Khushamadeed: Modi in Kashmir

Dr. M M Hussain

Narendra Modi has emerged as a leadership phenomenon that has transformed India into a Global Brand, the value of Indian passport and Indian identity has increased significantly. People all over world from US to Europe to Middle East, are excited to discuss India and success story of it as a Nation on a rise. It is all possible because of the phenomenal leadership called Modi. The rise of an ascetic monk (tapaswi), as a grassroots political worker from an OBC caste with humble beginnings to the Global leader of the highest ratings, leading the world’s largest populous democracy, as a greater reformer and architect of New and Emerging India, is a story of its own.

Modi, a source of redemption of a civilization; has evoked deep awaking within the consciousness of its citizens to transform the country into a developed nation (Viksit Bharat) before the Centennial Celebrations of Independence. Modi has a dream and dreams for 140 plus crore citizens of India to make India 3rd largest economy, a five trillion economy, eradicate poverty, raise the standard of living, ease of living, business, and governance, and catapult India in the race of developed Nations.

The decisive leadership and innovative pragmatic approach to chronic issues confronting the country for decades, have not only created solutions to the problems but have set a new paradigm in the management of affairs of the country with the Nation First Citizen First Approach. There is great churning going on across the length and breadth of the country with the status quo being challenged and old-age political discourse facing the heat. There is a radicle shift in the political landscape of the country from north to south. The undercurrent of the new hope and aspirations emerging from all regions of the country.

Modi as a cult leader has become a mass mobiliser with magnetic resonance to attract millions of people both on the ground and digital media platforms.

Modi and Khushamameed in Kashmir:

The Kashmiri connection of Narendra Modi is very deep-rooted. As a political worker in the nascent years, he has a dream to unfurl the tricolor in historic Lalchowk and free Kashmir from the shackles of every negative indication like terrorism, separatism, and whatnot. Modi has delivered the Promises with resounding success related to Jammu and Kashmir.

The deliverance of promises and commitments can be deliberated on a wide range of issues as:

1. Abolition of Article 370 and 35A.
2. Zero tolerance on Terrorism and Internal Security.
3. Eradication of Protest Calendars and Stone Pelting.
4. Ban on Hurriyat and Pro-seperatist Organisations.
5. Accountability and Responsibility of Mainstream Parties.
6. Democratic Decentralization and establishment of three-tier Panchayati Raj.
7. Huge investment in Roads, Railways, Health, Education, Tourism, Industry etc.
8. Anticorruption Measures like the creation of ACB with full powers.
9. From Physical files to e-office and abolition of old, outdated, and expensive Darbar Move.
10. Anywhere and Anytime Governance; Digital Governance and m-Governance
11. District Good Governance Index
12. e-tendering and GEMS portals and much more

Abolition of Article 370 and 35A:

Following the modifications to the state’s constitution and the restructuring of the former State of Jammu and Kashmir, the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh have been completely included in the country’s mainstream. Consequently, the people of Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh now have access to all the rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution as well as all the advantages of all the Central Laws that were previously available to other citizens of the nation.

Although, the people of Kashmir were suspicious of the move and the manner it was done, a wide section of Kashmiri society has realized the betterment of it. People often argue about the hollowness of Article 370 and its erosion over time. As such, the removal of such provisions has cleared the air and politics of confusion and has given birth to the narrative of clarity about the future discourse of Jammu and Kashmir. Which at socio-psychological levels has greater significance and relevance in a region of conflict.

Zero Tolerance on Terrorism and Internal Security:

The drop in terrorism and terrorist activities drastically is the major achievement of the government so far. Arguably, the state of insurgency has ended in Kashmir and represents a significant milestone towards zero tolerance against terrorism. The recruitment policy of terrorists has been replaced by the recruitment calendars of the Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission and the Jammu and Kashmir Service Selection Board.

Eradication of Protest Calendars and Stone pelting:

The widely acknowledged gratitude by all the sections of the Kashmiri society post-370 abrogation is the regular functioning of the schools and colleges of Kashmir. It’s after almost three decades that schools are functioning without being forced to shut down due to hartal calls by separatist groups. The removal of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir has led to several changes in the education system. Some of the key changes include the extension of the Right to Education Act to the region, which ensures free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14. Additionally, there has been an increase in the number of educational institutions and the introduction of new educational initiatives to improve access to quality education. The government has also focused on enhancing skill development and vocational training opportunities for the youth. The stone pelting has been buried in the annals of history.

