India’s Modi pledges end to terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir

By Mohssen Arishie

Delhi—India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged to eradicate terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, revealing a comprehensive plan to end corruption, atrocities, and violence in the territory. He also promised that his government would usher the region to a new era of economic prosperity and development.

He called upon a wide array of industries to come and invest in Jammu and Kashmir. The prime minister also asked the nation to stand in support of Kashmiris, adding that the restrictions would be removed soon. Filmmakers from Bollywood, Tollywood and other regional film industries are invited to help turn a new chapter and promote the territory regionally and regionally by shooting films in the Valley.

Modi’s pledges featured prominently in a televised speech he delivered to the nation to explain his government’s decision to cancel the constitutional article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir about 70 years ago. The abrogation of this article has broken one of the political taboos of the 20th century. Modi won a landslide victory in India’s elections in May that reinforced him as the country’s most formidable politician in decades.

In his historic speech, the Indian Prime Minister said: “The scrapping of Article 370 will usher a new era of development in Jammu and Kashmir, while the bifurcation will also help Ladakh prosper as a separate Union Territory.” Modi promised Kashmiris that education would prosper in their state after the scrapping of Article 370. “In the absence of this article, healthcare and export industry will also flourish,” he said.

Modi listed the benefits that Jammu and Kashmir citizens would enjoy that their territory has joined the Union. “There will be an immediate review of government employees and police in the state,” the Indian prime minister said. “Everybody will now enjoy the same benefits as other government employees posted in other states of India,” he said. He asserted that central laws and schemes would now benefit minority communities in Jammu and Kashmir.

During his entire speech, Modi made no mention about Pakistan as he stressed that the cancellation of Article 370 was taken in the best interest of citizens of Jammu and Kashmir.

In response to India’s historic decision, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi made it clear that the country would only review its decision against India if it “reconsiders” its actions in Kashmir. Qureshi’s remarks came a day after Pakistan expelled the Indian High Commissioner as part of its decision to downgrade the diplomatic ties with India.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs retaliated strongly after Pakistan’s decision to suspend bilateral ties after the government’s move to scrap Article 370. India slammed Pakistan and accused it of presenting an alarming picture to the world. “The reasons cited by Pakistan are not supported by facts on the ground,” MEA said. India also added that the abrogation of Article 370 is an internal affair and asked it not to interfere. “The Constitution of India was, is and will

always be a sovereign matter. Seeking to interfere in that jurisdiction by invoking an alarmist vision of the region will never succeed,” MEA added.