JK News Today Analysis
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s J&K visit on Friday- June6, 2025- will be written in history as a momentous moment : it fulfilled centuries-old dream of millions of people of the country, and Jammu and Kashmir, in particular . Prime Minister flagged off train to Srinagar from Katra , opening the landlocked Valley to the new world , under his watch . It indeed was a liberating moment for the people from vagaries of weather and landslides and psyche of seclusion , but there was something more to it – the firm message that India lives up to its responsibility to keep its crown Kashmir steady and bright.
When Prime Minister took national tricolour and walked on Chenab bridge- it was a profound declaration of India’s sovereignty and integrity from the highest point of the train track to Kashmir
There was much greater messaging in the whole event and the speech that Prime Minister made at Katra, delivering a stunning reply to all those in the international community seeking to project themselves as mediators on Kashmir , and seeing J&K as an unresolved issue . He used the sophistication of the language , in similes and metaphors to say it emphatically Kashmir to Kanyakumari is one.
He, as the Prime Minister of the country, vowed to stand as a shield against enemy’s misadventures , reiterating that peace and prosperity of Kashmir was his responsibility . The message was clear to outsiders , just stay off .
Post-Pahalgam massacre of April 22nd and subsequent launch of Operation Sindoor to avenge the mass killings by Pakistan-backed terrorists , and the May 10th ceasefire had given rise to many doubts , and some gullible leaders had fallen into the trap This all started with the US President Donald Trump claiming that his intervention brought about ceasefire between India and Pakistan on May 10th at a time when the two nuclear-powered nations were about to cross the threshold , and feared that millions could have been killed. Next, he offered to mediate to resolve Kashmir issue, which he projected something that had been lingering on between India and Pakistan for “ thousands of years.”
As the train chugged to Kashmir, a dream come true for millions of people of Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the country , there was something more to it , “ Kashmir to Kanyakumari” had transformed into a reality from a slogan used since independence. This slogan was a national anthem for all the Indians : it conveyed that Kashmir was an integral part of India . Kashmir was adopted in the national thinking. It was a rebuff to the sceptics , both within Jammu and Kashmir, and Pakistan that created doubts about the status of Kashmir. That was reaffirmed not only in words but also through actions on June 6, 2025. The slogan reverberating geographical and unity in diversity of the country became a vibrant reality .
There has been a plenty of talk , and rightly so about the tallest railway bridge of the world over river Chenab , standing at the height of 359 meters – taller than Eiffel Tower of Paris, France , and Anji bridge- first cable-stayed rail bridge of the country- but the real issue is that what it means in the real terms.
India was showcasing its engineering marvels at a time when the doubts were being raised about the nature of Kashmir-Delhi’s relations after the May 10th ceasefire . India had launched military action against Pakistan-based terror network, under Operation Sindoor , following a heinous attack on tourists in Kashmir’s famous tourist resort ,Pahalgam on April 22nd. Twenty six civilians were shot dead , 25 of them were tourists from various parts of the country .
This should be read through the strategic lens. It is a common knowledge that how since May 10 , Trump has been claiming that the US intervened and used trade as a tool to bring about ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Islamabad played it up , with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif , thanking President Trump for his peacemaking efforts, and within the country Opposition. Too, was raising questions on the silence of Prime Minister Modi on the issue . These doubters were not satisfied with the assertions made by the ministry of external affairs in response to these suggestions made by the US .
Primarily, two issues had taken birth after Donald Trump announced ceasefire , minutes before India did. One , whether the ceasefire was a result of the US mediation , and secondly, has India agreed to mediation on Kashmir.
These questions were rooted in the Pahalgam attack that had international dimensions; Pakistan had enacted this attack. India launched Operation Sindoor to inflict punishment for the terrorists and their infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Pakistan , despite being told that the whole Indian action was directed at terrorists and terror infrastructure , opted for counter strikes. India had to respond to the escalation , and as a result hostilities became severe.
International leaders were talking to both India and Pakistan to de-escalate the situation was summarily defeated , made a formal request for ceasefire. India obliged . Undeniably , Kashmir was propelled to the international discourse, something which India could not help , as Pahalgam attack had taken place in Jammu and Kashmir . And, Pakistan was always interested in internationalizing Kashmir as an “unresolved issue..”
PM did answer these questions – not by the use of offensive vocabulary , but through sophisticated use of language – sometimes it is important not to mention world leaders by name. PM said that the train to Kashmir will be mutually beneficial for J&K and the rest of the country. He made integration of this territory, as a given. He stressed on the monuments of pride –Chenab and Anji bridges – and how the fruit and handicrafts of Kashmir will travel to destinations in the country at a faster pace.
He termed Pakistan’s attack on Pahalgam tourists as an assault on humanity and Kashmiriyat- Kashmir’s rich ethos of harmony and culture- and which was also a conspiracy with intent to trigger communal riots across the country ..
Anyone who listened to these words Prime Minister spoke at Katra, after flagging off train to Kashmir ,can understand the deep meaning of this articulation that it is India alone that decides matters about Kashmir. The Operation Sindoor’s sole purpose was to , to avenge the terror attack in Pahalgam- which also was an assault on the hardworking people of Kashmir. The military operation was in defence of the rights of people of Kashmir .He cleared all ambiguities all at once . It was a rebuff to all those pitching in for mediation , and claiming to have brought about ceasefire between India and Pakistan .
PM derailed all the designs of the self-proclaimed mediators.
