Srinagar, October 10 (IANS): A Government advisory on August 2, ahead of the abrogationn of Article 370, asking tourists and Amarnath pilgrims to leave Kashmir due to ‘prevailing security concerns’ ended on Thursday. A fresh advisory has now been issued, which says the previous advisory is withdrawn.

“The tourists desirous of undertaking visit to the State shall be provided all necessary assistance and logistical support”, the fresh advisory added, much to the welcome by tourism community.

THIS is a clear indication that the situation in Kashmir is returning to normalcy. The Government has assessed correctly the exact condition prevailing in Kashmir and has felt that tourism can be allowed with all precautions taken. By any standard, this is good news.

 

This development is a good reply to the critics who felt happy to describe the conditions in Kashmir as “very bad”. They also loved to keep blasting the Government for the abrogation of Article 370 not for the actual reason but for the fall-outs of any decision of that seriousness. The critics worried more about issues that were to be sorted out sooner or later, and ignored the criticality of the abrogation of Special Status to Kashmir. The latest advisory on tourism, thus, gives an effective reply to the politically-driven criticism.

 

Most unfortunately, the critics, not many of them thoughtful, kept blasting the Government without knowing what efforts the authorities were putting in to normalise the situation post-Article 370. They did not realise how the authorities were easing the regulations in bits and pieces experimentally to test the waters. They also re-imposed certain eased restrictions so as to keep a tighter check on any kind of undesirable activities. Their purpose was to ensure that normalcy was restored at the earliest.

 

The tourism advisory, also, is one such effort in the right direction. The authorities now feel sure that things are no longer needed to be kept under a tight control. They realise that no society can be chained for interminable lengths of time. And therefore, the moment they realised that things are easing out, they issued a fresh advisory on tourism, with a promise of full assistance on all issues.

 

At this stage, it is necessary to tell the critics that their criticism about closed schools and shut hotels and famished trade and empty roads with no vehicular traffic were only references to temporary phenomena under extraordinary conditions. The critics also must be told that when a long-blistering wound is under treatment, the relief comes slowly and in stages. In fact, it would have been absolutely immature for any administration not to have introduced due restrictions to ensure that there was no damage to people.

 

The events in the past three months prove very well that the things have been handled very well by the authorities. For, during this period, not one single bullet has been fired and no untoward incident has taken place. There may have been some stray incidents whose overall impact was next to nothing -- in comparison to the long dark period in which even the security personnel could not safeguard themselves from stone-pelting and terror strikes. So bad the situation was that the terrorists killed soldiers on leave, killing them outside mosques and during wedding ceremonies in their families. In the past three months, nothing of this sort has happened, thanks to the carefully-planned trajectory of actions by the Government.

 

The latest tourism advisory has come as part of the extension of more facilities and greater easing of regulations in Kashmir. In the times ahead, more such easing is going to be in evidence, taking the State faster to normalcy, closer to happy times, under a completely Indian control.

 

In a public interview anchored by famed lyricist Mr. Prasun Joshi in London during his first term, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi had lamented about senseless criticism, in response to a young questioner perhaps in twenties. He had said, in effect, that he did not mind criticism as contrarion point of view was the foundation of democracy, but he felt disturbed by criticism that carried no sense, no valid point, no proper thought.

 

Something like this has happened as regards Kahsmir post-Article 370. The Government, however, is conscious that such things are bound to happen in a cacophonous democracy. So, unbothered by such criticism, it has continued going about its mandated and planned implementation of right ideas in larger national interest. Therefore, there is no doubt that in weeks ahead, Kashmir will return to actual normalcy that is available elsewhere in the country -- and not by the Kashmiri standards in which violence was an everyday happening, anti-India rant by separatists supported by Pakistan was the order of the day, and nonsensical allegations about so-called violations of human rights was the media policy and political strategy of the separatists (again forwarded and funded by Pakistan).

 

No matter what the critics (in terrible minority) say, average Indian people know it very well that the Government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 in Kashmir and split the former State into two Union Territories was absolutely right and in tune with the public demand of seven decades. The average Indians are extremely happy that the anomalous condition of Do nishaan, Do Vidhaan, Do Pradhaan (two flags, two constitutions and two premiers) has been done away with finally.

 

It is going to be a matter of time -- short time -- when the situation in Kashmir will be normalised completely in tune with the national mood and condition.