The year-end eve is approaching. It was important for the Central Government to review its politics and policies toward Jammu and Kashmir. That happened on December 19 when Union Home Minister Amit Shah held two back to back meetings with the appointed and elected leadership of the Union Territory. As it would have been the case, the schedule of the meetings suggested how committed the Modi Government is for democratically flourishing and secure J&K.
In fact, it was a feedback by the man of the moment for J&K for the past over five and a half years – Amit Shah as Home Minister. It would be more appropriate to call him the man of all seasons and years ever since Narendra Modi arrived on the national political landscape in 2014. Shah was BJP President from 2014 to 2019 , before he assumed the office of Home Minister of the country.
Two meetings on December 19 , first with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah revolving around the demand for the restoration of the statehood to J&K, and with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and all the heads of the security forces and agencies to review the security situation and lay a roadmap for next year ,heralded journey on path of making Jammu and Kashmir great again . The thrust is two-fold, fighting external enemies and their sympathizers within , and to ensure that the path that was undertaken after August 5, 2019 when Article 370 was done way with is pursued with extra vigour.
What has come out of these future-defining meetings chaired by Home Minister is that there would be no deviation from the direction that the Modi government has envisaged for J&K. The alternative narratives that have been floated will not be allowed to cast their shadow on the situation and thinking at the national level. That’s where Amit Shah’s call for terror-free J&K should be understood and analyzed as to why it is a roadmap for future.
The resounding appeal of ” terror-free J&K at the earliest ” is certain to echo all across the UT. That is what can bring this territory everything it wants under the Constitution of India as an integral part of the country. This will fit into the old and time tested proverb ” first deserve then desire”. It also serves as a reminder to the people of J&K that how dismantling of ecosystem of terrorism – 92 per cent decline in terror incidents as compared to the previous years . In simple mathematics , it is the space gained for peace for future of Kashmir . This has generational effect , something that the present generation can be proud of bequeathing high quality peace to the new ones . And when terrorism is eliminated in full scale , peace is 100 percent and it brings perfect potential for the future generations to dream and realize the same. There would be no interruptions and disruptions.
Amit Shah did not mince words while describing the direction and goal of terror free Jammu and Kashmir, as he stated that “in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Zero tolerance public policy against terrorism, we will achieve the goal of terror free Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest and all resources will be made available for this.” In saying so, Home Minister has live up to his reputation of ” man of action” in the true spirit of India’s iron man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who united India by using persuasion and power in the most difficult and challenging times of the Partition. Amit Shah, by his work has reversed the fissiparous tendencies that had erupted in J&K , North-east and Naxal-hit areas.
In the December 19 meeting , Home Minister did not ask the security forces to accomplish the task without providing means to do so as he also committed that all resources will be made available to achieve the goal of terror-free J&K. The resources are not only the advanced weaponry and technical support but a psychological cover, in which no alternative narrative is allowed to intrude .The physical support works only when the psychological support is there . The two support systems complement each other. In short , Amit Shah hah has not only laid vision for 2025 but also for the rest of the years , at least till the centenary of India’s Independence in 2047- when the PM’s vision of “Viksit Bharat” will become a reality, which the world will watch with envy.