Binoo Joshi
JK News Today Special Commentary
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has given a clarion call to stamp out terrorism from the soil of Jammu and Kashmir. This call, asserting a position that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations needs to be rooted out, opens our eyes to the dangers and threats that this menace causes to the nation, and in particular this union territory.
The underlined idea is that even if there is residual terrorism, it can be as harmful and deadly for the atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir as it was in its days of complete dominance in the erstwhile state in 1990s. The 1990sin J&K is the darkest period in the history of J&K, the consequences of which are being borne by the land and the people till now. There has been a vast improvement. The nightmare of the 1990s is over and J&K is breathing fresh air in the fearless atmosphere.
True that there is call for local and local in J&K, that’s to suggest that everything in J&K should be land and local people-centric, nothing more, nothing less. These conditions were relaxed only as per the convenience of the local leadership, then everything was welcome because it was an ideology of isolation, and assimilation only when the things suited the political leadership. And, let there be no mistake, in this both the leadership of the Valley and Jammu were equal partners, irrespective of their political ideologies and philosophies. The best example of that was the PDP-BJP rule in the former state of Jammu and Kashmir when these parties joined hands. This was an experiment that was destined to fail.
Ever since LG Manoj Sinha who assumed office on August 7, 2020, has shown that he has diagnosed the problem and found its solution too. There was a problem that there was no attempt to do comprehend the problem. In fact, there were excuses to shield problem of terrorism with a lot many theories, some genuine and others manufactured. The straight forward approach was missing, and terrorism appeared and cast its shadows in various forms.
Sinha, from the very start of his innings Raj Bhawan, worked on two-track policy; to wipe out terrorism from social and political fabric, and simultaneously moved out of the royal buildings to open channels of communication with the people at all levels. But the critics were unsparing who viewed him as an outsider. That is the criticism he took in his stride and continued with his work.
Today, the result is that Kashmir has an international profile much different from the image it was known for – a hub of terrorism. now it is a place on the map where international events could be held without any fear of disruptions. The greatest example emerged when Kashmir hosted G20 meet on tourism in Srinagar, the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir. The delegates from 27 countries – part of the most influential grouping, and special invitees – took part in the deliberations in May 2023, and showcased it to the world that Kashmir is a breathing place for new ideas and the people’s journey toward peace and progress. Sinha became a bridge between Kashmir’s aspiration for peace and attracting tourists, investment and transformation of its profile and the national integration with a messaging for the international community.
Now to carry forward the efforts to take the task to its finish line, it is mandatory that the greatest irritant, even when it has been pushed to the fringes, we wiped out. The terrorists and terrorism should be spoken to the language they understand, but those who have been misled and have become part of the misinformation should be handled deftly. The vibrant communication is also a potent counter-terrorism methodology.
