NO BOMBS....
| Date :30-Jul-2019 |
ADDRESSING the people in his second ‘Maan Ki Baat’ monthly interaction on Sunday after his second term, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi has echoed the feelings of the masses of Jammu and Kashmir when he said that Kashmir needs development, not bullets or bombs. The Prime Minister, in fact, has given vent to the people’s indignation over ceaseless terrorist activities being orchestrated from across the border. They are fed up with the routine disturbances, bloodbath, shattering of normal life, lack of development, lack of employment for the State’s youth, constant fear of hail of bullets and boom of bombs. For decades people of the State have been living under the shadow of terror. And now they want to get rid of this spectre of terror and lead a normal life. This sentiment was exemplified by the youths who appeared for the military recruitment tests for joining the Armed forces.
Some of the youths expressed their desire to serve the country through a job in the Armed Forces. Thus by and large the younger generation in Kashmir is keen to shun the path of violence and lead a normal life. They too are very keen to see normalcy return to their State and their lives like rest of the country. That as many as 957 youths took Army recruitment tests on Sunday shows the interest the young people are evincing in national affairs.
This belies the political propaganda by some of the political parties that the people in the State are opposed to the presence of the Army. In fact apart from securing the borders of the country and thwarting attempts of infiltration of terrorists from Pakistan side, the Army authorities are reaching out to the people and taking up socially important projects like educational activities, skill development programmes, healthcare etc. earning them gratitude of the people. It is in this context that Prime Minister Mr. Modi’s reference to the community mobilisation programme is significant. According to the Prime Minister civilian authorities are reaching out to the people in remote areas of the State with various development projects. Through these socially-oriented programmes the people too are showing their aversion to the terrorist and disruptive activities and are willing to join the efforts of the Government to bring normalcy to the State and end the reign of bombs and bullets. With the people showing interest in shunning those who spread hatred there is bound to be a change for the good.
The people too are keen to see the back of violence and hatred. And it is the people’s cooperation that will ensure the success of programmes like community mobilisation. Through the community mobilisation programme several goals can achieved. In fact the people are the main stakeholders in the success of the community mobilisation programme and its success depends on their wholehearted participation. Similar efforts are being made in the Maoist extremism affected regions of the country. The development agenda being pursued in the left extremism affected states is having a positive impact on the situation with the tribal people increasingly shunning the path of the Naxalite.
That is why vast areas have been freed from the Naxalite dominance all over the country in recent years. That a large number of Maoist cadres and even high functionaries are surrendering and joining the main stream shows the efficacy of community mobilisation programme. While the Central Government is planning various programmes to restore normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, political parties in the State show no interest in cooperating with the Union Government in this endeavour. In fact even for them restoration of normalcy through development activity should become the top most priority. But unfortunately they refuse to see beyond their narrow political ends.