J&K records 2023 among its watershed years

Jammu, Dec 30: 2023, though electorally speaking may have been yet another dry season, has already recorded its place in the history of J&K as a “watershed year.” Literally!

How?

To count on, just two reasons will suffice to delineate this point.

First and foremost is the December 11 verdict by the apex court of the country upholding the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. It has turned the page of history. Going by the helmsmen, this has paved the way for a continuous journey towards envisioned “new, peaceful J&K brimming with new-fangled aspirations.”

In terms of electoral politics, the judgment, by the end of the year, also ended the “dry run” with the specific directions to the Election Commission for the conduct of assembly election by September 30, 2024 – thus removing the element of uncertainty. However, restoration of statehood continues to be an open-ended question as the five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court has put it in the time-frame of “at the earliest and as early as possible.”

Second instance, defining watershed moments (of 2023), was the successful conduct of the third G20 Tourism Working Group (TWG) meeting in Srinagar from May 22 to 24 this year.

Event actually resonated across the globe. Mentioning this, on August 27, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 104th episode of the monthly broadcast of ‘Mann Ki Baat’, too had said that after the G20 meeting in Srinagar, a huge increase in the number of tourists in Kashmir was being witnessed.

In fact, the words of the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had found an echo in the Prime Minister’s observation.

On August 23, the Lieutenant Governor had mentioned a growth of 59 percent in the influx of foreign tourists in J&K since the successful conduct of the G20 meeting (in Srinagar).

“Successful conduct of the G20 Summit has spread a positive message not just across India but the whole world as well. After its (G20 meeting’s) culmination, till date while we were analysing the statistics, we noticed that the influx of foreign tourists registered a growth of 59 percent,” LG Sinha had said.

One may reserve differing opinions about it, yet it will be difficult to deny that the significance of the event, may be symbolically, was even beyond the increase in influx of foreign tourists. Images of rejoicing delegates will remain etched in the memories of locals as well as the outside world, seamlessly establishing a positive indicator of changing scenario, after decades of turbulence.

Political adversaries would have (they had actually) maintained that it was a limited purpose event held under heavy security in a limited space so it could not be taken as an indicator of change. However, this argument could not hold ground as multi-tier security paraphernalia remains an intrinsic component of any such international event across the globe, more so, in the present context of uncertain times.

Undeniably, the choice of Srinagar as G20 Working Group meet venue had a specific rationale behind and the venue was selected for peculiar reasons to send a message at the “right quarters” and snub all those flagging “dispute” concerns. And it successfully served the purpose. (For that matter, Youth20 or Y20 pre-summit meeting under G20 in Leh from April 26 to 28 too had the same purpose and achieved the same resounding success).

NEW ADMINISTRATIVE HEADS

In the administrative sphere, J&K got new faces to head the civil and police administration in the third quarter of 2023.

After over five years, the Union Territory saw a son of the soil taking over the reins of bureaucracy as Atal Dulloo, a 1989 batch IAS officer having vast administrative experience, joined as the Chief Secretary on December 1.

Given his amiable, non-confrontational style of functioning, Dulloo’s entry as the Chief Secretary enthused employees and also soothed the frayed nerves in the opposition which was accusing the ruling dispensation of ignoring senior local bureaucrats.

Dulloo succeeded Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, who attained the age of superannuation on November 30, 2023.

Police administration too recorded a change at its helm of affairs.

Known for his uprightness and integrity of character across the Khaki-force, Rashmi Ranjan Swain took charge of new Director General of Police (DGP) on November 1 following the superannuation of his predecessor Dilbag Singh.

Swain started his inning by unleashing innovative methods to reach out to people by announcing “Public Darbar” – a grievance redressal mechanism to the common man. The initiative, right from the word ‘Go’ is drawing an overwhelming response from the targeted section. At the same time, he minced no words while conveying that there would be no leniency in a zero tolerance approach towards terrorists, separatists and all those offending the law and trying to bully the silent majority.

MOMENTS OF GLUM AND GLORY

Apart from these major developments, on the whole, J&K had its moments of glory and glumness. It took all in its stride and carried on as usual, during the last around 12 months.

It proved yet again beyond any doubt that vivacity can be the only apt expression if one has to define the verve or say dynamism of J&K and it finds resonance in the myriad hues of nature as well as its socio-political-scape.

This verve draws its strength from amazing resilient adaptability to the extremes, till everything turns normal or more appropriately serene.

To sample this, just look back and recapitulate what has captured one’s imagination with a lingering effect – to rejoice; brood over; regret or forget during J&K’s journey of “ups and downs” in 2023- which is just few hours away to be bracketed as “the year gone by.”

Year began on a dark note as it witnessed twin Dhangri terror attacks in the border district of Rajouri on January 1 and 2 claiming seven lives, including those of two minors. To assuage the hurt sentiments, Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Jammu and reassured the victims that the culprits would be brought to justice.

Successful Amarnath Yatra which  brought praises from different quarters; tourism boom; industrial investments; revival of night life; return of cinema and those associated with it in the Valley; conduct of national events resonated in the discourses of the helmsmen. Shah visited J&K in the middle of 2023 as well.

Incidents of violence, target killings keep on disrupting the serenity and creating uneasy ripples in both regions, thus giving the opposition an opportunity to assert – “Peace is superficial. Tourism boom is no indicator of normalcy.”

Political cacophony lingers on.

Year is ending also at a darker note emanating from the same area i.e., Rajouri-Poonch with two disturbing incidents, leading to high-level visits including that of Defence Minister to pacify simmering anger.

But then J&K’s strength lies in the fact that it has survived similar ghastly acts in the past as well with an unbroken resolve to not to let anything mar its eternal effervescent, undaunted spirit.

EMERGENCE OF YOUTH ICON 

2023 also saw the emergence of a youth icon from J&K – an armless teen para-archer from remote hamlet of hilly Kishtwar, Sheetal Devi, who won laurels not just to her home state but the entire country with a streak of medals with her indomitable spirit. The count is on, at a cheerful note.