Ban on Hurriyat and Proseperatist Organisations and Accountability and Responsibility of Mainstream Parties:

Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Jammu and Kashmir (TeH) was deemed an “Unlawful Association” by the Union Home Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on December 31, 2023, following Section (3) of the anti-terror legislation, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The outfit is involved in forbidden activities to separate J&K from India. With the UAPA ban – an unavoidable eventuality for any outfit involved in terror financing – the terror funding routes purportedly employed by the Hurriyat conference were plugged. One of the key routes – now part of an NIA investigation, was the ‘sale’ of medical seats in Pakistan’s colleges from its quota, and channeling the funds so collected to foment trouble in the Valley.

Similarly, due to the persistent lack of leaders who would strive to strengthen and unite Kashmiri society, politics in the region has always been tainted by double standards. The leaders of Jammu and Kashmir have historically and currently used coercion as their primary tactic against the Indian central government. The narrative that the indigenous Kashmiris do not wish to integrate into India’s mainstream is one that they have consistently promoted.
Under the guise of being fictitious Indian well-wishers, these politicians from Kashmir induced the New Delhi government to believe that without them, the Kashmiris would not uphold the Indian ideology. They successfully cleaned the eyes of the Central government. However, the same narrative has been done away with and mainstream parties have found themselves it difficult to sell the same narrative. It will be interesting to see the churning of new narratives and discourses in the arena of the politics of Kashmir.

Democratic Decentralization and establishment of three-tier Panchayati Raj and Huge investment in Roads, Railways, Health, Education, Tourism, Industry etc:

To accomplish the fundamentals of decentralized governance and grassroots democracy, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) must actively participate in the design and execution of developmental projects as well as the effective provision of public services.
The UT of the Jammu & Kashmir government has made numerous choices to strengthen PRIs by giving them more authority over duties, responsibilities, resources, and authority after successfully establishing a three-tier Panchayati Raj system. The success stories of the three-tier panchayat raj in JK vibrated all over the country.

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has dedicated innumerable development projects worth lakhs of crores in Jammu and Kashmir for the last several years. The projects relate to different sectors including health, education, rail, road, aviation, petroleum, and civic infrastructure among others. The Jammu and Kashmir UT is witnessing rapid transformation in all major sectors of development with projects under implementation in almost all departments. National highways are being constructed across the length and breadth of the UT. The railway line has reached Sangaldan and is km away from Jammu. AIIMS, IITS, IIMS, and other major national institutes are knocking on the door and ready to be inaugurated soon.

Similarly, the mega event at Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium saw a huge response from every section of society.

The Prime Minister committed about Rs 5000 crore to the “Holistic Agriculture Development Programme” to bolster J&K’s agricultural sector. Along the way, he launched several tourism-related initiatives under the PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) and Swadesh Darshan schemes, totalling about Rs 1400 crore. The “Integrated Development of Hazratbal Shrine” in Srinagar is one such initiative.

The Prime Minister also announced the “Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice Tourist Destination Poll” and “Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign”. He also disclosed the tourism destinations selected for the Challenge-Based Destination Development

The nationwide poll of “Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice Tourist Destination Poll” aims to engage citizens in identifying the most popular tourist destinations and understanding tourist perceptions across five tourism categories: spiritual, cultural and heritage, nature and wildlife, adventure, and others. Aside from the four main categories, the ‘other’ category allows users to vote for their personal favourites and help reveal hidden tourism jewels in the form of unexplored tourist attractions and locations such as Vibrant Border Villages, Wellness Tourism, Wedding Tourism, and so on. This poll is being held on the MyGov platform, the Indian government’s citizen interaction portal.

The campaign of “Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign” was created to promote travel to India and to inspire the Indian diaspora to act as Incredible India ambassadors. The program is being launched in response to the Prime Minister’s clarion call, in which he asked Indian diaspora members to invite at least five non-Indian friends to visit India. With over 3 crore abroad Indians, the Indian diaspora has the potential to be a big driver of Indian tourism by serving as cultural ambassadors.

The above initiatives are a guiding light to promote both domestic and foreign travel and tourism in India, which will tremendously benefit Jammu and Kashmir as a leading tourist destination.

In conclusion, countless projects, policies, initiatives, drives, schemes, efforts, and measures are underway and under implementation to strengthen and develop Jammu and Kashmir. The efforts and seeds of a bright and Viksit Jammu and Kashmir are being laid in the Modi Era with full force. The silent undercurrent and ground revolution is underway, although it will bear long-lasting fruits in the times to come. The great combination of Modi-Shah and Sinha is creating a future, which will be remembered for posterity.

Dr. MM Hussain, freelancer, Kashmir-based independent writer, and political analyst.