.
