Naya (New) Kashmir’s ever onwards journey continues

Since the abrogation of the Article 370 and Article 35 A on 6 August 2019, Kashmir has been witnessing historic transformations. While the targeted killings of the Kashmiri Pundits are a potent reminder of not lowering the guards in eliminating every last threat to the state and its people, the transformations since 2019 auger well for the region and India.

Strengthening Grassroots democracy

There was never any doubt that a stronger democracy had to be the lynchpin of J&K revival. After 2019, Panchayat Raj Act has been amended to bolster the third tier of democratic governance at the Local Council at District level. In October 2019 itself, the historic elections to Block Development Council were held, recording a 98.3% voter turnout. Thereafter, District Development Councils (DDC) elections in October- November 2020 recorded a 51.7% turnout. About six million voters in 20 districts voted to elect 280 members of DDC. In addition, 44 Digital Village Centres have been established at the level of Gram Panchayats, which are providing internet access in the far-flung and rural areas and facilitating e-delivery of government services, schemes and sustenance.

Governance

All central laws are being extended to J&K including the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013.

These laws deflate Pakistan’s propaganda that demography of J&K is being altered by granting domicile certificates to outsiders. In the New Kashmir, residency rights have been accorded to the people living in J&K for decades but deprived of residency rights under Article 35 A. Now marginalized communities including Gujjars, Bakharwals, Valmikis, refugees from Pakistan benefit from these rights and avail government schemes and jobs. The entirety of central laws remains in place in J&K now including affirmative regulations like SC/ ST Act, 33% reservation of women in local bodies, right to education among others.

Industrial Development

Under various central government schemes Rs 30,757 crores have been allocated to J&K in the Financial Year (FY) 2020-21, and under the PM’s development package 2015, Rs 80,068 crores are being spent on 54 projects in J&K in road, power, health, tourism, agriculture, horticulture and skill development sectors. Besides, an Indian Institutes of Technology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), seven medical colleges, two cancer institutes and Indian Institutes of Management are being set up to meet the aspirations of the local youth.

The New Industrial Policy 2021- 30 has improvisions the largest ever spending outlay of Rs 28,400 crores on the industrial development of J&K over the next 15 years and generating an investment of Rs 20,000 crores and employment of 4.5 lakh locals. J&K has also signed six agreements with global investors at Dubai Expo and single window clearance rules has been notified for speedy approvals of projects. A new international flight from Sharjah to Srinagar is operational since 2021 and now night flights have started as well.

Sports Infrastructure

The Sports Policy 2022 is promoting universal wellness and fitness from the grassroots to the international level and sponsoring local athletes. The central government’s Rs 200 crores under the Prime Minister’s Development Package will be used for up-gradation of sports infrastructure in the state. The Pencak Silat Association of J&K is conducting a coaching camp in Srinagar to shortlist a 40 member Indian team for the World Pencak Silat championship in Malaysia. Just last week, it held a Anantnag district Pencak Silat Championship that drew 260 male and female participants from all age groups.

19 J&K powerlifters will participate in Germany and Australia, five in the National Equipped Power Lifting Championship in Hyderabad. Martial arts is a big hit and Judo is attracting a large number of youth and four participated in the World Deaf Judo Championship in France. J&K Boxing team participated in the Youth National Boxing Championship in Chennai. J&K fencers participated in the 30th Junior National Fencing Championship held at Cuttack and the boys’ Sabre team again won the gold; whereas men’s Epee team bagged bronze in Madhya Pradesh and two girls won silver and the bronze in addition to the girls’ team winning the gold.

The Khelo India Khelo Centre of Excellence for fencing, that has been set up in Jammu, provide all the modern equipment and gadgets necessary for J&K’s fencers. In Kulgam district the District Wushu Association is organizing championships. In J&K and Ladakh five cricket tournaments have been organized which may spot future talents like Umran Malik, Abdul Samad, Parvez Rasool, Ian Dev Singh and Shubham Khajuria. Similarly, the Ladakh Sqay Association organized the inter-state National Sqay Championship in Ladakh in which over 150 players participated.

Golf too is very popular and at the Royal Springs Golf Course in Srinagar and the Lidder Valley Golf Course in Pahalgam, 88 golfers from the Addicts Golfing Society in south India and their local counterparts participated.

J&K’s agri sector is seeing new beginning as well. As much as 60,000 hectares of Basmati agricultural land is now being converted into a more productive livelihood following J&K administration’s decision to provide good quality seeds at cheaper rates to over 7.5 lakh farmers in the Union Territory. The Agriculture Department of the UT shares that now J&K accounts for nearly two percent land share in India and 1.60 percent production share of Basmati rice. Nearly 90,000 farming families undertake Basmati cultivation of which over 90 percent are small and marginal farmers with low investment and risk bearing capacities. India boasts of being the largest exporter of Basmati rice to over to 80-90 countries including USA, European Union, Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Commonwealth of Independent States, etc.

Under the new schemes a stateof-the-art training is also being rolled out to around 35,000 farmers to implement new experiments in agriculture in the light of the changing environment at a cost of Rs 26 crores. Also, three cold storage clusters are being set up at Kathua, north Kashmir and south Kashmir at a cost of Rs 500 crores which is a welcome news for the farmers.

Security Apparatus

Under the Union Territory status, law and order has come increasingly under an effective control of the Union Government resulting in a significant decline in stone-pelting and crossborder infiltration, and yielding greater successes in anti-terror operations. Out of the new 199 projects, 132 have been renamed after the martyrs of J&K Police as a tribute to their sacrifices.

On 15 August 2022 a human chain of over 500 Kashmiris carried the country’s longest tricolor in 850 metre length at the new Bakhshi Stadium in Srinagar, something unheard of in the pre-2019 era. This year there were no protests or demonstrations, no publicsecurity forces clashes, no Pakistani slogans raised or flags hoisted anywhere in Kashmir, neither on Pakistan’s or India’s Independence Day.

Jammu and Kashmir has now truly turned a new leaf and embraced the path of peace and progress for the Naya Kashmir.

The author is the Editor-in- Chief of India News, CEO of the Institute for Australia India Engagement, National Sports Chair-Australia India Business Council and T20 Cricket World cup Champion. Views expressed are personal.

By Dr Ashutosh Misra