Amit Shah highlights India’s 1000-year ties with Kashmir
New Delhi, Jan 2: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah Thursday said that India had been present in Kashmir for at least a thousand years.
Releasing the book ‘Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh Through the Ages: A Visual Narrative of Continuities and Linkages’ in New Delhi, the Home Minister said, “The book demonstrates, with evidence, that the culture, languages, scripts, spiritual philosophies, art forms, pilgrimage traditions, and trade practices found throughout India had been present in Kashmir for at least thousand years. “
He said that Kashmir was, Kashmir is, and Kashmir would always be an integral part of India and that no law or article could change that and the very article that attempted to alter this, could not survive the test of time.
Shah emphasised that the National Book Trust (NBT), through its latest publication, had effectively dismantled a long-standing myth about India by presenting facts and evidence, thereby establishing historical truths.
He said that there was a myth that India was never united and the idea of independence for this country was meaningless — a misconception that many had come to accept as truth.
The Home Minister highlighted that while for most countries geo-politics had defined their boundaries, India’s case was unique in that this nation had been defined by its geo-cultural expanse, and whose borders were made up of cultural unity.
He said that India's essence lies in its geo-cultural identity, with its cultural fabric binding the nation from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Bengal to Gujarat.
Shah argued that interpreting India solely as a geo-political entity overlooks its true nature.
“Instead, a deep understanding of India requires viewing it through the lens of its geo-cultural identity,” he said.
The Home Minister stressed the importance of historical research and academic institutions in promoting this perspective to the world, as it was crucial to understanding the elements that culturally unify the country.
He highlighted the similar distortions that had affected the history of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.
Shah asserted that interpreting the history of these regions by manipulating facts was both futile and misleading.
“Such distortions can only stem from the works of historians with a myopic vision. Those who know about India’s illustrious past will never commit such mistakes,” he said.
The Home Minister said that once this historical truth was established, questioning Kashmir’s union with India becomes irrelevant.
He said that this book proves that India’s rich heritage, scattered across every corner of the country, had been present in Kashmir for thousands of years.
The book draws upon references to Kashmir from texts as old as 8000 years, reaffirming its integral role in the nation’s history.
Shah said that Kashmir always had been and would continue to remain an inseparable part of India.
He said that no legal provision could ever sever this bond, and while there were attempts to separate Kashmir from India in the past, time had nullified those efforts.
The Home Minister said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government was committed to reviving the historic and cultural heritage of Kashmir.
“We will soon reclaim what has been lost,” he said.
Shah said that the relationship between Kashmir, Ladakh, Shaivism, and Buddhism had been eloquently captured in this book and exhibition.
He commended the documentation of scripts, knowledge systems, spirituality, culture, and languages, emphasising the meticulous effort that went into presenting this rich heritage.
The book vividly chronicles the journey of Buddhism from Nepal to Bihar via Kashi, and onward to Afghanistan through Kashmir.
The Home Minister said that Kashmir was the birthplace of the refined principles of Buddhism that emerged after lord Buddha, as well as the foundation for many of the teachings that shape modern Buddhism.
The book also features sculptures from Drass and Ladakh, discussions and images of stupas, depictions of temple ruins destroyed by invaders, and references to the use of Sanskrit in J&K, as described in Rajatarangini.
Covering Kashmir’s 8000-year history, Shah likened this comprehensive effort to encapsulating the sacred Ganga within a vessel.
He reflected on the vast and, at times, challenging nature of history.
The Home Minister said that for 150 years, some people's understanding of history was confined to narrow geographies—from Dariba to Ballimaran or Lutyens to Gymkhana.
He said that history could not be written from a distance but requires engaging directly with the people and understanding their lived experiences.
Shah emphasised that the time had come to move beyond history written to appease past rulers.
He urged historians to confidently document India’s history using evidence, facts, and the perspective of its rich, millennia-old culture, and to present it to the world with pride.
The Home Minister said that today, India stands as an independent nation with a government committed to upholding the values and ideas rooted in its heritage.
He highlighted that Kashmir and Ladakh had historically served as centres of civilisation, fostering creation, preservation, and cultural promotion.
Shah said numerous examples of this rich legacy are detailed in the book.
He said that Kashmir had always been a land of inclusivity, embracing and nurturing diverse faiths. “Whether it is Buddhism, Sufism, or Shaivism, each tradition has found the freedom to thrive on Kashmiri soil,” the Home Minister said.
