Binoo Joshi
JK News Today ‘s special commentary
On Sunday, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated two multi-purpose cinema halls, one in each in twin south Kashmir districts of Pulwama and Shopian, not just scripting history of the new era in the Valley but also signifying a major transition from conflict to peace.
Normally, such opening of cinema theaters cum auditoriums would mean a major platform for entertainment and creative activities . Nothing more than that. But when it happens in Pulwama and Shopian , these centers achieve a new meaning – looking ahead toward future , and leaving behind the gory past . This fact can be appreciated only by those who know what these two districts represented in the past over 30 decades – hot bed of terrorism, where terrorism has become a norm
We all remember, February 14, 2019, when 40 CRPF troopers were waylaid by a suicide bomber Adil Dar of Jaish-e-Mohammad , a terror outfit based in Pakistan and operating in Kashmir for the past over two decades . That was a national tragedy as the troopers drawn from various parts of the country lost their lives in just one big bang , planned and executed by Je< chief Masood Azhar and his cronies , as also the patrons in Pakistani establishment . That attack was avenged when the Indian Air Force bombarded the Jaish terror training camps in Balakot, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan on February 26. That was a revenge, but the scars of the February 14 terror attacks continued to serve as reminder about the loss.
There was something more that needed to be reflected , that how Adil Dar , and many others of his age , fell into the Pakistani trap and launched a violent campaign against their own people and the nation .Terrorism had inflicted the intended losses and the security forces tamed the terrorists , eliminated them, dented their support system, but still there was something to regain the space and attention of the youth of south Kashmir, for this particular part of the Valley, comprising four districts – Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama – had become synonymous with terrorism . This area was also infamous for the local recruitment .
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha with his dynamic approach , opted for two-pronged strategy – to encourage the security forces to go all out against the terrorists and their networks , at the same time he thought of engaging the youth, their families in the constructive activities so that those who want to structure their future positively , have something to do and contribute to society.
The multipurpose cinema halls offer them that much-needed platforms . These multi-purpose cinema halls , where the movies would be screened , would serve as a reminder to them that how peaceful was their Kashmir when the Bollywood had made it as their second home . name a film actor of 1950s to 1980s , who did not shoot in Kashmir , and many of these movies like “ Kashmir ki Kali, Arzoo, Bemissal, Kabhi Kabhi,” were all time hits . The UT administration has brought back the memories of those memorable times in which peace reigned and also built prospects for a bright future ahead .
Times are changing, L G’s administration is the driving force with Manoj Sinha leading it from the driving seat.