He said that Kashmir was often referred to as the land of Kashyap, underscoring its historical and spiritual significance.
Shah said that the linguistic diversity of India was one of its greatest strengths, which was particularly evident in Kashmir.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had revitalised regional languages by forming two Union Territories and recognising their official languages.
“While Hindi, English, and Sanskrit have retained their importance, PM Modi has ensured the survival and growth of languages like Kashmiri, Balti, Dogri, Ladakhi, and Zanskari by incorporating them into governance,” the Home Minister said.
Shah said that this effort reflects PM Modi's sensitivity and commitment to preserving the cultural and linguistic heritage of the nation, especially for languages spoken by a small number of the populations.
He said that Kashmir had long suffered under the onslaught of fundamentalists, invaders, and plunderers with expansionist ambitions.
The Home Minister said that Article 370 and Article 35-A were obstacles, preventing Kashmir from being fully integrated with the country.
He said that PM Modi’s resolute determination led to the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. Shah said that by abolishing Article 370, PM Modi ended a tainted chapter of post-independence history and initiated a new chapter of Kashmir’s development in tandem with the rest of India.
The Home Minister said that Article 370 had sowed the seeds of separatism in the minds of the youth of Kashmir.
He questioned why terrorism had not arisen in many parts of the country that had significant Muslim populations.
Shah pointed out that states like Gujarat and Rajasthan also share borders with Pakistan, yet terrorism did not emerge there.
He said that Article 370 created the misconception that the connection between India and Kashmir was temporary, which sowed the seeds of separatism that eventually turned into terrorism.
The Home Minister expressed regret over the fact that more than 40,000 people fell victim to terrorism and that Kashmir's development was set back by decades.
He said that for years, terrorism wreaked havoc in the region, while the nation stood by as a silent spectator.
Shah highlighted that after the abrogation of Article 370, there had been a reduction of over 70 percent in terrorist incidents in Kashmir, which proves that Article 370 was a facilitator of terrorism.
He said that in 2018, there were 2100 incidents of stone-pelting in Kashmir, whereas in 2023, not a single such incident occurred.
The Home Minister highlighted that over 25,000 panchayat members, including sarpanches, block panchayat members, and district panchayat members, were elected and were actively working for the development of their areas, thereby strengthening the roots of democracy in Kashmir.
He said that there was a record turnout in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in 33 years.
Shah said that industries were now setting up in the region, and last year 2.11 crore tourists visited Kashmir.
“In 2023 alone, 324 serials or films were shot in the region. For the first time in 33 years, theatres in Kashmir held night shows, Tazia processions were organised, and a Krishna Janmashtami tableau was seen at Lal Chowk in Srinagar,” the Home Minister said.
He emphasised that all these developments had taken place in the five years since the abrogation of Article 370.
Shah said that today, Kashmir was home to the world's largest railway arch bridge, Asia's largest tunnel, and a cable-stayed rail bridge.
He said that Kashmir now has an IIT, an IIM, two AIIMS, nine government medical colleges, two nursing institutes, two state cancer institutes and eight colleges that are already operational while 24 more are under construction.
The Home Minister said that 59 colleges had been accredited and highway tunnels were being built and all of this had been achieved during the tenure of the Modi government.
He questioned previous governments, asking why even 10 percent of these developments did not occur during their 70 years of governance.
Shah said that they owe an explanation to both the nation and the people of Kashmir.
He also mentioned that PM Modi implemented Rs 80,000 crore development package for Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The Home Minister said that 4G and 5G networks had now been extended to approximately 87 percent of the villages in the region.
Shah said that the Modi government had not only brought terrorism under control but also completely dismantled its ecosystem in Kashmir.
He emphasised that the government had done everything for this land, which had made a significant contribution to the civilisations of the country and the world.
The Home Minister said that due to the efforts of the Modi government, Kashmir had once again become an integral part of India’s geo-cultural nation and was moving forward on the path of development along with the rest of the country, with democracy firmly established there.
He expressed confidence that whatever had been lost would soon be regained, including not only development but also the cultural heights and ancient glory of Kashmir.
Shah said that the people of Kashmir would create and realise those immortal chapters of history on the ground.
The Home Minister quoted Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who had said that Jammu and Kashmir was not just a part of India but an inseparable part of India’s soul.
He said that this had now been firmly established, and no one could deny it anymore.
Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan and Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and editor of the book Prof Raghuvendra Tanwar were also present on the occasion.
